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U C R E P SU ers
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HOW TO ACE A
dressage
test
7 reasons
we mares
WHIiTAnKER! W
A
saddle
Polework
for perfect paces
pony-care tips
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5 June – 3 July 2019
July 2019 £3.99 Issue 853
Summer
Funkyaiting pl 3 adorable styles PONYMAG.COM
all the right
moves Find out how to wow the dressage judge in your next test
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f you’re planning to do a dressage test this summer, there’s loads of ways to impress the judge and maximise your marks. Check out our top tips...
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Top tip
DID YOU KNOW?
You don’t have to plait your pony to compete in dressage, but most people do as it creates a professional picture for the judge.
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make aN entrance
Riding a smooth turn onto the centre line at A, then staying perfectly straight all the way to C is your chance to give the judge a great first impression. Plus, if you ace the centre line, it’ll give you a confidence boost that’ll help you ride well in the rest of the test, too. Maximise your marks Practise centre lines at home, and get someone to watch and check how straight you really are. If you need a bit of help, set out a channel of poles down the centre of the arena. When you’re at a show, looking up and ahead at the judge’s car will help you avoid riding a wobbly line.
Top tip
Ask a friend or your instructor to tell you if your pony’s standing square, or look in the arena mirrors if you have them. This’ll help you develop a feel for when your halt is good or bad.
ALL SQUARE
In some tests you’ll need to halt at the beginning and end of your test, but in others you’re only asked to do it at the end. Some even have a halt in the middle! The judge will be looking for your pony’s legs to form a square, with his front and back legs in line with each other. His body should be straight, and his head facing the judge, so don’t let him drift to one side. Maximise your marks Again, practice makes perfect, so ride lots and lots of halts. Be super fussy, too, and insist your pony always stands square, by correcting him straight away if he’s crooked or trailing a leg. Then it’ll become so natural to him, he’ll wow the judges every time you compete.
Let’s go round
Circles appear in every dressage test, but loads of riders lose precious marks by making them the wrong shape or size. C If the test asks for a 20m circle, the judge doesn’t Use cones to want to see a 15m oval! guide you H Maximise your marks If you’re starting a 20m circle at A, you’ll ride through X and touch the track 10m from the corner on each side of the arena. When you’re practising at home, you can place markers, such as cones, at these points to guide you.
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Under cover
Your pony will enjoy feeling the warmth of the sun on his back when he’s out in the field, but if it gets really hot he’ll prefer to stand somewhere cool. It’s superimportant that he has plenty of shade, which could be a field shelter or hedges and trees that cast large shadows. The other option is to stable him during the day when it’s hot, then turn him out in the evening when it’s cooler. If he’s stabled in the daytime, make sure the sun doesn’t shine directly into his face when he looks out over the door. If so, move him to a shadier spot.
Shelter is important for your pony.
DID YOU KNOW?
Don’t forget that the sun changes position during the day, so your pony will need shade on more than one side of his field.
Slip, slap, slop
You wouldn’t go out in the sun unprotected and it should be the same for your fave pony, too. If he has a pink nose or pink skin on his legs or body he’ll be at risk of sunburn. You can buy sunblock designed for ponies, or use a high-factor children’s suncream or spray. Some fly masks and rugs have built-in UV protection, which means they filter out some of the sun’s harmful rays. They can help protect your pony’s face and body from sunburn, too.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Dark coloured coat hair can be bleached by the sun, but a UV fly rug will help stop this happening.
If your fave pony doesn’t drink enough water he could become dehydrated
Top tip
The sun can warm up your pony’s drinking water in the field. Put his buckets in a shady place or top them up with cold water in the afternoon or evening.
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Swea down, but he’ll lose helps your pony cool be replaced through water that needs to contains important drinking. Sweat also olytes and these ctr ele body salts called . You can do this should be replaced, too k or adding an by giving him a salt lic t to his feed if he’s electrolyte supplemen working hard.
OW? lose up DID YOU KN t ho day can
A horse working on a , which is the same to 10-15 litres of fluid ter! as a full bucket of wa
Make sure your pony has pl enty to drink.
Water way Your pony should always have fresh, clean water to drink, but this is super-important in hot weather as he’ll be extra thirsty. So, keep buckets and troughs topped up. If he doesn’t drink enough he could become dehydrated, which can make him really ill. Signs he may be dehydrated include... l being lethargic and stumbling l dry gums l passing wee that’s darker than usual l having skin that’s inelastic, which means that if you gently pinch a small area of skin on his neck it stays upright and doesn’t go flat straight away If you’re worried about your pony, call your vet for advice.
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