Back to basics: Rhythm

If you can establish and maintain a good rhythm, you can achieve anything! It’s a fundamental part of training for any discipline and, luckily, there are loads of ways you can practice it. Have a go at my easy exercises over several sessions and you’ll soon see improvements in your pony’s rhythm.

What is rhythm?

Rhythm is the first level in the scales of training and is made up of three parts – the regularity of your pony’s paces, the sequence of footfalls and the tempo.

Polework perks

Incorporating polework into your pony’s routine can make flatwork more fun, improve his performance and rhythm, and keep you disciplined. There are tones of different exercises you can try, and the benefits are endless!

Get ready

Set up a line of three or four poles anywhere in your arena and, as you warm up, ride over the poles in all three paces – adjusting the distances accordingly to suit your pony (check out bit.ly/KNOW_THE_DISTANCE for a handy stride guide).

Simple walk, trot and canter poles in a straight line will encourage your pony to maintain an even stride length and speed.

Cool canter circles

Placing two poles along the centre line around 20m apart and circling over them in canter not only encourages suppleness, it keeps your pony’s rhythm in check, too.

Have a go in walk and trot first to make sure your pony knows what you’re asking, then, as you pick up canter, try riding over each pole as if it isn’t there. You don’t want your pony to leap or trip over the pole, so count out loud to maintain the rhythm but keep your hands soft to allow him to work out where he’s putting his feet.

Make sure you keep your pony’s head and neck straight – imagine his poll, mane and your jacket zip form a straight line. Too much bend can cause your pony to fall in or out of the circle, so if he does start to drift, support him with your outside rein.

For more of Pippa’s top tips for perfecting your pony’s rhythm, check out July PONY – on sale now!