There are a number of exercises that you can do with trotting poles - all of them if ridden properly have real benefits to the horse. One of my favorites, is to ride a set of three or four trotting poles placed at about 4 1/2 apart along the side of the ring. You can either ride the horse over them in a straight line, or to enhance the horse’s engagement of the inside hind leg, ride them as if they were part of a circle.

As the horse comes to the trotting poles, he may initially stretch down a bit with the neck and head to get a good look at what he’s about to do - this is fine as long as you remember to keep the hind end engaged and the horse does not drop onto his forehand. When introducing a horse to poles, I encourage this, as it is part of allowing them to see what it is you asking them to do, and can only help with their confidence.

What the Horse Does
As the horse goes over the poles you will notice an increased lift in their stride. This is a result of the increased flexion of the joints of the hind legs as the horse lifts his feet over the poles. This will happen both on a straight line over the poles and if you ride the poles as part of a circle. Riding the poles as a circle will emphasize the inside hind leg and encourage the horse to flex and engage that leg even more.

What the Rider Does
(1) Maintain a nice even contact on the reins - allow the horse to stretch down and round, especially during early attempts at the exercise.
(2) Encourage the horse to stay forward and engaged with his hind legs by lightly applying the lower leg on the approach to the poles
(3) Keep your head up and look to where you are going - either forwards or around the circle that you are riding.
(4) Apply a half halt on the outside rein to encourage the horse to stay balanced on his hind end as he does the exercise.

When introducing the horse to any new exercise, make it as simple as possible. If the horse is nervous about the poles, don’t be afraid to allow him to walk over them at first. Remember, it may seem like a simple exercise to you, but your horse may be nervous and even apprehensive when posed with new things. This is about building your horse’s confidence!

A Common Fault:
(1) The rider drops the horse onto his forehand, causing the horse to loose his balance and the engagement with his hind legs. The horse may stumble over the poles without the beneficial results of increasing the flexion of the joints in the hind leg. Remember to have the horse approach the poles in a nice even rhythm, and support him with the lower leg and half halt on the outside rein.

 

Lessons Overiew | Online Lessons | Downloadable Lessons