BOUNCE IT

Bounces are an excellent way to build your pony’s athleticism and strength. To see the benefits for yourself, give this exercise a go!

SET IT UP

You’ll need six jump wings or cavaletti blocks and three poles for this exercise. Build a line of three bounces down the three-quarter line of the arena with a distance of 3-3.7m in between each one.

To start with, keep the fences low as your pony will find this exercise challenging, particularly if he hasn’t done bounces very often before.

YOU MAY NEED.....

If your pony is a little speedy, you might need a couple of extra poles to put on the ground before the exercise to slow him down. Set up three poles on the approach, approximately 2.7-3m apart and enter the exercise in trot to give him something else to focus on.

HOW TO RIDE IT

1. To begin with, leave the poles for the bounces on the ground and warm up over them. Ride over them in walk, trot and canter to check the distances are okay for your pony.

2. When your pony is nice and warm, and you feel ready, raise the poles into small fences and establish a positive yet controlled trot or canter around the arena.

3. Turn onto the three-quarter line and look up over the bounces. Don’t be tempted to throw your reins away, but instead, keep your pony in the same rhythm you had when you were riding large.

4. Only fold very slightly over each fence, i.e. don’t go into full jumping position.

5. Give your pony lots of praise after the exercise.

6. Change rein and repeat the exercise.

TROUBLESHOOTING

• If your pony gets speedy, set up the ground poles as described above and enter the exercise in a trot. Alternatively, you can circle before entering the exercise and remain on the circle until your pony has settled down into a rhythm.

• If your pony keeps knocking the bounces, take a step back and work with the bounces as poles on the ground. When they can go through the line of three poles without knocking them, put one bounce up. When they have mastered riding one bounce, create a second one and then finally, when you are ready, add a third.