Single Pole Exercises

 These exercises can be done from the saddle as well, although I generally encourage riders to do them from the ground so they develop a daily habit of observing their horse’s posture and alignment. Making them part of your pre-ride groundwork is a useful part of your warm-up. For set-up, you can use fence posts, jump poles, or whatever pole you have available that measures at least two metres long. By no means do you need to set these up in an arena. Since you only need a small amount of space, I encourage you to use an area outside your arena somewhere

This exercise can provide a little fine tuning of the horse’s extensor and flexor muscle chains. If you have the option to raise your pole off the ground several inches that is ideal, unless of course you are working on snowy terrain in which case you will leave the pole flat on the ground. Place your pole about halfway up a gentle slope that is 20- to 30-metres long. A gentle slope works perfectly for this exercise; there is no need to hunt out the steepest hill you have

This exercise can provide a little fine tuning of the horse’s extensor and flexor muscle chains. If you have the option to raise your pole off the ground several inches that is ideal, unless of course you are working on snowy terrain in which case you will leave the pole flat on the ground. Place your pole about halfway up a gentle slope that is 20- to 30-metres long. A gentle slope works perfectly for this exercise; there is no need to hunt out the steepest hill you have