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here are many exercises that you and your horse can practice that will help you perfect jumping around a full course of fences.  My favorite exercises, however, don’t necessarily include jumping jumps.  Instead of incorporating a lot of exercises over jumps, I prefer to use ground poles to work on difficult exercises.   Ground poles are an amazing tool that can be used in a number of ways to help improve both horse and rider.  

  Using poles for certain jumping exercises is beneficial for many reasons. Jumping is very stressful on your horse’s joints.  If you can perfect an exercise or master keeping your rhythm over poles, it greatly reduces the number of times your horse has to take off and land from a jump. In addition, a rider can practice an exercise involving poles over and over again while actual jumps should not be practiced repetitively in one ride.  A rider must be conservative when jumps are incorporated into an exercise.  Poles give the rider more flexibility and pole exercises are less stressful on the horse. 

     In addition to saving a horse’s legs, poles are also great because they allow for a bigger margin of error.  A rider just learning to canter jumps is much safer practicing cantering over poles than they are cantering over small jumps.  The poles allow for horse and rider to completely misjudge a distance and still be safe.  Along the same lines, poles allow for more experienced riders to practice harder exercises while still being safe if the rider misjudges a distance.  Poles are a perfect way to practice keeping a steady rhythm and are a perfect way to work on becoming a very precise rider.

   I canter poles all the time.  However, I have two particular pole exercises that I love to ride through and love to have my students ride through.  The first exercise involves just setting a simple line with two poles.  I like to set the two poles 72 feet apart in a straight line.  I start by cantering the horse over the two poles at an average pace.  Most horses should be able to comfortably put six strides into a line of poles set at 72 feet.  I start with the six strides.  Then, I canter the line again but shorten the horse’s stride so he must fit seven strides into the line.  Next, I open the horse’s stride and canter into the line on a very forward pace, allowing the horse to canter the line in five strides.  Now, I’m ready to vary the exercise.  I go back to riding the poles in seven strides, and then six, and so on until my horse’s stride becomes very adjustable. 

     This exercise helps both horse and rider become more flexible.  The exercise is also invaluable in teaching a rider about the length of their horse’s stride and what they need to do to establish the correct pace to fit each number of strides in the line.  A lot of times, riders will underestimate how much “whoa” they need to the short seven strides.  What is commonly seen initially is that the rider kind of shortens the stride for the first four steps, realizes that they are not going to be able to fit seven strides in, which then results in the rider pulling hard on the horse’s mouth in order to fit three uneven strides into the last part of the line.  The goal of this exercise is to have the pace you need to fit the strides into the line before you turn the corner to the line of poles.  Each step when approaching the line as well as the steps through the line should match.  The horse should start with the exact pace he needs to make it down the line and should not change his pace through the line of poles.  This exercise is a wonderful tool for determining if a rider has a good grasp of pace or if this is a weakness that needs to be addressed. 

     The second pole exercise I love involves setting four poles in a huge circle.  This exercise quickly points out flaws in a rider’s pace and aids.  This exercise is a little more difficult because it requires more commitment from the rider, a more forward ride, and a higher degree of rein and leg aides.  Although difficult, this exercise easily pinpoints weaknesses in both horse and rider while providing a way to correct those same faults.

     In order to set up this exercise, set four poles in a circle. (see diagram) Imagine that your circle is a clock.  Set one pole at 12 o’clock, one at 3 o’clock, one at 6 o’clock, and one at 9 o’clock.  Each pole should be set 60 feet from the pole in front and behind it.  To start the exercise, begin cantering on the left lead, counterclockwise over the center of the pole set at 12 o’clock.  Continue to canter to the center of the next pole in five strides, and then on to the next pole, and then next.  A good rider and a good horse should be able to canter through the circle a few times, fitting five steps in between each pole.  Once the exercise is completed the first way, switch directions and start on the other lead.

     This exercise is trickier than it initially appears.  Horses and riders usually start the exercise strongly but then continue to get longer and longer to the following poles so that eventually the horse puts six strides in between the poles instead of five.  The trick to the exercise is to keep the horse in between both the rider’s legs and hands.  If the horse slips to the outside of the rider’s leg or looses his impulsion, he will end up putting an extra step in between.  On the contrary, if the horse slips to the inside of the rider’s leg or gains impulsion, he will end up leaving out a step in between.  This exercise truly tests pace, steering, and the application of the leg aides.

    If things are going well in this exercise, go ahead and attempt to leave out a stride in between each pole.  However, unlike the previous exercise, do not change your pace in order to leave a stride out.  Instead, change the track of your circle (make it smaller) so that your horse only takes four steps in between each pole.  Then, try the opposite by widening your track in an effort to fit six even steps in between the poles.  Changing your track around the circle will again help to test the obedience and responsiveness of your horse.

     Pole exercises help teach and improve the fundamentals of jumping a course.  Although I have only suggested two pole exercises, there are an unlimited number of exercises that can be performed to help improve the horse and rider.  Even dropping a normal course down to poles can be very beneficial.  In your riding and practicing, go ahead and be creative with poles.  Poles are a wonderful tool that can be used in many ways.  The only important thing to remember is that poles need to be set on a related distance to make the exercise reasonable for your horse.  As an exercise designer, you need to base your exercise on the size of your horse’s stride.  When setting poles to canter, remember that a normal horse’s stride is twelve feet.  If you do not know how to set poles or walk distances, be sure to ask! 

     When it comes to poles, the options and benefits are endless.  Start with these two exercises.  When these have been mastered, be creative and design your own. Think about what questions you would like the exercise to ask of your horse.  These simple exercises can help you learn more about your horse, his responses, and his capabilities.  In addition, poles feel a lot like actual jumps.  So, if you master pole exercises, it will be easy to apply what you have learned to actual jumps.  In the end, poles are a fabulous way to conserve your horse while testing him as well as yourself.  

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