Adventure awaits
Join us as we take our fave pony Polly for a super-fun hack!
When Polly joined Team PONY we quickly discovered her love for hacking – and we were sooo glad because we absolutely adore hacking, too!
Exploring the countryside from horseback is totally epic, so let’s go on an adventure together with our horsey bestie, Polly!
POL POLL POLLY THE
pony
Ready to rumble
First thing’s first we’ve got to give Polly a quick clean-up. You guys know by now that she LOVES mud, so it’s important to give Polly a brush before tacking up to check her over and make sure her bridle, saddle and boots don’t rub – ouch!
Now she’s looking a bit smarter, we’re going to tack up and then pop on her high-vis leg wraps so she’s extra visible to anyone we meet. Of course, we put on our safety gear and high-vis tabard, too!
Everyone is ready for an adventure so we lead Polly over to the mounting block, carefully climb on board and off we go!
The journey begins
You can look up and learn about the Highway Code online – it will teach you the rules of the road to help you stay safe! did you know? you know?
Road works
To get to the common (which is full of amazing bridleways), we have to do a little bit of roadwork. Luckily Polly is a dream on the road! We stick to the left-hand side, making sure to thank drivers with a raised hand and smile. As we approach the turn onto the common, we signal where we’re going by raising our left hand out to the side before putting our hands back on the reins and giving Polly the aids to turn left.
Gridwork goals Gridwork goals Gridwork goals
Your pony will be a jumping machine with our cool exercise!
Gridwork is one of the best ways to give your pony a good workout while testing some essential skills and having fun, so why not try this exercise in your next jumping session?!
Set it up
You’ll need five poles and three sets of wings for our groovy grid! You can make the final fence an oxer when you feel ready so it’s worth keeping another set of wings and a spare pole nearby.
TOP TIP
Position the grid on the centre line so you can approach and ride away on both reins.
This grid is great for…
• Encouraging your pony to think quickly on their feet.
• Improving strength and balance.
• Boosting agility and athleticism.
Through the levels
It’s a good idea to work through this grid in a progressive way –that means you add one element at a time, only moving onto the next one when you feel confident.
1. Start with all the poles on the floor.
2. Raise the first bounce fence into a small upright.
3. Use two poles to make a cross-pole or upright after the one stride distance.
4. Raise the second bounce fence so it’s the same height as the first one.
Happy with the height?
This exercise isn’t about jumping big fences, so make sure you keep them at a height you’re super-confident and comfortable with. Bounces should be kept no bigger than around 40cm as they are hard work for your pony – they’ve got to think quickly and pick up their toes as soon as they touch the floor in between!
hands on
Make light work of stable tasks with our help!
There are several yard chores you need to do each day to keep your pony happy and healthy. From mucking out and sweeping to filling water buckets and haynets, we’ve got it covered.
Creature comforts
Your pony will looove you for making their bed all cosy, so when it comes to mucking out, start by removing all the droppings. Next, put all the dry bedding at the sides of the stable so you can remove the wet bedding underneath. Give the stable floor a good sweep, then leave it to dry before putting the bed back down. If your pony needs fresh bedding, pull the banks into the middle of the stable and put the new bedding around the edges. This helps to prevent the buildup of dust and mould, and keeps your pony’s stable super-clean and fresh!
Top tip
To test whether your pony’s bed is deep enough, loosely hold your fork handle and let the prongs fall into the bed. If they hit the floor, put more bedding down!
Top tip
If your pony has soaked hay, try to hang up the wet haynet outside and let it drain before tying it up in the stable. Otherwise it might make the floor slippery if it’s really wet, which can be dangerous for both you and your pony.
Keeping the yard tidy helps to reduce pests. There’s nothing rats and mice like more than a dirty stable yard! did you know?did you know?
Fab fibre
Ponies need plenty of hay or haylage during their time indoors to keep their digestive system working efficiently. However, this can mean filling a lot of haynets each week! To make it easier, ask a friend to hold the haynets open for you and then return the favour. You could even make up all your pony’s haynets at the weekend to save you time when you’re busier during the week!
A clean sweep
Sweeping your area of the yard will keep things neat, tidy and more hygienic, plus it’ll score you bonus points with your yard manager, too! If you have a large area to sweep, a wide broom makes the task a lot quicker and easier. You can also cut down on the amount of sweeping by making sure you pick out your pony’s feet before they leave the stable each time!
