Pole exercises/rehab programmes

[Michen]

Does anyone have a specific rehab programme (just as something to follow to keep us occupied with some structure on these dark evenings!), or really good pole work exercises that can be done ridden or in hand?

I’m doing pole work a few times a week with Boggle but getting a bit bored of walk/trot poles in a straight line, raised or not etc.

Something to follow even in terms of how often, how many times to go over the poles etc would be quite helpful to keep me on track!

 

[DabDab]

Following with interest. Sorry I don't have anything (other than the obvious), but hope someone else does.

Various configurations of doing transitions between poles I find quite useful.

 

[Evie91]

Not quite the season now but I copied a Christmas tree set up (from shi*eventersunite on fb) and was quite good fun to walk,trot and canter through in various configurations. OP had tied tinsel to the poles for added excitement- I didn’t do that!

 

[paddy555]

are you a member of this group? they seem to have endless variety.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/equestrianpoleclub/

 

[Roxylola]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/equestrianpoleclub/?ref=share
Thats a good group, loads of ideas on there

 

[Michen]

Oh no I’m not - thanks both!

 

[HG95]

There's an app called Equi-pole polework app. Has lots of different layouts and exercises they also have a Facebook and Instagram page with a few extra ideas on them as well

 

[SEL]

Rob Jackson (horseback vet) had me put a fan of poles in each arena corner. Limited poles so I think I did 2 corners of 3 or 4. Twice over then change rein. Only do a few times because muscles get tired.

Another of his is hand walking a figure of 8 over a single pole

 

[TheMule]

I hate this new obsession with making impossibly complicated patterns which, IMO, only serve to confuse the horse and potentially create incidents whilst not adding anything to the horse's development
I am a fan of a simple layout of 3 or 4 poles on a circle set at walk distance on the inside and trot in the middle. You can use this in multiple ways and raise them if you want. You can make the circle bigger or smaller to open up or compress the stride and it's a great way to ensure that you're staying on the line of the circle. You can incorporate transitions up and down the pace before and after the poles, ride bigger then smaller circles etc. Simple but effective.
Dont go over them endlessly- I would do short phases of work over the poles in between normal flatwork

 

[cauda equina]

For strengthening hinds/increasing hock flexion my physio recommends 3-4 poles laid end to end, then going over them in a narrow serpentine

 

[Reacher]

For strengthening hinds/increasing hock flexion my physio recommends 3-4 poles laid end to end, then going over them in a narrow serpentine

My physio recommended this one too - with alternate ends raised (eg pole 1 - first end raised, pole 2 - 2nd end raised etc)

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My physio recommended this one too - with alternate ends raised (eg pole 1 - first end raised, pole 2 - 2nd end raised etc)

This is what my physio told me to do as well.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would also do some lateral work either on board or on the ground I think it can really make a horse so much more supple especially if they are very one sided, which is often the case with an injury as they compensate with the other side.

 

[Lammy]

My physio recommended me the book 55 Corrective Exercises For Horses. It’s brilliant has lots of information and gives you programmes to work through gradually. Great for rehab.
I was also told that polework for horses is like going up and down the stairs for us humans. A couple of times if you’re relatively fit you’ll find easy, repeating a bit more will get you puffing but doing 100’s of steps you’ll find exhausting. I try to keep that in mind doing polework and never have more than 5/6 in a row at most and make sure to break it up with general flat work. I do cringe when I see an insane amount of poles in a row and horses being put over them repeatedly ?

 

[welshpony216]

I like this exercise- there is a ton of variety. ***not my photo***

 

[PapaverFollis]

I like the 55 corrective exercises book. There's a few exercises that require landscape like hills or ditches and stuff that I don't have. But there's lots of pole work exercises as well as bodywork, in hand and ridden exercises. Generally well explained and easy to follow. I've been doing what I can during the extended break my two are having as well as trying some Masterson Method bodywork. I think it's all helping. It's helping me not feel awful that we haven't been riding anyway!

 

[Tiddlypom]

My chiro vet recommends poles raised up to knee height but in walk only, rather than trot poles. Start with lower ones, then work up. Gets the horse using itself better, according to her.

I use Bloks to rest poles on.

 

[sbloom]

I am wary of recommending pole work to my customers, it's easy to think that just doing it is enough, the horse must be in the correct form, and if they are (or even if not) they tire a lot quicker than you think. I watched a video a while back of a horse being walked in hand over a series of raised poles, on the third pass his hocks were twisting because of tiredness and the exercise would have been doing harm not good.

I'm a big fan of the postural approach from the Manolo Mendez DVDs, straightnesstraining.com and things like In hand with Jenku (google it).