Keep on moving

Follow our seven steps to motivating your pony!

Do you ride a pony who enjoys a more leisurely pace of life? Is he a little too laid back so you struggle to get him going and get the most out of him? If this sounds like your fave pony, then you’re in the right place! We have seven tips to help you get him moving so you can enjoy hours of fun together.

Fancy footwork

Not only are poles and grids great for improving strength, suppleness and straightness, they’re also a brilliant mental workout for your equine pal! Some ponies get super-spicy when they see poles and jumps because they’re just so much fun, so be sure to include a polework or jump session into your pony’s weekly routine. There are endless layouts to try and you can get sooo creative with them, but remember that polework is physically demanding for your pony, so don’t use poles in every schooling session.

Mix ‘n’ match

Be sure to have as much variety as you can in your pony’s weekly exercise routine – it can be trickier during winter due to the amount of daylight, but planning ahead can help ensure you get a good mix to keep him interested in his work. Consider a combination of hacking, schooling, jumping, in-hand work and lungeing (with an adult’s supervision), as well as a day or two off!

Stretch out

Riding lots of different transitions in your schooling sessions is a great way to get your pony responsive and working more actively. Start with progressive transitions while you warm up, such as walk-halt-walk or trot-walk-trot, then have a go at some direct transitions; for example, halt to trot and walk to canter. Not only will these give you the chance to check your aids are correct and effective, they’re really good at encouraging your pony to move!

You could also try shortening and lengthening your pony’s strides while going large around the arena in canter. Sitting deeper in the saddle along the short sides to encourage a more collected canter, then picking up a light seat and squeezing on to open up your pony’s stride on the long sides is an exercise that’s sure to wake him up!

Find out how more of our top tips for motivating your pony in March PONY! Grab your copy today!