Getting Started with Ground Poles
Once you experience the changes in your training that ground poles can make, you will find yourself using these simple tools more than you imagined. Whether you want to help your horse gain flexibility, strength, or coordination— or maybe all of these— ground pole routines should be a staple of your workouts. I have received some common questions from many of you as you get started with your spring conditioning, and I figured this was a good time to offer a primer on implementing work with ground poles.
How do I space the poles?
If you are setting up a sequential row of ground poles, which incidentally is a good place to start, place your poles approx. 2.5 feet apart for walking, 4 feet apart for trotting, and 9-11 feet apart of cantering. For most gaited horses, in lieu of trotting, space the poles 8 feet apart for your lateral gait. For accuracy, measure your spacing from the center of each pole, not the outer ends. These guidelines for spacing are based on an average size horse, about 15.2 hands, so you will need to add or subtract and inch or more if your horse is a pony or nearer to 17 hands.
Do I need to raise the poles off the ground?
For intro and basic pole work, you do not need to raise the poles. First, you want to make sure your horse is maintaining a steady rhythm and body posture while crossing the poles, which can take several sessions for some horses. After that point, risers allow you to create different conditioning stimulus and proprioceptive gains. They also help develop power and strength for trotting and cantering routines. I will address these routines in a future post. If you plan to practice ground pole exercises somewhat regularly, I do recommend having a set of riser blocks. But do yourself a huge favor and get (or make) some that are EASY to move around but sturdy enough for the job. The best training intentions are often thwarted by heavy, clunky risers that are, quite frankly, a pain in the butt to set up and take down. It is hard to get motivated if your equipment is not easy to use! I highly recommend the Cavaletti Riser Blocks, which are available in my online store—click here to check them out!
Cavaletti Riser Blocks are my favorite because they are lightweight, durable, and adjustable. They are the only riser blocks I use! Click the image to check them out and order a set for yourself.
Is there a point to walking over ground poles?
I am a fan of using ground poles for all gaits. So, yes, there is great value in walking your horse over ground poles. Not only is this a large focus for many horses rehabbing from injury, but it serves as a wonderful daily tool to recruit spinal stabilizing muscles, release tension from the long back muscles, and stimulate sensory nerves surrounding joints. Also, it is possible to walk over ground poles every day, whereas trotting or cantering ground poles is only advised twice per week in order to allow the horse time to recover from the intensity.
Should I release the reins when I ride across the poles? Or should my horse be “collected?”
Riding over ground poles, even if they are on riser blocks, is a very different activity than jumping, so you do NOT need to loosen your reins or push your hands forward when you ride across. Instead, focus on maintaining a steady rein contact and enabling your horse to remain in a good posture. Obviously, you do not want to hold tightly on the reins or clench your fists, but do keep your hands in place and maintain a softly closed fist.
How many poles do I need? And how long should they be?
I encourage students to use whatever they have. If you only have four poles, that will work fine. If you have 10 poles, then great. In general, I set up 6-8 poles for most of my routines. But this is a very general number. Do NOT assume you should use jump poles. In fact, these poles are so heavy to lug around that you will find yourself becoming reluctant to set up exercises. Poles only need to be 6+ feet long and my preference (because they are light and easy to move around) are cedar or redwood 4x4 landscaping timbers, which are available in most garden/hardware centers. They cost about $4 each and are rot resistant.
Is longeing over poles as beneficial as riding over them?
You can do loads of useful ground pole exercises on the longe line or even ground driving. I do not recommend using side reins if you intend to longe over ground poles.
Get the gear!
Designed to replace painted wood blocks that chip, peel and rot, these Polyethylene Cavalletti Riser blocks will last a life time. These Cavalletti Riser Blocks are made extra heavy and can hold the ground rail at the required 8″ or 12″ height. Available in sets of 8 and sets of 12 individual Cavalletti Riser Blocks. They are easy to move around and store when not in use. These blocks make cavalletti workouts easy!
Shipping is FREE in the United States!