I'd like to have Harry do some ground poles at the jog. Is there a correct distance or do I just keep resetting them until he quits knocking them.

I'm going to start out line driving him over them to make sure he's okay with it. I think I've done them before but don't remember for sure. That last time I thought that way I was in ER within 30 minutes of knocking the first pole. I was on Daz...but not for long. Taking no chances this time, even with easy-going Harry!

It depends on the horse and the length of his stride. Google cavaletti and you should get some good info.

If he is not accustomed to them, start with walking them and then progress to a jog. You can lunge him over them too. They are very good for teaching a horse to rate his stride and to look where he is putting his feet. I do always have mne get REAL comfortable with it before I start doing it under saddle.

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I found this:

How to Practice Riding Over Cavaletti | eHow.com

I like the progression of difficulty. I think Daz, the pole-phobic, could benefit too. As an aside, I like the list of things needed for the exercise. The first item is a saddled and bridled horse!

You can also make them out of PVC pipe. My horses are generally frightened of white things (especially if it is bright and sunny) so make sure yours are comfortable with it. You might get some fireworks at first. It's better to get that over with before getting in the saddle.

You might like to check out some of the obstacles for trail class. They use ground poles and other items in a variety of ways. The training would not be specifically for WP, but your riding would benefit and it keeps training from getting too boring for you or Harry.

Have fun!

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Adding interest to our riding is what I'm after. He's a finished show horse and doesn't need training. I'm just learning so I need miles and miles practicing basics. That's where I'm afraid I'll 'lose' him. Also, I'd love to work up to trail class.

The other thing I want to do with him is ride him around what we call the bridle path. It's a grass area, about 15 feet wide that goes all the way around the perimeter of the 10 acres. There's a no-climb fence on the outside and the electric pasture fence on the other side. We use the path to spread manure on. The grass grows through and we keep it mowed. It's as close to a trail ride as we'll ever get at home.

I'm planning to line drive him around it a few times, hopefully in the next couple of weeks. I think he'd be fine, I'm a little jumpy about it.

Do you have a good friend with a trusty trail horse to go around the bridle path with you at first? It would make it much easier.

There is a "thing" you can build with landscape timbers or PVC that is a wheel shape and you use it to rate speed and connect with each other's cues. I'll try to find out about it and send the info your way.

It has unfortunately been many years since I got my gelding and had to restart him so I did all kinds of unusual things to get us to bond and get hime where he should be. We have a lot of fun now and he will even go on a trail or hunter pace alone.

You can practice the basics (and even more advanced moves) while on a trail ride. It would keep you both fresh. I must admit though, I find arena work tedious and do better in the field.

I haven't shown WP in 30 years. I know you show at all gaits in a calm, controlled fashion, but...
1. Do you back?
2. Do you sidepass?
These are moves I can advise obstacles that will help enormously, but I couldn't tell you how to get a correct canter departure for squat any more.

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I don't have anybody to ride with. DD is a bit timid and her horse is being a putz lately. She schools me on Harry.

We're bonded really well. Whenever he sees my car pull up to the barn he comes running and whinnying. He had been trail ridden around the farm where he was born. They told me he loves to trail ride. I figure he'll be fine on the bridle path because it isn't really outside his known world. Plus he's great at horse shows...never spooks or shys.

We back but no lateral moves. Basically it's walk/jog/lope, reverse and repeat. Then line up, back, and it's over. I want to start him on lateral moves in long lines. I think that will be less confusing for him. I spent 16 years driving and started all our youngsters with their groundwork. I'm very comfortable with the lines.

I can practice my equitation on the path probably better than on the tanbark because it's 1/4 mile of straight, then a corner followed by 350 feet of 'short rail' then another 1/4 mile of straight ending at the barn. Probably should lope out and just jog back!

I want to use the cavellettis in the school to break up the monotony for him. He's got a good case of 'back to the gate-itis' which makes it's hard to practice when he's always trying to veer off course and turn around. We need to have more challenging stuff, off the rail.

If you're not sure about the placement of poles, longe him over them first. For trotting single step poles, the hind hoof should land right in the middle - equal distance between both poles.

For english, we typically used 4 - 5ft between poles for trotting with one step between, 8 - 10 ft for two steps.

For cantering, 15 - 18 ft for a single stride - we do all cantering distances figuring a 12ft stride - not sure how how you western pleasure riders do it - for poles on the ground. Any cavalleties or jumps, add about three feet.

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We have 4 poles: 8 ft long, round fence posts. He likes to avoid them when lunging even when I put them up against the fence on one side. I think his preoccupation with "How do I get out of this" is why he's hitting them. You would think at a walk or job (baby steps) that he could get right over them. That's why I thought driving him might work. When lunging he can tune me out: blather blather blather. But if Im behind him, I think he'll be concentrating more on what I'm doing than how to avoid it. Today will tell!

At least he's not as bad as the one who threw me cause he touched a pole with his baby toe. He starts snorting and backing up as soon as he sees them...from 50 feet away. That boy will require some work!

Can you lead him over them? I had to do in-hand work with my guy a few years ago and set up walk/trot poles for him - had to lead him otherwise he'd act the fool on the longe line and jump them. "whoo long jump!"

I'd try leading him flat poles first set at walking distance, then raise the ends of the first and last pole so if you had three poles (always use an odd number) you'd put the right hand of the first pole on a bucket, leave the middle one down, and then lift the left hand on the last pole. Walk him over slowly enough that he lifts up his legs carefully. You can eventually set them (flat) out for trotting around 8 ft apart and then jog him in hand over them, walk, turn around, jog over them again...I did that with a ton of babies until they stopped caring about poles. By the time they were getting ridden over them, it was next to nothing.

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