No arena, no problem!

Is there anything better than a hack in the sunshine with your equine bestie? We all love a chilled-out amble around the countryside, but what if that same wander could do wonders for your pony’s way of going, too? Check out our awesome exercises to help you get the best of both worlds.

Did you know?

Riding on different surfaces improves your pony’s balance and builds his strength.

Twists and turns

Being able to bend your pony around your leg in either direction is super-important in a dressage test. From riding into the corner to making the perfectly shaped 20m circle, your pony needs to be supple to score highly.

Practise bending him out hacking by riding shallow loops along hedge lines and even large circles if you have space. Even changing the direction of bend every few strides along the bridleway will help supple your pony up and make riding a smooth change of rein loads easier. Remember to push your outside leg slightly behind the girth and turn your shoulders towards the direction of bend to help him, as he might not quite understand what you’re after to begin with.

Top tip

Don’t lose impulsion while you practise bending – your pony still needs to move forwards as he would in a test!

Find out more great things to do on your next hack in August PONY, on sale 30 June 2021.