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ALL ABOUT YOUR
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heart
this esme
5 secrets to a
clear round
MEET JOEY!
boost your
riding
Try
confidence
mounted
games
Pamper your fave
quiz Discover your riding destiny
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PONYMAG.COM
July 2020 £3.99 Issue 866
UK ONLY
e l Po
y t r pa spice up p l he to rk o w e l o p se U s your scho oling session
T
you can do with here’s so much u only have a poles! Even if yo , there are still few to play with u can try that’ll lots of things yo ep ur riding, and ke help improve yo e re th e ar re He o! schooling fun, to ly on l ses that you’l awesome exerci r! or less fo need four poles
Top Tip
To help you stay on the line you want, close your elbows towards your body and widen your hands. Be sure to look up and ahead to where you want to go, too, rather than down at the poles.
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PONY magazine
Exercise 1
Top Tip
All ponies are different, and you’ll need to adjust the space between the poles to suit your pony’s stride length.
Stay on track
This exercise is perfect for improving your accuracy and your pony’s straightness. Plus, it’s super-fun to ride, too!
Set it up
C
Place four striped poles down the centre line, approx 1–1.3m apart.
H
M
How to ride it
1. Go large around the arena in walk, E 1-1.3m B on the left rein. 2. When you get to A, turn down the centre line and ride over your K F poles. Aim for the middle stripe. 3. Continue to C, A then turn right and go large again. 4. As before, turn down the centre line at A, and ride towards your poles. This time, however, aim for the stripe that’s to the left of the centre. Keep straight, and make sure your pony doesn’t drift across to the middle. 5. Track left at C, and next time round, ride over the right-hand side of the poles. 6. Ride the exercise again, switching up which stripe you aim for. Be super-clear with your aids so your pony knows where he needs to go.
lenge Up the chal
exercise stered the a m e ’v u o e a go in Once y up and hav it p e e st , lk in wa nd it a littl ny might fi o p r ’s u e o h Y n t. tro t whe ay straigh harder to st it’ll really so , ly k quic going more ontrol! test your c
Exercise 2
All rise
To help add a bit of pizzazz to your pony’s trot, try riding him over raised poles!
C
H
M
Set it up
Place four poles down the side of your arena, each 1-1.3m apart. You’ll also need a helper and four jump blocks to raise the poles with.
How to ride it
1-1.3m
E
B
K
F
1. Begin on the right rein, and trot over A your poles a couple of times, to make sure you’re happy with the striding. 2. Ask your helper to raise the left side of the second pole a few inches off the ground, and the opposite side of the third pole. Ride over your line of poles again, making sure you aim for the middle and keep your pony straight. He’ll need plenty of energy to lift his legs higher, so wrap your legs around his sides to encourage him forward. It can help if you rise a little higher out of the saddle, too. 3. When your pony’s happily going over the poles like this, ask your helper to raise the right side of your first pole and the left side of the final pole. You’ll now be riding through your line with all of the poles raised. 4. Trot over the poles four or fives times, then give your a pony a walk break. When he’s had a breather, change the rein and approach the poles from the other way.
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BOOsT Get ready to ditch your riding nerves
I
t might seem a bit weird to be nervous about riding when you love it so much, but everyone gets butterflies in their tummy at one time or another - it’s totally normal! The good news is there’s lots you can do to manage your nerves, and even get rid of them all together!
Feeling worried
There are loads of reasons why you might feel nervous about riding. You could get worried if you have to try something new, or maybe you feel anxious because you’ve booked a group lesson and you’re not used to riding in front of other people. Some riders can ace tricky schooling moves, yet their legs turn to jelly if they even think about jumping over a fence! Nerves affect everyone differently, too. They might give you a swirling tummy, make you feel sick or cause you to run to the loo every five minutes! Some people’s hands feel numb, or their mouths go dry, while others will yawn Not doing something for a while can loads if they’re nervous make you more anxious about it. So, if – how weird is that? you’ve had a break from riding because of the lockdown, it’s understandable to feel a little unsure about getting back in the saddle, even if you’re super-excited about seeing your fave pony again. The best way to restore your confidence is to take things super-slowly, and maybe even go back a step or return to the basics. Talk to your instructor before your next lesson and let them know how you feel. If you go to a Nerves can actually be a riding school, ask if you can ride a pony you feel good thing because they super-safe on. If you have your own pony, make help you become really sure he’s been exercised regularly before you try focused on what you’re riding again. Lungeing him for a few minutes before doing! you get on can help him stay calm, too.
