Teaching Bounces/Canter Poles

jcberry

jcberry

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Tried to do some work with canter poles tonight.... total disaster
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He does not realise that you can actually canter through the poles
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he trots them, when we finnaly got the hang of it on way, we put up the tiniest 'raised pole' at the end, but completely got his legs muddled/messed up.
The distances are fine and my instructer told us.
just wandering if there is any way to 'teach' a horse to canter through the poles, and jump a bounce fence??
Just to add, he has never seen a canter pole before, let alone a bounce fence
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Thanks in advance xxx
 
he does the trotting poles nicley, know we have had work on them, the canter seems fine, his canter is quite a lollopy one though, do i need it to be bouncier? x
 
firstly don't jump straight in the deep end. A lot of horses if approaching a pole in canter will jump a lot of the time. I would place a number of poles randomly around the school with plenty of distance between them. get him cantering over them calmly as individual poles then work about putting them on a related distance. Start with three strides inbetween then two then one then none. I would have at least 3 poles especially when you get to the point of having no strides inbetween as will stop him trying to jump them as one.

Next you want to consider raising the poles. If happy doing three poles with no strides between (bounce distances) I would raise the inside end of the middle pole (eg middle of school end) which will require him to pick his legs up a little more. Next I would raise the outside end (fence end) of the third pole and at this point would add a fourth pole if not already there as will again discourage him from jumping all in one go. The first pole is important as helps place him for the bounce aspect.

When hopefully now mini jumping over the raised poles I would add a second pole to where the 3rd pole is making a cross pole and so a true jump then finally another to where 2nd pole is so two crosses in a row.

If getting really confuddled when you start raising poles have 5 poles on bounce distances in a row leave 1st on floor raise second leave 3rd on floor, raise 4th and leave 5th. then raise the 3rd to a cross making a bounce lowering the 4th to ground and removing 5th so reaching the set up of above exercise.

Katie
 
The most important thing is to have the horse connected from rear to hand - without that you will not be achieving anything anyway. I would start by cantering over a single pole - ensure your canter is well established first. Then build up (keep to odd numbers in an ideal world). If you are fit enough then practise it on the lunge (you lunging the horse, not riding it LOL). It SHOULD be very easy and logical to the horse, easier than trot poles in a lot of ways, so I would take a good look at how you are approaching the poles and be ULTRA sure that your spacing is correct - what spacing were you using?

Also, make sure you are looking UP!
 
Thanks - both of you
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some good things to work on
yep, i do tend to look down when im riding as a whole anway, so when i was riding today, i was constantly loking down
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something i have a habit of and need to get out of :mad

thanks xxx
 
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