Ground Pole Exercises


Now is the time to get your horse in show shape. Try these simple exercises for improved back strength, leg motion, and overall coordination.

Materials needed:

Six ground poles and a flat surface free of critter holes.

You can buy the expensive ground poles used at shows or make your own. From your local lumber yard or discount home improvement store purchase one by eight

Line up your poles one after the next using the following spacing as a guide.

Ground poles spacing: Walk - 4½ feet Trot - 6½ feet Canter - 9½ feet

First exercise: Walk your horse both over the middle section of the ground poles making sure you alternate between left and right leads. Make sure you are sitting up nice and straight over the barrel of the horse, heels down, hands soft and eyes forward. Don't worry if your horse bumps the poles at first, they will learn to pick up their feet. Outfit your horse in bell boots and splint boots to protect legs from bruising especially at the faster speeds.

When you and your horse becomes proficient at straight ground poles at all gaits try setting them up in a sundial pattern: One pole at twelve o'clock, one pole at three o'clock, one pole at six o'clock and one pole at nine o'clock. You can start this exercise on the lunge line then graduate your horse to under saddle. Remember to keep your horse's nose tipped into the circle slightly so you can see his inside eye. Don't lean into the circle or you will through your horse off balance.

Advance ground pole exercise. Set up the poles in a straight line ten feet apart. Walk over first pole with front feet and stop--Side pass your horse to your right, walk to the next pole and side pass to the left. Continue the exercise until you run out of poles. Variation: Set up the ground poles in an L-shape. Side pass to the left down the L half-halt at the corner finish side passing to the right.

Once you and your horse are comfortable with ground poles you can make-up your own exercises tailored to specific muscle strengthening or additional flexion required for your show discipline.

The copyright of the article Ground Pole Exercises in Horse Management is owned by Lori Hall-McNary. Permission to republish Ground Pole Exercises in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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