Polework With One Pole
You don't need an arena full of poles to give your horse a varied and effective workout. In fact, a single pole can provide plenty of opportunities to improve balance, suppleness, coordination and straightness.
I was inspired to 'invent' these exercises when I was researching pole work ideas for own horse when I was rehabilitating him. I came across a post online where someone had asked if it was possible to create useful exercises with just one pole. The response they received was something along the lines of "haha..no!". I couldn't help but disagree, because you absolutely can!!
There are four exercises shown here, they are all simple but very effective and can each be carried out not just ridden, but also when working the horse in hand and and when being long reined. Although they are most suited to walk and trot, more advanced horses could perform them in canter, provided they are well balanced, established in the pace and able to maintain good rhythm and control.
The two figure of eight exercises encourage accurate riding, improve rider balance and coordination, and are an excellent way to practice smooth lines and changes of direction - this could be particularly useful if you're training your horse to ride a course of jumps. For the horse, these exercises promote straightness, improve balance and encourage correct, even bending on both reins.
The two circle exercises are ideal for improving suppleness, increasing range of motion through the joints and reducing stiffness. They also encourage the horse to step underneath with the inside hind limb, promoting engagement and balance. The size of the circles can easily be adapted to suit your horse's stage of training and for an extra challenge, you can incorporate spiralling in and out, or add some leg yielding to further improve responsiveness and lateral suppleness.
As with any schooling exercise, remember to work equally on both reins and in both directions. Like humans, horses naturally have a stronger and a weaker side, so ensuring both sides are worked evenly will help develop strength, symmetry and flexibility over time.
If your horse struggles with stiffness, balance or straightness, pole work is just one tool that can help. As an Equine Sports & Rehabilitation Massage Therapist, I can assess your horse and recommend exercises tailored to their individual needs.
