Scout and the Mystery of the Marsh Ponies (11 page)

1
Keep the weight in your heels. This will help you keep your lower leg still and make you secure in the saddle.
 

2
Soften your hands in the last stride and let them follow the movement of your pony's head. This will allow him to stretch his neck over the fence.
 

3
Fold from your hips when your pony jumps. Don't fold before this, or you'll put more weight onto his shoulders just when he's trying to lift them off the ground!
 

4
Keep your head up and look where you're going.

A farrier, or blacksmith, is an expert in hoof care, including trimming your pony's hooves and fitting his shoes.

Frog:
The squashy frog acts as a shock absorber. It also helps circulation and grip.
  

Wall:
The wall of the hoof is insensitive (a bit like fingernails), so this is where horseshoe nails go.
  

Sole:
The sensitive part of the hoof.
  

White line:
A farrier must make sure the horseshoe nails don't press on this – if they do a pony could go lame.

Clenches (the ends of the nail which you can see on the hoof wall) become raised.

The shoe gets worn and thin.

The shoe becomes loose (it makes a shallow sort of noise on roads), or falls off!

Some racehorses wear glued-on shoes when they race!

come over to see you when you visit him in the paddock?

rest his muzzle on your shoulder?

look after you when you’re riding and slow down if you’re in danger of sliding off?

take ages grooming your pony, just so you can spend lots of time with him?

know his favourite treats and where he likes to be tickled?

spend every spare second with him (although you make sure he has pony time on his own and with his friends, too)?

Yes to any of these?
Then you and your pony are BPFFs! (Best Pony Friends Forever!)