My horse doesn't like poles!

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NathalieB

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Dear all,
I would love some advice with regards to my now 6 year old thorough bred, i love to bits. A year ago, he got a freight going over trot poles. He then profusely refused to go over even 1 pole. I was told to leave poles for a while so he could forget about it ( mmmm.... i wasn't so sure he would!). After being patient for about 4 months i really thought, he needs to do poles every day. He, now goes over poles but he only hops or jumps over them. It's like he is scared to get his 4 legs muddled up in walk or trot. He's a high strung, stubborn youngster who will nap all the way back to the entrance of the school if i let him, which i don't anymore. I have learned a lot as well along the way. Part was fear but part was/ is also who is riding who! Anyway,long story short. He prefers to jump (still baby jumps), doesn't like placing poles, will do canter poles but too many and he will jump/ gallop, which obviously defeats the purpose, so forget about that. trot poles....he will jump them...forget about poles?
What to do??? Helpppp......
 
You don't say whether the work you've done with him so far has been ridden or in hand but I'd be trying to get his confidence built up from the ground first just leading him over them in walk.

I had this issue with my TB, his was mainly down to never seeing them before and not knowing what to do, I started from scratch by leading him in hand over just one pole then a few poles placed well apart from each other so he couldn't get in a muddle with his feet and built up from there by then encuraging him to walk over them on the lunge and building up to trotting over them and then spacing them so he had just one pole to go over to then 4 poles to focus on. Start off by one simple ground pole and leading him over it until his confidence is built up.

I had a grass paddock that i did this in with mine and we had to walk through that to get to his field, i often just casually encouraged him to walk over some poles on his way to the field and he soon thought nothing of walking over them! Now he's happy to pop a 2ft course of jumps when i couldnt get him over a pole, just be prepared to take time with it and not rush it! Good luck!
 
Mine was the same....arab, never been introduced to poles properly when young so he used to rear at the sight of one and outright refuse to go over.

I did the same as mischamoo......one pole on the ground and led him over and over again until it became boring. Left poles scattered around the paddock.

Worked up to 2 or 3 poles placed miles apart- in-hand walking him over them until it got really boring for him.

Wev'e just progressed to riding over single poles in walk and trot but he's doing OK.

Yes....it takes ages and its boring and he's been a right idiot jumping/spooking/snorting etc etc but stick with it and you'll get there.

Also....mine used to refuse to go over road markings.....not great when theres massive yellow zig-zags accross my yard gate .....but we got there eventually.:D
 
First of all thanks for such great quick responses. After his break from poles I started him from the ground with a long lead rope trying to make him walk over poles...... it worked for a little bit, but he would jump and then shoot of, then he decided he didn't want to do it anymore and there i was, 45 minutes standing in front of A pole. (Big mistake to do this on my own and having limited time of 45 minutes , so another valuable lesson learned).
Next, large O, on the lunge line, working him through a jumping alley over a pole. That worked, however, months later, taking it all very slowly and i still do, he is still hopping over them or jumping. Sometimes he almost trots over 1.
Then back to jumping. the good thing is: He goes over poles now, which never used to be an issue,also when he hits the pole, he gets upset but he will still go over the pole, which is also progress. I guess, poles are there to help improve the horse's way of going in many ways but its not everything, right? Almost every day i make him go over a few poles or just once or twice to give him a break. Being patient, persistent,time, repetition?
 
I had a TB ex-racer who didn't like poles on the ground but was fine jumping show jumps. My instructor said she had come across quite a few horses that didn't get on with poles so I stopped worrying about it and jumped without placing poles.

You could maybe try leaving some poles lying around in his paddock if you can to get him used to them.
 
It's quite a relief to hear that there are many others out there that have experienced similar situations, not that i wish it upon anybody, of course. I would love to scatter poles around the paddock, however time and paddock space, which is limited in HK prevents me from doing so.
What i am very pleased with is that he still jumps fences and prefers to do so. He actually jumps an upright better than a X pole. Hight isn't an issue for him either. Doing only flatwork with him would drive this boy around the bend so i have to be creative to keep it all interesting and educational for him...and ofcourse FUN!:D Thank you all!
 
Mine LOVES poles, jumps every one of them and uses three as a spread. She's not a youngster and will never change so we just jump.
 
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