Have a reboot
did you know?
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PONY magazine
Top tip
Why not book a session on a riding simulator before you get on a real pony again? It’ll help you refresh all your riding basics, and it’ll be awesome fun, too!
Map it out
Be prepared
You might know that you’re unsure about jumping, hacking or going to shows, but pinpointing exactly what’s worrying you can help you come up with the best solution. Why not create a mind map by writing down all the positive and negative words you associate with an activity, and see if you can discover more about your feelings. Then challenge yourself to come up with a few ways you can change things so you’re not so scared.
When it comes to competing, or taking an assessmen t like a Pony C lub test, you’ll feel way more confident know you’ve pu if you t in loads of pr ep beforehand make sure you’ . So, ve practised ev erything you’ll doing, and may be be book some extra lessons help you and to your pony be foot perfect! W think of some hy not non-riding ho mework you ca too, such as le n do, arning your dr essage test in out, or looking side at photos on th e venue’s web so you know w site hat type of fille rs they includ their showjum e in ping courses? It’ll all help give an awesome ed you ge on the show day, so there’ll no need to feel be nervous!
try to chill
If you get nervous about competing, it probably won’t help that there’s often loads of waiting around between classes. This’ll just give you even more of an opportunity to worry about what’s coming up later! To steady those nerves, find a super-relaxing way to fill the spare time. This could be listening to a playlist of calming music, reading Putting a neckstrap on a book or even looking your fave pony can give you at super-happy pix of an instant confidence boost. You’ll feel happier knowing you friends, family and your fave pony! can slip a couple of fingers through it if you start to feel a bit wobbly in the saddle.
Top tip
go for a goal
Top tip
Feel like you can achieve absolutely anything by pretending you’re your fave rider!
Making awesome plans is a great way to build confidence. Come up with a goal you’d like to achieve, and the steps you’ll take to get there. Your goal might be acing a course of fences, and your steps could be having some one-to-one lessons with your instructor and scheduling in a few practice sessions. Or, you might want to hack out somewhere new or on a beach! Just make sure the goal’s achievable, and you work towards it gradually. It’ll be really exciting as you tick off each step and get closer to your target.
PONY magazine
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let the
ME s g Abegin Have even more fun with your fave pony
M
ounted games are super-exciting for you and your fave pony and it’s a great way to form an awesome partnership with him, because you’ll have to work together to ace all the races!
Rise to the challenge
Mounted games involve negotiating obstacles and picking up and moving equipment, which will really test your accuracy and control. If you want to compete, speed’s important, too, but when you’re starting out it’s best to take things slow, then build up to being a bit quicker when you’ve both got the hang of things.
Why try? Photos: Lucy Merrell, Sammie Palmer, Windsor Horse Show
Having a go at mounted games isn’t just great fun, there are loads of other reasons it’s good for you and your pony, too. It’ll help... • teach him to be more responsive to your aids • make him super-supple and more agile • add variety to his work, so he won’t get bored • encourage him to be more forward going if he’s usually laidback • get him used to flags and bright objects, so he won’t be phased by anything he sees out hacking • keep you both fit as it’s super-active • improve your position and balance in the saddle • boost your riding confidence, because you’ll be so engrossed in the games, you won’t have time to feel worried
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PONY magazine
Top tip
Get your pony used to all the equipment from the ground first, before trying to pick it up or move it when you’re in the saddle.
A sport for all
The great thing about mounted games is it’s something everyone can try, and any pony can enjoy it, too! You can easily get started using everyday things you’ll find at home or on the yard, then you can think about investing in some proper kit once you’re hooked! • cones or jump blocks make great bending poles • old socks can be rolled up and used for the sock race. Collect the socks one at a time, then drop them into a bucket on your way back • plastic cups or beakers are ideal for playing the mug race. Have a go at
moving a cup from one bending pole to another • empty supplement tubs can be carefully stacked on top of each other to recreate the pyramid race • a piece of material secured to a length of garden cane can make a great flag • a short, smooth piece of pipe is an awesome baton for handovers You can also come up with your own ideas for games, but make sure any equipment you use is safe and doesn’t have any sharp edges.
did you know? You can’t use a whip or spurs when competing in mounted games comps.
Share the fun
You can just play the games on your own, but it’ll be loads more fun if you get some friends to join in, too. You can either do the games one at a time, or go head-to-head to see who’s the quickest! It can also be a good idea to have someone on the ground with you, who can help set up and move the equipment, so you don’t have to keep getting off.
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