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Native breed experts pinpoint 6 core skills for your pony to be light, forward and responsive in the ring this season
In this exclusive series for Horse & Hound subscribers on specific training for different types of show horse, native aficionados explain how to get the best out of your pony, dealing with particular areas that are common to native breeds
Training for ridden native pony showing classes requires a specific approach to match the type, as well as plenty of practice to stand out in a competitive field. The native classes are undoubtedly the most popular and well-attended on the showing circuit. Today, mountain and moorland (M&M) flat and working hunter classes feature mammoth entries at shows up and down the country.
Classes for native ponies vary from the prestigious open breed finals at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the M&M Supreme Championship held at the London International Horse Show, to amateur-specific classes for home producers who juggle work with showing.
Some shows offer mixed M&M classes where all breeds compete against each other, while each of the breed societies hosts their own annual shows where you will see a venue filled with examples of just one breed of native.
Mini sections dedicated to M&M ponies are equally strong, with the small breeds often being a parent’s choice for their child’s lead-rein and first-ridden mounts.
With the correct training, many of the scopier and sportier types can make capable working hunter ponies, their native bravery and hardiness helping them fare well in this sphere.
6 key areas for training the ridden native pony
If you have a native pony to show during the coming season, winter and early spring is the perfect time to go back to basics and ensure their way of going is at the necessary level for success. H&H speaks to some of the circuit’s most successful producers who have won at all the major finals about the challenges you might face during training the ridden native pony and some tips on how to solve them.
1. Heavy in the front
Clare Fitch is a showing producer who has enjoyed success training all types of ridden native pony. She was crowned M&M ridden champion at HOYS in 2024 riding Fell stallion Wildhoeve Oki Doki. She also won the Highland pony of the year final in the same day riding Valerock Monroe.
Clare Fitch at home with two of her native ponies.
(Image credit: Jon Stroud Media)
Some of the native breeds are more stocky in stamp and type than others. Those that are can have a tendency to work on the forehand when a rider is added, using their head and neck to help them move forward. Clare says that while we don’t want to change a native pony’s natural way of going so it deviates from their breed type, you can make small tweaks so they find ridden work easier.
“Many natives, especially Fells, Highlands and Welsh cobs, have big fronts and they can use their necks against you,” she says. “I do lots of schooling exercises that will encourage the pony to soften through the neck and sit back on their hocks. Polework forms a huge part of my training, whether patterns on a circle, poles on a straight line or in a sequence. Polework really helps them engage their hindlegs and use themselves while lifting in front.
Polework helps heavier breeds to engage and lift.
(Image credit: Philip Barker)
“Transitions and leg yielding exercises are also important as this helps the pony soften through the mouth and the neck.”
2. Keeping an open frame
Richard Telford is a Scottish showing producer who has won the M&M supreme title at HOYS and at London Olympia. He is known for his partnerships with the late Bill Ireland’s home-bred Kilmannan Dales ponies and he has also been successful on other large breeds.
Richard Telford with stellar Dales stallion the late Kilmannan Robert The Bruce, who excelled in the show ring and on the hunting field.
(Image credit: Grossick Photography)
“Avoid putting too much pressure on a native to be round in its outline,” Richard advises, when training the native pony specifically. “They can be thicker in their jowls and can become too tight in that area so they can’t breathe properly. Encourage them to work forward and in an open frame, not behind the vertical. Hacking helps with this; go on a hack, let them move forward and enjoy the job, especially at the beginning of their education. There’s plenty of time to put the pressure on with the schooling.”
3. Learning to use their bodies correctly
It’s not uncommon for some native ponies to get behind the leg when working under-saddle. Clare says that correct lunge work is beneficial so the pony learns to carry itself without a rider.
“I do a fair bit of lungeing and long-reining,” she confirms. “I find that if a pony is ‘lazy’ then it’s not using itself properly and lunge work encourages them to use their back end and core correctly.”
The reigning Highland pony of the year winner Valerock Monroe is one such pony who has benefitted from lunge work.
“He was really behind the leg during his first season,” Clare recalls. “He went to HOYS as a novice, but didn’t qualify the year after. That winter, I spent months just lungeing him. I didn’t even ride him, I just did poles and transitions on the lunge. He came out a different pony the following season and he’s now a HOYS winner.”
