INSIDE your mag... INSIDE your mag...
PONY team adventures
Who’s who? Who’s who?
PONY magazine, Olive Studio, The Timber Yard, Grange Road, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey GU10 2DQ
Tel 01428 601020
Advertising enquiries 01428 601028
Email pony@djmurphy.co.uk
Team PONY
Editor-in-Chief Louise Kittle
Assistant Editor Sarah Burgess
Staff Writer Nicky Moffatt
Editorial Assistant Megan Xavier-Witherington
Head of Art and Design Sarah Garland
Deputy Head of Art and Design Adam Witt
Art Editor Paul Smail
Designer Lucy Claydon
Marketing Manager Lianne Tadd
Digital Marketing Manager Alex Uren
Marketing Assistant Emily Weeks
Marketing Co-ordinator Alison Hill
Content Creator Kirsty Lucas
Advertisement Manager Evie Edgar
Production Manager Eleanor Dunn
Executive PONY
Managing Director Zoe Cannon
Commercial Director Abi Cannon
Smooth operation PONY
Office Manager Vicki Owen
Accounts Manager Caroline Leishman
Accounts Executive Sarah Smith
Photography
Bob Atkins, Adam Fanthorpe, Lucy Merrell, Jon Stroud, Chelsea White. nigel baker photography, daliyah benhaim, Bianca Grueneberg, Callipso88, horsemen, Iuliia Khabibullina, Rita_Kochmarjova, Vera Larina, Alena Ozerova, JW.photography31, Samoli, Jaco Wiid/shutterstock.com. Nigel Baker/ stock.adobe.com
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We’re sorry, but it may not be possible to include cover gifts on copies of PONY distributed outside the UK.
PONY supports social media safety – to have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube account you must be at least 13 years old. Always get your parents’ permission, too.
PONY recommends you wear an up-to-standard riding hat at all times when mounted.
How cool would it be to tell your friends you care for your pony just like an Olympic medallist? Well, now you can, because the amazing Ros Canter shares her pony care advice with us in this issue! And you know the coolest bit? It’s nowhere near as complicated as you might imagine. In fact, it’s amazingly simple, and completely focused on creating happy ponies. The dream! Turn to p28 to find out more!
Until next month!
Write to us at PONY mag, Olive Studio, The Timber Yard, Grange Road, Tilford, Surrey GU10 2DQ or email pony@djmurphy.co.uk
WE USE THE MOST Dandy brush –D’Artagnan loves rolling in mud! Megan, Ed Assistant
Detangler – Ben’s tail is always knotty! Kirsty, Content Creator Whitening shampoo –need I say more?! Evie, Ad Manager
Sarah, Assistant Ed Prince’s would be Simply the Best!
Lou, PONY Ed You’re Welcome from Moana.
Alex, Marketing Halo’s would be Halo by Beyoncé!
DJMur phy
cross-country course riding course riding
The unmissable PONY guide to riding your first cross-country course!
Are you feeling worried about riding around a cross-country course? Don’t worry – it’s totally normal to feel this way! Check out our top tips to help settle your nerves and make your first time a success!
How to prepare
Whether you’ve entered a fun ride, hunter trial or one-day event, preparation is key before setting out around your first cross-country course.
Before the day, try and get plenty of practice in cross-country schooling to build up you and your pony’s confidence.
Even building simulated fences in the arena will help, and extra hacking will help you feel confident riding in open spaces, too.
Walk the course
When you arrive, take your time to walk the course on foot. This way you will know exactly where you’re going, so be sure to walk the line you plan to ride later on.
top tip
It’s worth entering a class height smaller than you’re training at home so you feel within your comfort zone!
top tip
If you struggle with nerves, talk to your pony as you ride around the course – this will encourage you to keep breathing and help you find some relaxation!
Warm up properly
A good warm-up can help settle any nerves as well as making sure your pony is listening to your aids.
Include lots of transitions, changes of rein, and circles to help engage his brain and his body, as well as jumping some smaller fences to get your eye in.
It’s also a good idea to check your adjustability in the warm-up by asking your pony to shorten and lengthen his stride – this will help you ace your take-off points around the course for a smoother ride.
The more connected you are before heading out, the more confident you’ll feel in the start box and out on course.
Start box
When it’s your turn, you’ll begin the course from the start box, or sometimes a pair of flags. There will be someone there counting you down so you know exactly when to begin your round.
