This simple groundwork exercise might not look demanding, performed at a walk on a loose rein, but it works your horse’s back, strengthens the hindquarters and core, and improves their proprioception as the negotiate poles of different heights and angles.
Aims
Provide mental and physical stimulation
Strengthen core and hindquarters
Focus on footwork
The setup
Setup: four poles set up in a cross shape, with the outer ends raised on blocks
You will need: a training halter, lunging cavesson, or your horse’s usual bridle
Raise the outer ends of each pole to improve proprioception
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
How to do this in-hand exercise
Warm up your horse first in straight lines in walk by leading him around the arena or field for around 10min, checking that he is active and obedient to your aids. Do frequent transitions from walk to halt to ensure your communication and your horse’s responses are working well. You can also do some rein-back in-hand.
This polework exercise has two patterns – one a circle and the other in straight lines.
For the circle, stand toward the middle of the circle and ask the horse to circle around you, stepping over the poles. You can touch your horse behind the girth to encourage him to bend around you. (You will need to be in one quarter, and step over the poles as you turn). The bigger the circle, the higher your horse will need to lift his feet to clear the raised poles.
Give your horse plenty of rein or rope so that he can lower his head and use his back. The uneven heights require him to look down, assess, and improve hoof-brain coordination.
For the straight lines, simply lead your horse into the middle of the cross so that he has to take a big step over the X.
You can add variants, such as small circles over each pole, or making serpentine shapes.
Perform these exercises equally on both reins to promote symmetrical muscle development.
Tip
Circle sizes
Asking the horse to circle around the edge of the poles requires less bend, but for the horse to lift and engage his core more as he’s travelling over the raised ends. If you bring the circle in closer to you, it will require more bend and suppleness. Either size brings benefits.
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
