This slow and simple groundwork exercise asks your horse to straddle a single pole, separating the right and left sides of his body.
Horses naturally move in diagonal patterns, so it is mentally and physically challenging to move in this wide stance. It is excellent for engaging the core, as well as providing mental stimulation as they work out where to place their feet without standing on the pole.
It looks straightforward but is surprisingly difficult for horses, so do give them time to suss out the challenge.
Setup: one pole on the ground. This can be in the arena, the field or just the yard.
You will need: a training halter, lunging cavesson, or your horse’s usual bridle.
How to do this exercise
Stand your horse at one end of the pole, with the pole lying out vertically in front of him.
Ask your horse to inch forward one step at a time so he is straddling the pole, near fore and hind feet on one side, off fore and hinds on the other side.
You may only get a couple of steps with the front feet to start with as they figure out the challenge. The position is slightly unnatural for them, even if they typically stand with their feet this distance apart, which engages their core stability and often triggers their nervous system to release.
They may stand on the pole while they are working it out – allow them time to place their feet. Give them time to stand with the pole in between their legs and relax.
It may take a few sessions, but you should gradually be able to move your horse all the way along the pole.
Guide your horse to take small, slow careful steps, never rushing.
Tips and troubleshooting
Level up
Once your horse has mastered moving forwards straddling the pole, you can ask for a step or two backwards and then forwards again. This really improves their coordination as they work out where to put their feet.
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Always take it slowly, this exercise is all about awareness, activating the core as they feel and work out where to put each individual foot.
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.
