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Pole Progression: The Walk

Even if you aren’t a hunter/jumper or competing in trail classes, working your horse over ground poles will help you work on control, timing, and rhythm. Here I will outline the basics of getting your horse comfortable crossing poles at a walk then we will progressively get your horse walking, trotting, and cantering confidently over poles.

Start Smart

If you are looking to start your horse over fences, you want to learn the basics of jumping, or compete in trail classes, riding your horse over poles will teach you and your horse balance and feel. Pole work makes the horse aware of his feet, encourages him to round his back, and makes him lift and reach with his hocks and shoulders. The mental benefits of pole work are equally important as these exercises give you both a chance to focus on something new.

To begin you will need four 12 foot rails (as used in jumping) or you can buy poles commonly used for landscaping at your local hardware store. Try to get poles that are flat on one side so they cannot roll or injure a horse if they are stepped on. It is also a good idea to have a tape measure to help you position the poles at the correct distance, especially if you are not familiar with walking distances yet. Cones set evenly between and to the side of each pole can be very helpful to mark the exact spot you want your horse to step between poles.

Timing and Balance

After your horse is warmed up, set all four poles (start with only one pole if your horse is green) approximately two feet apart for work at the walk. Start by circling in front of the poles to establish an energetic, balanced walk. When you feel your horse is listening well aim him for the center of the poles, keeping your eyes focused ahead and over the center of the poles. When your horse approaches the poles allow him to drop his head to look at the poles but keep him moving forward. If your horse stops and refuses, ask gently with your legs until he even takes a small step and let him work over the rails slowly. If your horse is green you may have to start out with one pole at first and add others as he becomes more confident. Keep him walking smoothly through all of the poles without changing your position. If you are leaning forward you may be inadvertently asking him to speed up, and if you are sitting too far back you will be asking him to slow down.

After walking through the poles a few times you will start to feel a rhythm in your horse’s stride. The horse’s feet should land halfway between each of the poles; this means he is keeping a consistent stride throughout the grid. You can check this by riding on a freshly drug arena and seeing hoof prints that are even with each cone. If your horse’s feet are landing too close to the first pole his stride is to short and he needs to move a little faster. However, if his feet are landing close to the second pole he is moving too quickly and needs to slow down a bit. If your horse wants to rush through the poles, bring him to a complete stop and back him up before he reaches the first pole. Challenge your horse by stopping in the middle of the poles. Once his foot hits the ground stop him, wait, then ask him to continue. This will get him listening to your cues while teaching yourself feel and timing. Some horses will have the opposite problem and will be lazy walking through, causing him to hit poles. To fix this squeeze with your legs to speed up your horse and add energy to his step right before he enters the grid.

Continue practicing this lesson with varying distances to create multiple strides between poles which will better prepare yourself for trotting over them in the future.