Here at PolyJumps we want all our customers to feel seen and supported. We know there are lots of little ones out there eager to learn and progress with the help of dedicated horsey parents. We’ve all got to start somewhere, and those kids just starting out will one day be the future of equestrian sports, and perhaps even become sponsored riders or medal winning equestrians in their own right! That’s why we feel it’s so important to support those keen kids in the earliest stages of their riding journeys.

So, if you’ve got a child who’s desperate to follow in the footsteps of their riding idols, we’ve got just what you need to get them started on the right track! We caught up with sponsored rider, Frankie Townsend of ‘Frankie’s Ponies’ on Instagram to find out how PolyJumps products can be used to introduce pole work and jumping for kids to help them learn.

Frankie and her dedicated Mum, Jennie, have given us their inside scoop on helping young riders learn the ropes and start producing ponies for success! Here are some of their favourite exercises that you can try out at home…

Learning the Square Halt

Using poles on the ground are a great way to make simple things really fun. Learning how to halt effectively is one of the most important things for a little rider to learn, before they start going faster or learning to jump. It’s also a really important exercise to establish respect from the pony. Particularly if a child is little, it can be very easy for the pony to override their aids, so practicing simple things like halting is vital.

Using 2 poles as tramlines, ride in between the poles in either a walk or a trot. At some point in between the poles, ask them for a halt transition. The tramlines help to keep the pony straight and give the little jockey somewhere to aim for, making visualising the exercise much easier. Start at a walk so both the rider and pony understand the exercise and then progress to a trot when they are confident.

To level up this exercise and make it slightly trickier, make a square out of the poles and have them ride into the middle of the square in either a walk or trot, and ask for a halt transition inside the box. Because this is a little bit harder and requires more accuracy, it’s a great way to get the pony listening to their rider.

Teaching the Pony to Bend

Learning to steer a pony is one of the first steps to learning to ride. Once this has been established, the next step is to start teaching them to ask the pony for bend (or for those more experienced “flexion”). This can be quite a difficult concept to explain to a little rider so using an exercise to show them how to get the bend and having them learn from feel is what we found to be the best way.

To do this, set up a triangle of 3 poles on the floor and then add 3 more poles on either side wide enough for a pony to go in between. At a walk, ask them to ride around the triangle inside the tram lines. This is a super exercise to get the pony stepping underneath themselves so your little rider can start to feel what inside bend is, we’ve found this is the best way for them to learn! This is also a super exercise to teach them that bending doesn’t come from the reins (like steering) but from their body position. This sets them up well for dressage tests and jumping courses later on too!

Pole Work Exercises for Little Riders

Both simple and more complex pole work exercises are super effective to encourage both rider and pony to focus- not always an easy task! Poles set out at the correct distances are a great way for riders to learn about their pony’s stride and way of going as well as challenging and engaging them both.

Once the pony and rider are confident with poles at a trot, we add in some canter exercises which are great for confidence building and creating adjustability in the pony. Because young riders are often less accurate in their striding and distances, having a pony who can adjust themselves and help their rider out is so important. We like to put poles on a 20m circle with poles at 12, 3, 6, and 9. This encourages a nice rhythm and will teach the rider how a good canter for course jumping feels.

We love to use raised poles on a curve, encouraging the pony to gradually work towards the widest part. This is a great way for the pony to engage their abs and glute muscles, and work through the hocks effectively, whilst also helping the little rider to practice accuracy and control through the poles. This exercise can be progressed to include bounces using the star or cross cavalettis, which adds a super gymnastic element for the pony. Using curved pole exercises also helps the combination learn to ask for and pick up the correct canter leads, which is so important when progressing to jumping a course.

Learning to Ride a Course of Jumps

Putting it all into practice and starting to jump a course is a super exciting milestone in any little rider’s career (and a nerve-wracking moment for all the horsey parents out there!). When Frankie was little, we would set out a jumping course with wings and put all the poles on the ground and have her ride around the whole course at a canter. This is a safe way for them to learn how riding a course feels, practice their steering, and learn their changes, whilst remaining relatively low risk with poles on the floor. That way if they make a mistake, there is no chance of any nasty crashes, stops, or run outs, whilst building confidence in both rider and pony.

We want to say a massive thank you to Frankie, her pony, and her amazing Mum Jennie for sharing all their experience with the PolyJumps team. We hope this has given those of you with little ones just starting out and eager to get going some inspiration to help them in their education. If you want to see Frankie and her pony in action, head over to PolyJumps social media (@polyjumps) and Frankie’s page (@frankies_ponies) to see these exercises brought to life!

Ready to get this show on the road but missing a few bits of equipment? Head over to PolyJumps and check out our extensive and colourful variety of poles, cavalettis, and jump wings perfect for children and adults! If you need a hand choosing the perfect products for you, make sure to contact us and we’ll help you find exactly what you need.