Everything begins with a single step and most riding careers begin with the all important pony. A good pony can set a child up on the right path, teach them the joys of riding, or alternatively make them think they would prefer to remain safely on the ground.
My first time on a horse was on a black shetland named Jimbo, who could find my toes and stand on them before I even set foot near him. The pony that helped shape my idea of riding was the little white master ‘Green Valley Royal Albert’, or ‘Bobby’. Bobby knew the dressage tests inside out and allowed me the opportunity to learn what it felt like to have a horse round and in a good rhythm. As mum used to say, “Bobby never missed a beat”.
So just how important is that first real pony in shaping a dressage career and with competitive Pony Dressage reaching such a high standard, what can pony dressage teach a rider that will help them throughout their entire career?
Finding the right pony depends of course on your goal, whether it be to introduce your child slowly into ridin or win international pony championships. Each have very particularly things that must be sought. Many of the world's top dressage riders began their riding career at their local pony club, usually with a pony that was an “allrounder’ and that allowed us to learn the joy of riding.
A Pony Tailored to Your Needs
Involved with Pony Club and training dressage ponies and young riders for over 40 years, I thought my mum, Debbie Warne, was a good person to ask about the qualities needed for that all important first pony.
"If a parent is looking to buy a child their first ever pony, temperament is of course the first priority, but if you want your child to become a good rider then I advise a pony with a very good front that sits up in front of the child, said Debbie Warne. “This makes it so much easier for them to learn to balance and not be thrown forward all the time. I have seen many ponies that have a great temperament but have been built downhill which makes it very difficult for the child to find their balance.”
The second thing to remember is that parents need to be prepared to move up through the sizes. Debbie advises that it is not a case of one size fits all. The number one rule with children is to never put them on a young pony. This is the best way to put a child off riding forever as it becomes too frustrating and no fun at all.
"The stride on a 14hh pony in general is too big for a 7-year old. The pony must also have a good mouth. Many quiet ponies just do not have good steering so the child learns to haul on the reins with their hands all over the place. It has to be a pony that just goes easily forward to a light kick, but not too forward that the child is frightened of going too fast so learns to hang on to the the reins. Any major problem the pony has will cause problems in the rider. This is the reverse from later on when the rider causes problems in the horse. In the early years the rider is just a passenger - it is just go, steer, stop, so we need to find a pony that gives the best chance for the child not to learn bad habits. I have seen many riders in their early teens who have moved on to a bigger horse and they have jammed stiff arms because they have had a pulling pony, or alternatively flapping unsteady legs if they have had a lazy pony.”
Difficult to find ponies that meet the above qualities, Debbie says that often good ponies don’t come onto the market, because they have already been snapped up by others in the know, or siblings waiting in the wings.
"For the child’s first competition dressage pony the pony must have good rhythm. I don't think huge movement is so important as long as it has good rhythm and a soft swinging way of going," Warne added. "If a child has the above type of pony the sense of rhythm will be instilled in them form the start. They will also learn to cope with the stresses of competition. There is so much to riding a dressage test that if they start early it becomes second nature to them. So when they are older they can concentrate on their position and influencing the horse.”
Knowledge is Pony Power
Having seen so many children struggling with an entirely unsuitable pony Debbie has often wondered why the parents put them on ponies that are just not any fun.
“Usually this happens with parents that don't ride as they have no idea how horrible it would be to ride such a pony. A good Pony Club pony must be confident enough to have a go at everything even if the child is a bit nervous. It does not have to have the movement of a dressage pony but it needs to have good steering and good speed control to allow the child to do jumping and games and learn the confidence to go fast."
Moving on from the first ever “yeeha” ponies to the first ever FEI level Pony, who better to ask than 2013 European Pony Champion and 2014 European Pony silver medallist Phoebe Peters on how to set young children up for FEI Pony success.
“The first FEI competition pony is definitely a huge factor in a riding career, they either make you or break you I suppose," the 15-year old Peters stated. "They are essential for getting the right introduction to the sport, having a schoolmaster pony in particular is such a great start for young riders.”
The current pony team test and freestyle world record holder says that for her the first FEI pony should know his job but equally he must not be entirely perfect!
“My trainer Peter Storr and my family always believed that you can't simply jump straight onto a medal-winning standard pony without first learning. In the same way you can't learn to drive in a Ferrari," Peters quipped.
