Around the clock

Making sure your pony is supple on both reins will really help boost his performance. My handy exercise will not only keep his suppleness in check, it will also help you ride amazing turns and perfect circles – so why not give it a go?!

Brilliant bending

It’s important you understand how to ask your pony to bend correctly and know what to look for when he’s bending because if he’s overbent or unable to bend in both directions, he might find these exercises pretty tricky.

To ask your pony to bend, you need to…

• use your inside rein to get him looking in the direction you’re bending
• keep your outside rein close to his wither to support his shoulder
• press with your inside leg to ask him to bend through his ribcage
• use your outside leg to support him through the turn
• turn your shoulders and look towards the direction you’re going

Then, as your pony starts to bend, think about his…

• neck and head – you don’t want him to have too much bend to the inside, otherwise he’ll be at risk of falling through the shoulder
• shoulders – they should be travelling on the line around your turn or circle
• body and hindquarters – he should be bending through his ribcage and his hindlegs should be following the path of his forelegs

TOP TIP

If your pony struggles to bend one way more than the other, get him checked over by his bodyworker and vet. It might be a sign he’s sore or stiff, so it’s best to get him checked out to help him feel and perform at his best.

Check out and have a go at Pippa’s suppling exercises in December PONY – on sale now!