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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 679
  
Location: KS | I have a mare who doesn't need any guidance when it comes to poles. I just can't seem to stay out of her way. What are some tips to gain confidence to just let her do her job? Any advice is helpful!
* You would think it would be the same with barrels, as she is the same way with them, but it's a whole different world to me!
Edited by ACowgirlsLastRun 2015-08-08 7:48 AM
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | It is not the same as barrels! No ques for lead change and it is a straight run. You miss poles by excelleration and lead change. take end poles a little wider |
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 A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | ACowgirlsLastRun - 2015-08-08 8:46 AM
I have a mare who doesn't need any guidance when it comes to poles. I just can't seem to stay out of her way. What are some tips to gain confidence to just let her do her job? Any advice is helpful!
* You would think it would be the same with barrels, as she is the same way with them, but it's a whole different world to me!
Go to the horn for the end poles. Give plenty of slack in the reins for the weaving. Just squeeze with your legs to help guide her through.
Mine doesn't need much guidance either. I just send him down the pen, sit & drop when he needs to rate and let him go in & turn that first end pole like he always does. I leave plenty of slack in the reins to let him weave, just guiding with my hands and bumping with my legs. He had a bad habit of ducking the next to last pole at the end so I hold him off that, pick him up for the turn, drop, and 'hey', while bumping with my inside leg. When he comes back around I pick back up and just guide the rest of the way.
Now the very last top end pole is the one we will take down if any. So I really concentrate on getting my leg on him, picking him up, pushing him past it, and getting myself the heck out of the way then hanging on while he takes off on the way home.
My little cow pony LOVES the poles. He could care less about barrels but he sees poles and he's a fire breathing dragon. It's like a roller coaster!! Just trust the horse. The first time you really let them take the lead and you have an awesome run, it will be MUCH easier to give that trust away and let them have more room.
Trial and error more than anything. I am still working on giving him the slack and room he needs to really fire on poles. |
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 To the Left
Posts: 1865
Location: Florida | Ride with your legs except for the end poles. Just move your leg away from each pole, sit up straight, and then sit down deep on the ends. |
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | ACowgirlsLastRun - 2015-08-08 7:46 AM I have a mare who doesn't need any guidance when it comes to poles. I just can't seem to stay out of her way. What are some tips to gain confidence to just let her do her job? Any advice is helpful! * You would think it would be the same with barrels, as she is the same way with them, but it's a whole different world to me!
Go find anything you can by Ross Carnahan. He is the undisputed King of pole bending. Not only riding them but training pole horses and training pole horse riders. There is simply no one better.
He has a book out. He also had a video. Surely it's on DVD by now? Ross used to do some clinics. I don't know if he still does? If he does, attend one.
And to boot, there's not a finer person in the horse business. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Mine is pretty automatic in the poles and I found the less I tried to ride, the better he did. I just tucked my butt and sat down throughout the weave and rose two handed with my hands forward and he did the rest. Before I'd try to be up and over but try just sitting down and being "one" with the horse. |
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 A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
Location: Southern Oregon | Biggest changes I made to stay out of my automatic pole horses ways was to sit in the middle, longer reins then what I run barrels in and to make sure I just looked at my end poles oh and BREATHE!!! |
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Veteran
Posts: 276
| Keep your elbows locked into your ribcage while weaving. Hands down only an inch or two from your horses neck. Use your feet for the rest. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | For me I had such a habit of picking I had to go one handed. I still tried to guide him but with just the one hand I was out of his face alot more. and If we had an oh crap moment it really forces you to use those legs to get him over verses all hand. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 679
Location: KS | Thank you for all the tips! |
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