During the countdown time you can walk your pony outside of the start box or even in and out of the start box to keep him occupied and relaxed.
It’s a good idea to take a few deep breaths and remind yourself how much fun you will have. This will help to settle any nerves and turn the adrenaline into excitement!
The first fence often comes up quickly after you start, so focus on establishing a positive rhythm right away. This gives you the best chance of making a confident start over the first jump.
Once you are over the first fence, keep your rhythm, stay focused and enjoy the rest of the course!
targeted training targeted training
WHelp your pony become fit and strong with Meg Elphick’s guide!
hether it’s offseason training or getting ready for eventing, I’m always thinking about my ponies’ strength and fitness to ensure they’re in the best shape possible. Let me explain what that entails…
Strength matters
Why is it important that your pony is fit and strong? Well, if you want to enjoy loads of fun times together, whether that’s hacking or going to comps, making sure he’s fit and strong enough for his job will…
• help reduce the risk of injury
• increase his stamina
• improve his posture
• make him more balanced
• allow him to perform to the best of his ability!
Food is fuel
The first thing to consider when working on your pony’s strength and fitness is his diet. You need to supply him with all the vitamins and minerals he needs for his body to function properly and to keep him healthy. So, start with the basics and ensure he’s getting plenty of forage and also a balancer (unless he’s fed the recommended amount of a complete hard feed).
If your pony is overweight, he needs to be burning more calories than he’s eating –this will help shift some kilos. So, talk to a nutritionist to help you figure out the best diet to get him on track. did you know?did you know?
Keep active
Next up, consider your pony’s daily management and exercise routine. How much time does he have in the field every day? How many times a week is he exercised?
Regular, targeted training helps work his muscles and improves physical fitness – a couple of easy schooling sessions and a few short walks around the farm each week won’t be enough to get him fit and strong in the long run!
did you know?did you know?
Turnout is incredibly important. Not only does it stimulate ponies mentally, but it also helps keep them mobile. So, be sure to allow your pony as much field time as possible – moving around all day is so beneficial!
Mix it up
There are loads of different activities you can do that will help change up your pony’s routine to give him variety and keep him happy, and all while boosting his fitness and strength!
Interval training
This involves alternating periods of high and low intensity and can be done almost anywhere that has good, safe footing – from the arena to hacking in fields or on the gallops. Interval training is one of the best ways to increase your pony’s cardiovascular fitness –not sure how to get started? For all you need to know, visit bit.ly/ PNY_INTERVAL_TRAINING
Groundwork
I’m a firm believer that groundwork makes a huge difference to performance because it helps establish the basics and encourages ponies to think for, and use, themselves. In-hand polework and stretches (guided by a bodyworker) are the best place to start. If you’re confident and have help from an expert, adding in lungeing and long-reining can be really beneficial, too.
Autumn
appetites
Provide your pony with his daily essentials this autumn - our tips will help!
All year round ponies need a balanced diet, so how can you ensure your fave pony’s getting everything he needs as we head into the colder seasons? Let’s find out...
Fabulous forage
Ponies need plenty of fibre to keep their digestive systems working efficiently, so when grass starts to dwindle you’ll need to replace it with good quality forage (hay or haylage). As well as being important for gut health, forage helps to keep your pony warm, too – win, win!
Weight watching
Monitoring your pony’s weight every two weeks is the best way to spot any changes. You can use a weightape or learn all about body condition scoring right here – bit.ly/CONDITION_ GUIDE.
did you know?didknow?
Ponies need to eat at least 1.5% of their bodyweight each day, and the majority of that should be forage!
Balancing act
Feed balancers are nutrientdense pellets fed in small quantities, meaning your pony gets all his daily vitamins and minerals without the calories –perfect for good-doers!
On the move
Encourage your pony to move around more by placing hay piles in different areas of the field – you can do this in his stable, too! Always make sure there are more hay piles than there are ponies – this will help avoid any squabbles!
top tip
Seek advice from a qualified equine nutritionist so you can be sure your pony’s getting everything he needs.
top tip
Putting your pony’s pelleted balancer into a treat ball will provide him with extra entertainment and make it last longer!
Trickle feeding
Ponies’ digestive systems work best when they’re fed little and often, so once you’ve worked out how much you need to feed your pony each day, split it into as many portions as you can. That way your pony can’t scoff it all down in one go, meaning he won’t be left for hours without any food!
