Videos and Advice

Know your striding: Part 10 - Arrowheads on the ground

How to...

11 August 2008 12:47

Striding out distances need never confuse you again – our guide shows you how to get the most from ground poles.

“Some riders like to place the poles in an inverted ‘v’ resting on the middle of the fence, but I don’t like this,” Carol says. “I don’t think it’s safe if the horse hits one of the poles, as the poles won’t knock down. A safer alternative is to place the poles on the ground.”

Use two poles and place them in an inverted ‘v ‘in front of the fence, with the centre of the fence where the two poles meet. The purpose of using the poles is to help you find the centre of the fence if your steering is poor, and to correct your horse if he tends to ‘hang’ towards one side of the fence. Another way is to place just one pole on the floor on the side your horse tends to duck or drift towards. This should encourage him to keep away from the pole, and to move towards the middle of the fence.

What to aim for:
A steady rhythmical canter with the take-off point exactly in the middle of the arrowhead.

Potential problems:
Refusing, not jumping straight.

Troubleshooting:
If you’ve done plenty of flatwork over poles, plus lots of jumping exercises, your horse should be confident enough not to stop. If you haven’t, don’t skip straight to this exercise as the sight of the ‘v’ on the ground could distract him and he may knock the fence. The rider must look up, not down! Give yourself plenty of space to approach the arrowhead, to establish a straight line down to it.