Handy Pony. What Do You Have To Do ?

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ILoveFoxy

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Hi
I Am New Too the Forum

I Was Just Wondering What You Have To Do In Handy Pony. I Was Thinking Of Dong One But Not Sure What To Practise.
 
Not sure if theres a set format but the one I had to do was, ride up to a "postbox" and have the pony stand still while I posted a letter

erm we had to ride around one of those revolving washing lines with clothes on it
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pop a small X pole

drop some bean bags into buckets blah blah

erm what else was there....

had to do a figure of eight in trot/canter changing lead and stuff...I think
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Man this was years ago, and could be totally different to other shows...
 
I would think that universally it would be a test of how handy
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or bombproof etc a pony is, suitable for being ridden by the whole family? I could be waaaay off
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When I did handy pony it usually involved walking over a carpet or blue sheeting at some stage so practice that at home as you might have to do that. Also once we had to walk backwards through a little walkway with straw bales either side. I have a video of that, so if i can get photobucket to work il post it for you, good luck!
 
Oooh yes, we had to do rein back

and go under a set of poles or something, as if it was low hanging branches
 
In a local show, you had to get off the pony, load it in a front/rear unload trailer and then get back on. Post a letter, go through a gate (opening it and closing it again), walk over a blue plastic sheet, there was an optional jump, go under a washing line with washing on it! and pick a flag out of a bucket and put in into another one.
 
In addition to the above, in some handy pony classes I've done, you've had to do bending cones, bending poles (you sort of ride between the poles and they're set in a tight V shape - pony can't step outside the poles), throw a ball through a hoop, dismount or mount on the wrong side, move flags etc etc... All of those you should be able to practice at home
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Good luck!!
 
years ago, when i was a child you got a certain percentage of marks for turnout, but i haven't been anywhere in the last twenty years where that was the case! my kids all love handy pony. basically your horse or pony needs to be spook-proofed (posting letters, hanging clothes on line, taking clothes off line and putting them on, crossing a bridge, riding through balloons or carrier bags, running through tyres, lucky dip, bending, cups on posts, flags in cones, bobbing for apples, little jumps, etc etc..), you need to be able to get on and off quickly, and you have to do everything fast! it's timed and the fastest wins.
 
OK Thankou.at my locall show its like a clear round you can just pay on the day and have as many goes as you want.i might have a look at the course and wtch a few people and decide whether my pony will be ok
 
im sure i saw some pics in the PG of someone doing a handy pony class the other day, cant remember who it was (and i could have just made all that up ) but have a look in there. ill go and look and see if i can find it
 
I had actually never done handy pony before in my life, then took the bay horse in my signature round one for a laugh at a local show, and one with the fastest time by far! It's amazing, a great laugh... you don't really need to practice though.
 
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