PONY magazine – July 2018

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THE UK’S NO1 PONY MAGAZINE

Meet youtustbaer super

ESME!!

Go clear

XC

Get your pony

gleaming!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A

mare

what's your perfect

Are you ready Ho w to have th

holiday?

0 7 9

770032 425195

July 2018 £3.65 Issue 840

p? for cam e best time

riding

Know your

PACEs Understanding what’s going on beneath you can really help you with your riding

D

epending on what pace your fave pony’s in (walk, trot, canter or gallop), his legs will be moving in a different order – these are known as footfalls.

Knowing which leg moves at when will help you understand what your pony’s doing and it’ll give you a better idea of when’s best to use your aids, too.

Walk this way

Walk is a four-beat gait, which means each of your pony’s legs move separately. If you listen to him walk on a hard surface, you’ll be able to hear it.

Walk fo otfalls 1.

2.

3.

4.

Left hind Left fore Right hind Right fore

2

4 ‘N’ shape

1

3

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Hot to trot

Trot is a two-beat gait and your pony’s legs move in diagonal pairs.

Trot fo otfalls fore 1. Left hind and right fore 2. Right hind and left

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1

1 ‘X’ shape

1

2

DID YOU KNOW?

To check you’re on the right diagonal in trot, look at your pony’s outside shoulder – you should be rising as he steps forward and sitting as his shoulder comes back.

2

Top tip

3

4

To improve your pony’s walk, use your right leg aid as his right hind swings forward and your left leg as his left hind swings through.

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RECIPE

For

success

Riding a clear XC round is the gold standard! Here’s how to make it happen

T

here’s so much to think about when you’re going cross-country, but that’s all part of the fun! Every rider wants to go clear and if you’ve prepared well, and you and your pony are both feeling confident, there’s no reason why you can’t.

Going clear is all about having a smooth ride and avoiding penalties, which you can pick up for... l refusals and run-outs l jumping the wrong fence l being over or too far under the optimum time

Walk the course like a pro

DID YOU KNOW?

Depending on whether you ’re competing unaffiliated, under British Eventing or Pony Club rules, you’ll get a different number of penalties for different things, so make sure you check the rules!

Hmmm... ground looks good here Top tip

Fox-Pitt You wouldn’t catch William Don’t have your phone fact, he’d be in – lk wa skipping a course out while walking the m see might doing it more than once! It course – it’s time to rt, effo of lot a like a long way to walk and concentrate! p it because but don’t be tempted to ski at’s coming so it’s important to know wh of action. n pla id sol a ke you can ma ualise each fence As you walk the course, vis about... nk Thi ng. and imagine you’re ridi ce fen h eac for is line l what the best ons diti con l the ground going l how fast you should be binations com n l the distances betwee ky tric at n pla p l having a back-u Walk the alternative fences routes as well as the r you m l how the course looks fro direct routes, just pony’s eyes in case! l where the finish is

Top tip

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PONY magazine

Ace your warm-u p Not planning your warm-up is like trying to cook something you’ve not made before without a recipe – the end result is never quite as good as it could be!

A warm-up not only prepares your pony’s body for the XC challenge, it gets him listening to you and gives you an idea of how he’s feeling, too. A good warm-up is pre-planned and includes... l some time in walk to let your pony take everything in and stretch out, especially if he’s had to travel for a while l trot, to get your pony’s heart rate up l lots of shapes and transitions to get your pony listening and responsive l canter – make sure you try adjusting it so he has to take shorter and longer strides l a few simple jumps to help him get into the swing of things

DID YOU KNOW?

A good warm-up will giv e you confidence to start your round really positively.

You wouldn’t catch William Fox-Pitt skipping a course walk Turn over

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bathtime!

Georgia and Utah show you how to make your fave pony sparkle

M

ost ponies love a refreshing cool-down in the summer, especially after a hot and sweaty ride – most of the time you’ll end up just as wet, too! Giving your fave pony a bath is a great way to pamper him and spend some quality time together, at the same time as getting him sparkling clean – until he rolls the moment you turn him out, of course!

YOU’LL NEED... l grooming kit l buckets of clean, warm water l shampoo l hose l mane and tail detangler l mane and tail brush l sponge l plastic brush or rubber curry comb l sweat scraper

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STEP

1

Give him a groom

It can be easy to forget and get carried away with soaking your fave pony, but giving him a thorough groom first will make your job much easier.

DID YOU KNOW? Washing your pony in

this order prevents dirty water running onto newly bathed areas.

STEP

2

Begin with his mane

Dilute the shampoo in a bucket of warm water. Use your sponge to apply it and lather it up as if you were washing your own hair. Make sure you get right down to the roots to get all the dirt and grease out. Rinse out the shampoo with the hose and leave it to dry while you move on to his tail.

Top tip

STEP

3

Tackle his tail

Soak his tail in a bucket to loosen the dirt. Apply some of the diluted shampoo with a sponge and get scrubbing.

Rinse it with a hose until the shampoo’s all out and the water’s running clear. Spray it with detangler to make it easier to brush later.

Use your hands to massage the shampoo into his tail to make sure it gets right down to his dock.

Top tip

Before applying detangler, stand to the side of your pony and spin his tail to help it dry.

Top tip

If your water gets dirty, fill a new bucket.

STEP

4

Body beautiful

Top tip

Be careful not to let dirty water run off his bottom on to his newly clean tail.

Wet your pony all over with the hose. Start spongeing on diluted shampoo, then scrub – begin at the top and work your way down, doing his legs last and paying special attention to anywhere particularly dirty. You can use your hands or a sponge, but a rubber curry comb or plastic brush normally does the best job.

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