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 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | I have the opportunity to ride my horse in a clinic with an NFR girl that I've been a spectator at in the past. I'm literally jumping at the chance BUT I also have the opportunity to buy my own pole bending set, something that I've been wanting to have on my property for many many years now. I was great at pole bending when I was a teenager and I know how beneficial it could be for my horse to do something else in the arena. I really think it would be fun to go to the clinic with my horse but idk how much more I'll learn since I've already been to one. I won't regret either choice I make but I'm wondering which choice will benefit my horse more. Any thoughts or tips? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| You can always learn at a clinic, even if it is the same clinician. You can always make your own pole bending set. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | You can make your own set of pole bending poles super easy and cheaper then buying them. Go to the clinic to help your horse and you if you have to choose.
 (DIY-Pole-Bending-Set-500x302.jpg)
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 DIY-Pole-Bending-Set-500x302.jpg (57KB - 221 downloads)
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 Member
Posts: 13
Location: Middle Tennessee | Clinic. You can make a pole bending set for a lot cheaper than you can buy one and you can always learn something new from clinics. |
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  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4642
Location: Texas | Go to the clinic. I made my own set of poles with coffee cans, PVC pipe, and concrete. I might have spent $40 to make them. They have held up great... still in great condition more than 10 years later. |
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Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | My friend made a great point when I asked her. She said to buy (or make) the poles at Christmas since I'll be starting out slow on my horse, might as well do it slow when the weather conditions are colder and there won't be any races. So I'll be going to the clinic and I'm so excited.
Side note; I'll never make a pole bending set with concrete. That was watching a small gymkhana a long time ago and they were using the concrete poles and a freak accident happened with one of the riders and her horse and the concrete part ended up hitting the horse's head. It just freaked me out too much to ever want to use those homemade concrete poles. But thanks everyone for the links! |
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Ms. Marine
Posts: 4642
Location: Texas | cecollins0811 - 2017-08-05 11:31 AM
My friend made a great point when I asked her. She said to buy (or make) the poles at Christmas since I'll be starting out slow on my horse, might as well do it slow when the weather conditions are colder and there won't be any races. So I'll be going to the clinic and I'm so excited.
Side note; I'll never make a pole bending set with concrete. That was watching a small gymkhana a long time ago and they were using the concrete poles and a freak accident happened with one of the riders and her horse and the concrete part ended up hitting the horse's head. It just freaked me out too much to ever want to use those homemade concrete poles. But thanks everyone for the links!
How in the world did the base hit the horse in the head..?
ETA: When I made my poles, the poles themselves are hollow PVC pipe. The base is the coffee can with concrete in it.
Edited by BarrelRacing4Christ 2017-08-05 1:34 PM
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 Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | I'd get the pole bending set. A "real" pole bending set, like a Bob Blackwood set if they're still making them, will last forever. My Bob Blackwood set is at least 20 years old and we are still using it and loving it. And I agree with you about the safety. I haven't seen a homemade one hit a horse in the head but I have seen horses step on them and get cut. Not to say I wouldn't run around a set if that's all I had. I usually recommend people to make their own if they're just starting out and they don't know whether or not they'll like it. It's a lot cheaper.
Clinics go by in the blink of an eye. And honestly, I've learned more and got more attention from a training session with a good local trainer than I have from any of the clinics I have gone to. They were great because some of them were the "celebrity" riders I admire so much including a couple of NFR girls, and I would definitely go to them again. But if I had to pick one or the other, I'd get the pole bending set. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | SmokinBandits - 2017-08-06 9:12 AM I'd get the pole bending set. A "real" pole bending set, like a Bob Blackwood set if they're still making them, will last forever. My Bob Blackwood set is at least 20 years old and we are still using it and loving it. And I agree with you about the safety. I haven't seen a homemade one hit a horse in the head but I have seen horses step on them and get cut. Not to say I wouldn't run around a set if that's all I had. I usually recommend people to make their own if they're just starting out and they don't know whether or not they'll like it. It's a lot cheaper.
Clinics go by in the blink of an eye. And honestly, I've learned more and got more attention from a training session with a good local trainer than I have from any of the clinics I have gone to. They were great because some of them were the "celebrity" riders I admire so much including a couple of NFR girls, and I would definitely go to them again. But if I had to pick one or the other, I'd get the pole bending set.
My first pole bending set I had were homemade, they worked perfect untill I had saved up to buy my first set of bases from Martha Josey all I got were bases at the time and bought my own PVC poles and this was like 25 years ago are longer and my bases are still perfect and going strong and they are really getting some age on them.
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