As you may be realising, Cosmo has a bit of a straightness issue so I came up with this series of poles to help work on this problem. It’s relatively simple but enough for a young brain to get to grips with.
WHAT IS THIS EXERCISE GOOD FOR?
- Straightness
- Rhythm
- Seeing a stride
HOW TO SET IT UP?
For this exercise you’ll need pretty much your full arena and the following:
For the Trot Poles:
- Two sets of 3 x trot poles – 4 and a half footsteps between each pole
- A pair of straightening poles set up either side of both sets of trot poles
For the Canter Poles:
- One set of canter poles – 6 strides, 4 large steps per stride
- A pair of straightening poles at the start and end of the line
- Two wings/blocks at the half way point down your line
Your trot poles should be set up on the long-sides, while your canter poles should be set up down the centreline.
HOW TO RIDE IT
The straightening poles within these layouts will ensure your horse goes over the poles as straight as possible however there are other things you can do to help get your horse there:
- If your horse tends to drift to one particular side more than the other, then consider cutting your corner on your approach or turning a little later. This will help ensure you’re straight by the time you hit your poles.
- Keep your hands wide to provide a type of tunnel contact between your hands and the horse’s mouth.
- Focus on keeping even pressure on your horse’s sides with your legs.
Check out some GoPro footage of me and Cosmo giving the canter poles a go…
Cosmo’s weakest gait is canter so we can sometimes struggle to even get through a set of canter poles without breaking to trot but he did quite well with this one all things considered. I’ve definitely seen a big improvement in Cosmo’s straightness since starting these exercises so do give them a go if you’re having the same problems as me.
Thanks for reading,
ORLA