Phoebe’s first FEI pony Hillmen was a 14-year old 'schoolmaster' that knew the tricks but came with many naughty habits. He wasn't a gold medal pony that would be too much for her to start on.
"Whilst teaching me the vital movements he also taught me how to sit well, deal with bad behaviour, and cope with defeat. The first pony has to be able to teach its young rider the basics and having three good paces is also useful though not the most important thing," Peters explained.
Having "a gold medal trot", or paces that are too good is almost a problem. The movements would be too big for very young pony riders to cope with when they are not physically ready.
"Temperament is very important in first ponies," Phoebe added. "A good temperament is ideal but at the same time naughty ponies like my Hillmen can still teach very important lessons.”
Phoebe believes it is very difficult to find good ponies for dressage and unearthing the ideal pony almost impossible. While there are of course many fantastic dressage ponies available, knowing which is the right one along with the added factor of budget is a challenge for most people.
“For the first pony I would definitely look for an older experienced pony who knows his job and then after this a second pony who is either a star or a trainable, younger pony who can be paired with a rider who has been taught the ropes well enough by the first pony," said Peters.
Taking the Pony Path
According to the young pony rider, a good experience in pony dressage can definitely help shape a later career, as the experience in the arena is priceless and pony dressage gives the perfect opportunity for riders to start early! Alternatively, starting on the wrong pony has lots of potential issues associated with it. First and foremost that inexperienced, young or badly trained ponies can cause riders to develop an incorrect seat and incorrect aids.
“Learning skills such as accurate riding, dealing with tense/spooky rides and getting the most out of every mark can all begin to be learnt in FEI pony competitions. Riding ponies can for sure help a young rider to prepare for situations they may face in the future," she said. “For a young rider to teach a pony movements is a huge task whilst still learning themselves. Equally having the wrong pony can always be turned into a positive, as both experience and knowledge can be gained from riding a range of types of pony!”
For the ambitious pony rider the CDI shows are a major goal and a stepping stone to potential championship participation.
"Taking part in FEI competitions is a fantastic preparation for the future," said Peters. "Getting to trot up and do the three different tests at the internationals is a great experience and it gives the opportunity to learn professionalism from an early age. Pony dressage teaches us young riders to learn how to be sporting, how to win but also how to lose, it also encourages team work too. Skill wise, pony dressage teaches showmanship and ring craft as well as how to perfect the scale of training to get the best marks!"
According to British O-judge Stephen Clarke a child's first pony should be well mannered and a 'confidence giver'. The most important credential to begin a child's riding career is that the pony be secure. “There is nothing worse than some flashy pony that's so hot that it frightens the living daylight out of a kid,” Stephen told Eurodressage.
For a young rider’s first FEI pony, Stephen advises that the pony should be well trained, honest and forward going, without being too hot. “This gives the child the opportunity to learn to ride boldly in the arena and produce accurate tests with well positioned movements.”
Certain the level of pony dressage is reaching a peak, Stephen feels that this quality mirrors that of senior level dressage with a “sky high standard!”
“To be in with a chance of the top placings these days, the riding needs to be excellent, the ponies need to be without any weaknesses within their gaits, and be capable of producing movements of the highest quality," Clarke stated. "I still think that there is an opportunity for good trainers to find even more fabulous ponies and train them up in a correct way for the children to ride. There are some fantastic ponies out there (outside of the dressage world) just waiting to be found. Some of the ponies in the showing world, for example, are simply fantastic! "
Apart from the obvious aspects of learning ring craft and the experience of competing in some highly charged atmospheres, Stephen says that the right pony can teach the young rider to learn to be responsible for a living creature, one that depends on you for its wellbeing.
“Also the ability to treat a pony fairly will stand any young person in good stead for whatever comes along in life," he added.
As for the future of pony dressage?
“I think the sky's the limit ! However I think there is still a lot of work to be done to promote 'pony dressage' in the other continents, and not just within Europe," he concluded.
by Sarah Warne
Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Links
History of the European Pony Championships
Rothenberger Wins Third Gold in Kur Without Music at 2014 European Pony Championships
Ramona Schmid Has Pony Power in the Junior Ring at 2013 CDI Vidauban