I am not really sure where to put this… I would like to introduce ground poles into my horses routine. Currently, I don’t have any. I have decently sized 2x4’s laid out flat. (IKKKKK but it’s temporary) My horse has already figured out that picking his feet up over them is work. Right now we are walking over one/three. It’s already hard for me to make him walk over them, let alone trot. He’s not scared of them. He is just being difficult and tries to dodge them. I want to use them to encourage him to pick up his feet and add some spice to our riding. I also bought a book of 200+ ground pole exercises. Any advice on how to encourage him to walk over them without trying to avoid them would be welcomed. Overall advice on ground pole exercises, different exercise patterns, and all that would be appreciated too. I don’t know if this would make a difference, but I ride western and he works off of leg pressure.
Ground poles can be really fun… My horses love them… Maybe you can start with a local trainer that can help you with your horse going over them? Maybe lead him in the ring and walk him over them to start…
I work with a cutting trainer. He doesn’t have experience with ground poles. He is just as interested in the idea as I am.
Place your poles out to walk over, then place two poles perpendicular to make a “tunnel” on the ground for him to walk through (like a pi sign or “| | | ===”) I hope my horrible graphic helps. The idea is that he will enter the tunnel, and then be guided over the poles. Eventually, you can remove the guide (tunnel) poles.
I first introduced my horse to ground poles on the ground. I used a longe line to lead him over. I liked having the availability of a longer line. I then moved further and further away from him with the line until eventually he was easily longing over poles placed on a large circle. He now free longes over the poles well too. I’ve worked at installing solid ground work on this horse so he is very easily controlled with or without a line in a smaller arena. I then began riding him over them after I felt that he understood.
I liked him figuring out poles in a series on his own. He figured how to stretch over his back and pick up his feet at the trot. Also how to lengthen or shorten to accommodate differently spaced poles. He did trip, step on, and fumble a few times, so again, I thought leading, to longing, to riding worked best with this horse.
This horse knows that when I say go, it means go. If he dodged the circle got smaller/easier for me to control. I had a whip in hand also. He was very weary of the brightly colored poles at first so if he went over one calmly and willingly we stopped, praised, and then kept going. Make sure that he knows when he does the right thing, and that the right thing can be simple and easy.
So break it down from the ground. Instill good basics. Fortunately, it’s just a pole so they can go over that from anywhere at any angle really (unlike a larger fence) so I make it that not going over is not an a option. If he dodges past, I have halted, backed up, and redirected at the pole. Just doing a breeze by isn’t an option, especially if it encroaches on your space as the handler. It’s me with a whip in hand (if needed) being firm but fair and the arena wall on the otherside. The horse figures out its easiest to just go over. If I had a more violent protester, I’d utilize a jump chute type set up.
Start with just one pole and reward with a pause when he goes over it.
Poles make a horse lift and engage their core, which lifts their back - what else does he do when he avoids the pole? Does he raise his head, drop onto the forehand, attempt to spin away? Does he press against your lateral aid and just dodge out?
If he is avoiding because he doesn’t want to work, then make the wrong answer more difficult (like an immediate halt and back up 10 steps) and the right thing easy (start with one pole and praise)
If he is avoiding because he doesn’t want to lift legs/use the back, could be a pain response
He just goes left or right to avoid them. Doesn’t toss his head or hollow his back. Just ignores my legs and goes around them. I started with calf muscle, added my leg, added my heel, held my spur, rolled my spur. After rolling my spur he will go over them, but its all wonky and not right. I haven’t tried collecting him over the poles since getting him over them is still a struggle. But normally he collects great without hesitation. He can hold the collection through the walk, trot, stop, and back up. We haven’t yet figured out the lope. He is still young. I don’t think it’s pain. He does everything I ask him to, just not these poles.
What’s a jump chute?
It’s where you put poles on the ground on either side of the track going towards the ground poles. The jump chute is intended to tunnel them straight to the ground poles so they won’t veer left or right to avoid them.
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| | jump chute (poles)
Honestly, it sounds more like a steering issue than a ground pole issue-- and it’s something you need to fix or it’s going to come up any time you ask him to do something he doesn’t want to. Carry a dressage whip and use it to move him over laterally if necessary. You can start by putting the poles along a fenceline or the edge of the ring, and carrying the whip in your inside hand. That way you know he can only duck out one way and you can be proactive in making sure it doesn’t happen.
I agree with High Flyer - if he can ignore your leg aid, that’s going to cause more problems in other aspects of training
