Three 10-minute exercises with two poles to strengthen the horse from the ground
Even when you don't have time for a full ride, you can still improve your horse's movement and performance with this simple groundwork exercise. You only need two poles and 10 minutes; and in the long run, you will benefit from it, as your horse will improve eye-foot coordination and activate its core muscles.
Goals:
- Fine-tuning horse movement control
- Activation of postural muscles
- Improving obedience from the ground
Exercise setup:
Required equipment: Training halter, lunge cavesson, or your horse's regular bridle. Place two poles at a right angle to each other, so that one end meets. To make the pole groundwork exercise a bit more challenging, you can place the outer end of one or both poles on a block.
How to perform these exercises:
Exercise 1:
Position your horse so that its head is in the corner and its body is alongside and parallel to one of the poles. Ask it to turn its haunches and bring its hind legs under its belly. It should keep its head in the corner and pivot step by step with its hind legs until it finally stands parallel to the other pole. This movement should be done in 3 to 4 steps. The front legs should remain fixed in the corner; the horse should not pull back or step over the poles.
Exercise 2:
Place your horse in a square halt, so that its front legs are just behind one of the poles; you can also stand slightly in front of the pole and a little to one side. Ask the horse to take a step forward with both front legs and cross over the pole, then step back again and cross over the pole. Repeat this 5 or 6 times. You can also ask the horse to cross only one front leg over the pole, pause for a few seconds to stretch the shoulder, then bring the leg back; do this alternately with each front leg.
Exercise 3:
Ask your horse to make a small circle and cross over both poles. Stand outside the setup and, as you do in lunge work, ask it to move in a 5-meter diameter circle around you, so that the poles are also in the path.
Tips and troubleshooting:
1. Hitting the poles
The main goal of all these pole groundwork exercises is to help the horse lift its midsection and refine its proprioception to know where it is placing its feet. Its eye-foot coordination will improve with practice. Be careful not to restrict the horse's head and neck with the lead rope; it needs freedom in the front to lower its head and see the poles. These are simple exercises at a slow pace; so continue practicing — gradually and more frequently, rather than putting it under continuous pressure in one session. If possible, use heavy wooden poles instead of light ones; as the horse can better feel the contact with them. To encourage it to lift its feet, place both ends of the pole on a block.
2. Ride it
This exercise can also be done at a walk and under saddle. Once you have practiced it from the ground, your horse should understand what you are asking from it with your seat, hands, and legs from the saddle; and this helps stabilize your aids.
Source: Horse & Hound