Polework can be useful for a number of reasons. It can be used to help horses improve their balance, suppleness and flexibility on the flat, to encourage the horse to work better through his body, for young horses as a progression towards jumping, and for older horses to make flatwork more interesting and loosen their bodies.
Poles can be done in hand or ridden over in walk, trot and canter. Working over poles teaches the horse to balance himself, pick up his legs, and figure out where to place his feet. Pole work also increases a horse’s muscle tone, increases joint flexibility and helps the horse to learn how to effectively adjust his stride.
For the horse
When placed close together, the horse has to collect his stride, and when placed further apart, the horse has to lengthen the stride. This encourages the horse to engage his hindquarters and work in a correct frame. Ground poles are a great tool for the horse to gain self-control, focus, elasticity, co-ordination and strength in his body. Short-strided horses can learn to lengthen their stride and long-striding horses can learn to collect. Ground poles can also increase the horse’s confidence through distances as schooling over ground poles saves the horse’s joints; the impact is minimal compared to showjumping. It is a great way to keep your horse fit in a good schooling programme and ready for competition.
For the rider
For the rider, ground poles are an excellent way to sharpen your riding skills as it teaches you to maintain a steady rhythm in the trot and canter. The rider needs to be aware of looking up when going over ground poles and to plan their route or line as if they were going over jumps. The rider needs to make sure the distances are adjusted to the horse’s stride, as the horse must have confidence in what he is doing. A big part of using ground poles as an extra tool in your schooling is to allow the horse to figure things out and think for himself.
Polework can be used to help the horse approach the fence with balance and control. Ground poles that are slightly raised can aid in the energy of the movement and encourage the horse to activate his hindquarters.