Clare adds: “Transitions and leg-yielding – the basics – are also important. Make sure you’re getting a reaction to the leg, whether moving sideways or forwards.”
4. The role of dressage
Clare has long been a fan of dressage training and she regular has lessons with trainer David Pincus.
“I take what I need from the sessions as, of course, we still want to have that freedom of action and all the native pony characteristics in the way of going,” Clare explains. “But the discipline and preciseness has helped both the ponies and my riding.
“It can be easy to just ride around in circles in show rider mode, but David pushes me to think about what I’m doing and how the pony feels. ‘Does that feel as good as you could get it’ he’ll ask, adding ‘are you getting 100%, or just 80%?’ Usually, I can make something a little better!
While a native pony is not expected to move like a pure dressage horse, disciplined training on their flatwork will pay off.
(Image credit: Philip Barker)
“Dressage teaches me to not be complacent and it helps me get the best possible outcome, not just covering things up or trying to disguise problems.”
5. Response to the leg
Sam Roberts is one of the circuit’s leading producers, with specific expertise in training the ridden native pony. She is a three-time London International Horse Show M&M supreme winner and she has also won at HOYS and the Royal International Horse Show numerous times, both on the flat and over fences. She has been victorious on all breeds, small and large, and she has been particularly successful with Welsh ponies.
Sam Roberts is renowned for her success with Welsh ponies, such as the multi-garlanded Welsh B, Colby Silver Sprite.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
“Often, native ponies can be more laid back, sometimes lazy, which is why we enjoy them – they’re not as sharp as blood horses,” Sam says. “But, even if your pony is more chilled out you need to make sure that he’s listening to the aids.
“An exercise I recommend is riding trot to walk transitions with few just a steps of walk in between. Trot along in a good rhythm, then ask for walk, walk three or four strides, then ask for trot again. Repeat until the horse becomes more responsive to your aid – the aim is for them to pick up trot as soon as you ask. Initially, the horse may take a couple of strides to pick back up into trot so you can always ask for more walk strides – say eight or nine – before reducing the number as the horse becomes more responsive and the transitions are crisp and clear.
“This exercise is also good for sharp ponies as it breaks up the work and helps them focus. Plus, you can ride this anywhere – in the school, out hacking or even on a hill.”
Sam explains that this exercise can aid your show ring performance: “When you’re in the ring, you could be asked to pick up walk, trot or canter in a specific spot during your show.”
5. Strengthening the canter
Many native breeds were not bred to canter so the pace is initially unnatural for them to maintain. Sam recommends working on a circle to help the pony engage the hindleg more.
“Some of the heavier and larger breeds can find canter quite hard,” Sam says. “To begin, put the pony into canter before riding a 20m circle. This engages the hindleg while keeping some bend through the body. Then, push the pony in using your outside leg so the circle is more like 15m. You can work smaller, say on 10m and 12m circles, as the canter improves. Then take gradually push the pony back out again on to the bigger circle.
“When you ride around the edge of the school in canter, the pony can fall through their shoulder and lean on their forehand. I would only ride this circle exercise a few times in each session, perhaps three times in and three times out, as it’s physically challenging.”
Sam Roberts riding Welsh Section D Synod Rumpus, demonstrates his athletic canter.
(Image credit: H&H Archives)
6. Improving straightness
Sam advises not to overlook the basics when working with young ponies.
“As a judge and trainer, it’s so interesting to see how many ponies are not straight when they walk away and trot back to you,” Sam says. “During the winter season and in first-ridden classes, combinations are required to walk away and trot back towards the judge as there’s no strip section, but so many ponies drift to the line or trot back like a snake all bent wrong.”
Practise riding straight lines – a foot or two in from the outside track – to train straightness.
(Image credit: Philip Barker)
“Find a fixed object, ideally a tree, and practise walking away and trotting back towards it. Come off the corner and ride super straight without letting the pony wobble about.
“I ride this exercise on all my novices, and you can also do it in the school, coming a foot or two off the track and riding straight down the line. It sounds so basic but it’s surprising how many ponies struggle to trot in a straight line.”
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Former H&H showing editor and deputy features editor
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
