Being A Better Rider Day 17 – Using Ground Poles
Yesterday I showed you how to make your very own ground poles. So today, we are going to put them to use!
You can use ground poles for your schooling, even if you are not a jumper. Using ground poles have benefits for all riding, no matter what your discipline is. If you are looking for the specifics:
- Help to reinforce balance for both horse and rider
- Improve rhythm
- Improve timing
- Improve straightness
- Prevent boredom
I think the biggest benefit is it keeps both you and your horse thinking. You aren’t doing the same thing, day in and day out. Repetition is good, however there is just so many times you can walk in endless circles before both you and your horse are bored. And we want to enjoy the time we have with our horses, so it is good to change things up.
Getting Started
If you have never worked your horse over ground poles before, you should start with one pole. And when he is used to that, you can add another pole, and then another, and another…I think you get the idea.
It is important to add the poles one at a time until your horse becomes accustom to the new element in his riding arena.
It is much easier for your horse to process the new poles one at a time instead of overwhelming him with say 8 to 10 poles.
Spacing The Poles
When you get started, it helps to have a general idea of how far apart you want your poles to be. What will decide this is the gaits you are intending on moving over the poles. Each horse will be different, depending on how tall he is. But you can use this as a general guideline.
- Walk poles: 3 foot apart
- Trot poles: 4 to 5 foot apart
- Canter poles: 9 to 10 foot apart
Again this is for an average sized horse, you may have to increase or decrease the space between your poles depending on your horse’s size.
Pole Exercises
The best thing about ground poles is there are hundreds of different exercises you can do. You are only limited by your imagination.
A Single Pole
If you only have one pole, you can place it in the middle of your arena and use this as your center of a figure 8. Keep the pole in the center, and do your crossing of each circle at the center of the pole.
3 Poles
You can set 3 poles on a diagonal line, and make your horse trot over them. You can also set them up parallel to each other, and weave in and out between the poles in a serpentine fashion.
4 Poles
Set the 4 poles up with a jump standard in the center at first, and use the poles to keep your horse going in a circle. You can also weave in and out of the poles, or even make a four leaf clover type option.
See, in roughly 10 seconds I came up with 5 different exercises you can do with only 5 poles. Not to bad right?
Day 17 Complete
After you have worked with your horse for a bit with the ground poles, put your tack away and give your horse a well deserved pat. Don’t forget to do your plank exercises and cross off day #17! You did it! Be sure to recognize yourself for a job well done!
