It can be really tricky to keep your child's pony fit and in work over the winter. It's too dark in the evenings after school (unless you're lucky enough to have arena lights!) and if the last couple of weeks are anything to go by it is usually bucketing down with rain and blowing a gale. Not ideal pony riding weather for children!
But Timmy's fat little welsh pony really
needs some work and a fitness routine to lose some weight so he doesn't get poorly in the spring! We all know they will without a doubt ballon up twice the size of a shire and waddle around putting on weight by looking or even thinking about grass, if not kept fit! Winter is the best time for our good doers to lose weight naturally but sometimes that isn't enough and with Timmy not wanting to get out of the car in the dark miserable evenings (who can blame him!) your little pony is not so little!
But what can you do? You're too big to ride him yourself!
Firstly lots of small adults ride ponies quite happily. You may be surprised to find you may be okay (and ponies are great fun!) If you're unsure this calculator will give you a rough idea of if you're a suitable weight or not !
For those that really can't ride their children's ponies here is a list of things you can do to keep your child's pony in tip top shape ready for the Spring
Walking In Hand
It seems like an obvious one, but so many people don't utilise this simple but great way to exercise not only your pony but yourself! We all know hacking is great fitness work and taking your pony for a walk can be a lovely time for you both. Take them to the nearby
woods, enjoy a lovely stroll together round the lanes, or fields. Utilise hills to make them (and unfortunately you) work harder! But most importantly enjoy taking your oversized dog for a walk. If you ride yourself and have your own horse, you can try riding and leading. It is even better, you can go for longer and means you don't have to exhaust yourself in the process!
Lunging
Lunging is a great way to bring their heart rate up and therefore make them burn more energy. I wouldn't advise lunging every day on endless circles (especially with younger horses) as it can be detrimental to their joints. You can school your pony while lunging, make sure the transitions up and down are clear and they are listening to you. On the occasions I do lunge, I usually lunge in just a head collar, with no gadgets. Use poles and those trusty transitions to encourage a correct way of going and don't rely on gadgets! Really test your pony's listening skills, will they collect in a pace (ie trot slower, but still with energy!) and lengthen when you ask. Don't go mad, I tend to lunge for 15 - 20 minutes maximum!
Free Schooling
If lunging isn't your thing, or you have an arthritic pony then free schooling may be a much better solution! Obviously not everyone is in a position to free school, but if you have a secure area with a suitable surface then you're good to go! Now this doesn't mean you chase them round flat out for 20 minutes, in fact quite the opposite. I like to make sure my ponies will walk, trot and canter when they are asked (not when they want to!) upwards and downwards transitions, and that they stay out on the track. It can be tricky to start with especially if you have a spritely pony, but stick with it and you will have a nicely responsive, balanced pony who is easy to exercise, and gets all the benefits of ridden work!
Long reining/ground driving
Another option if you don't like to/can't lunge and don't have facilities to free school, then long reining is your friend! Even if you can do both those other things I'd still highly recommend long reining your little four legged friend. Again you can do everything that could be done under saddle so can give your pony a good work out. It's a good opportunity to school your pony also, back to those all important transitions as well as lateral work, and improving their balance and rhythm! It does mean having the odd jog here and there but you can pop them on a circle to catch your breath and then go again! It's easy to change the rein and you can easily practice all the school movements! If you've never long reined your pony before, I would suggest having a helping hand to start with and introduce your pony to it quietly and calmly!
In-hand work
Now we already talked about walking out in-hand, but have you ever thought about schooling your pony in-hand? Lots of classical trainers will work their horses in-hand once a week (if not more). It keeps them supple, flexible, balanced and is a great way to teach and refine movements. You can teach your pony all of the lateral movements and help encourage that desired self carriage, it keeps them strong and fit and encourages them to use themselves correctly, which in the long run is going to enable your child to ride better and get more out of their awesome pony! Their are plenty of books to help you get started with working in-hand and once you start you will get addicted!
Although the winter is the time that these children's ponies miss out on that all important exercise, why not keep on top of them all year round. Schooling and exercising them will only benefit your child's riding (although they may think you are trying to steal their pony!!) If you haven't tried one of these, why not add it to your next pony day and have a go with something new!
Have we missed anything? Do you do anything different with your children's pony to keep them fit, strong and healthy? We'd love to hear them below!