14/08/2023
POLEWORK
As well as making flatwork more exciting, polework develops your horse’s core stability. It also works their top line and improves their suppleness by encouraging him to step under with the hindleg more, and polework lets you influence your horse’s stride length. It’s a great exercise if your horse tends to rush, as the poles make their rhythm and stride length more regular. For horses with naturally shorter stride lengths, you can set the poles wider apart so they have to stretch and open their frame. On the flipside, if you’re trying to develop more collection, you can shorten the distance between poles so your horse has to collect their stride.
Working over poles can also encourage your horse to be more agile, as they have to pick their legs up higher to step over the poles. This can be especially helpful if your horse is coming back from injury or needs to build strength and fitness.
Polework is good for improving balance, control and steering. It also requires precision, so it can help to refine your aids (and your horse’s reaction to those aids), which benefits everyday riding. Your horse will have to focus on where they are going and what they are doing, and you’ll have to look up and ahead so you can plan your route. It’s great for riders who tend to look down at their hands.’
For horses with a tendency to be crooked in their body, polework can help to promote straightness. As, even if you’re riding your horse on a circle, you’ll have to stop the horse from falling in or out through his shoulders or over-bending.
The great thing about polework is that you can ride as many different shapes and lines as your imagination will allow. Not just over but also around the poles, so you can be quite creative.’
