HomePony HangoutQuizzesRuby’s riding lesson

Ruby’s riding lesson

Ruby only has a lesson once a month, so has a bit of trouble remembering everything she’s learnt. Can you help her out?

Ruby's riding lesson

1 / 15

Ruby has tacked up her fave riding school pony, Mallow, and is leading him to the mounting block so she can get on. Which side should she mount from?

Whichever side is closer at the time

His left (the near side)

His right (the off side)

2 / 15

Kate, Ruby’s instructor, has told everyone in the group to warm up in open order. What does she mean?

Do all the things you’d normally do in a warm-up, but in whatever order you want

Follow the lead rider and wait for Kate to give you each instruction

Warm up your pony independently of everyone else in your ride

3 / 15

What would you tell Ruby to do in her warm-up to make sure that Mallow’s ready for the lesson?

Walk, trot and canter on both reins, with lots of turns and circles

Get the fastest walk, trot and canter that she can on each rein

A few laps in canter to get his heart rate up

4 / 15

Kate’s just reminded everyone to check their diagonal because someone’s on the wrong one – oops! How does Ruby check whether she’s got it right?

Glance down quickly at Mallow’s outside shoulder – she should be rising as it goes forward and sitting as it comes back

Look at Mallow’s outside shoulder – she should be sitting as it goes forward and rising as it comes back

Check Mallow’s inside shoulder – she should be rising as it goes forward and sitting as it comes back

5 / 15

Ruby’s just realised that she’s forgotten to check her girth since she started warming up. What should she do if it needs tightening?

Come off the track, dismount, tighten it and remount

Turn into the middle and halt out of the way, staying on board while she tightens it

Halt where she is, stay on board and tighten it straightaway

6 / 15

Kate asks everyone to get into a ride and Ruby is second. How much space should she leave between her and the pony in front?

One pony’s length – she should be able to see the pony in front’s hocks between Mallow’s ears

Three large human strides

Three seconds – she should count from when the pony in front passes a marker until she does

7 / 15

Ruby is now at the front of the ride and Kate has asked her to ride a change of rein across the long diagonal from H. Which of these would be correct?

H to M

H to B

H to F

8 / 15

Kate has asked Ruby to canter to the back of the ride – what are the correct aids for canter?

Sit up, loosen the reins and put both legs on slightly behind the girth

Big squeeze and say ‘yeehah!’

Sit up, ask for inside bend, then put your outside leg behind and inside leg on the girth

9 / 15

Mallow didn’t canter the first time Ruby asked him, but rushed into a fast trot instead. What should Ruby do?

Keep giving him the canter aids and he’ll eventually canter

Bring him back to a steady but active trot, wait for the next corner, use a half-halt and ask for canter again

Slow him down, then ask again after two trot strides

10 / 15

Kate suggests that everyone takes their stirrups away to practise sitting trot. What should Ruby do with her stirrups?

Cross them over Mallow’s withers, right first then left

Leave them dangling by Mallow’s side

Cross them over his withers, either way round

11 / 15

Another rider in the group asks Kate if they can do some jumping. She agrees on the condition they can remember the five phases of a jump. What would you tell Ruby the answer is?

Approach, jump, flight, land, exit

Run up, big push, flying, come down, run off

Approach, take-off, flight, landing, getaway

12 / 15

Ruby heads towards her first jump – what sort of canter should she have?

Fast and flat

Bouncy and balanced

Slow and steady

13 / 15

It’s coming to the end of Ruby’s lesson and Kate said it’s time to cool down. What should Ruby do?

Walk Mallow on a loose rein so he can stretch

Take her last opportunity to have a quick canter while Kate’s not looking, then walk

Turn into the middle of the school and stand so that Mallow can get his breath back

14 / 15

Before the end of the lesson, Kate suggests having an around-the-world race. How would you describe this to Ruby so that she has the best chance of winning?

It’s a race around the edge of the arena

It’s when you shout out as many countries as you can while trotting one 20m circle

It’s when you take your feet out of your stirrups, then turn around 360° in the saddle by moving one leg at a time

15 / 15

It’s time to dismount and Ruby wants to make a last good impression by doing it perfectly. What does she need to remember?

She needs to lean backwards and do the biggest swing possible so that she doesn’t kick Mallow on the bottom as she dismounts

She needs to halt, then take her feet out of the stirrups, put the reins in her left hand, lean forward and swing her right leg over to dismount. When she’s off, she needs to run up her stirrups and loosen her girth, still holding onto Mallow

She should take her right foot out of the stirrup and put both her reins into one hand before leaning forwards and swinging her right leg over