Ahead of the curve

If your fave pony’s supple, he’ll be able to bend and move his body easily, which will help him ace school movements and dressage tests. You’ll find that he feels much nicer to ride, too!

Feeling zen

For your pony to become truly supple, he’ll need to be really relaxed. Start your schooling sessions by spending lots of time walking on a long rein as a warm-up. It’ll help him get used to his surroundings and stretch out his muscles.

Your flexible friend

There are loads of useful things you can do to work on his suppleness, and the following exercises will make a real difference if you practise them regularly…

• 20m, 15m and 10m circles
• Three- and four-loop serpentines
• Figures-of-eight
• Shallow loops

Top tip

If your pony’s bending correctly on a circle or through a turn, you should just be able to see the corner of his inside eye.

To discover more tips and hints to help your pony become more supple, see the February issue of PONY mag, which is out now!