Now that you have gotten your horse through the ground poles at the walk and trot it is time for the best part, the canter. When the horse can comfortably canter through a line of poles you are ready to tackle many other challenges, such as jumps and trail obstacles like boxes and gates.
Repeat and Refine
Now that you have seen that walking and trotting over poles benefits the horse by improving his responsiveness to your aids, your ability to feel your horse, and if you show creating a better balanced horse that is touch free over poles.
Before you begin cantering over poles, review what you have learned in previous lessons by correctly walking and trotting over them. Once you are both comfortable set up one pole to practice cantering over before you try to tackle the entire grid. Warm up your horse and once he is maintaining an even stride start to ride toward the center of the pole. Stay relaxed in the saddle, following the horse’s movement. Allow the horse to approach the pole without worrying too much about getting the correct distance.
When you can lope both ways over a single pole in a relaxed manner set up four poles 12 to 6 feet apart depending on your horse’s stride and the type of riding you do. Most horses have a twelve foot canter stride but some horses have shorter or longer stride lengthens. If you ride western and ride your horse at a slow lope you may want to practice this exercise with a shorter stride length with about six feet between the poles.
Onwards and Upwards
Now that your grid is set up and your horse is warmed up, get your horse into a rhythmic canter and head toward the center of the poles. Stay centered in the saddle, keeping your horse straight between your reins and legs. Your horse should cross over the poles quite easily and improve each time.
If you are having trouble with the horse rushing to the poles go back and make sure that he can trot through the poles without speeding up. If he is only rushing at the canter continue practicing on the grid, but each time he gets too fast before or during the grid lift your reins and sit down in your saddle and bring your horse to a stop. Let him stand and relax then walk quietly out of the grid. Keep practicing, only letting your horse go through the poles when he travels at the speed you want.
If your horse is having the opposite problem and is so slow that he is barely making it over the poles, get him moving forward off of your seat and leg cues first. Once he is responding to your legs on the flat, ride him back over the grid again, squeezing with your legs right before the first pole to give you a little more momentum as he moves through the grid.
Ride through the poles both directions. Your horse should be calm and rhythmical in his gait throughout the grid. Don’t drill this exercise, as too much of one thing isn’t good for any horse. Once your horse has mastered this lesson, add to the number of strides between the poles to really challenge both of your skills.