Exercise on 3 Ground Poles Spaced ~16m Apart 🔥

Working over ground poles is an essential exercise for developing jumping technique and precision in your horses. Mathilde Montginoux, show jumping rider at Écurie Livio, shares a simple yet effective exercise based on three poles spaced approximately 16 metres apart, to work on straightness, canter elasticity, and consistency on the approaches 🔥

When ridden well, this exercise helps the rider master the rhythm and canter, while improving the horse's precision and responsiveness 💪

Exercise objectives:

• Develop the elasticity of the canter.

• Improve the horse's straightness.

• Enable the rider to adjust the canter while staying disciplined.

• Strengthen precision and consistency on the approaches.

💡 Tip: Treat the ground poles as real fences. Don't just ride over them — ride your approach as if you were jumping. Also make sure to maintain your horse's canter lead (e.g. enter on the left lead = exit on the left lead) 😉

Step 1: 4 strides – 4 strides

• Enter with a forward, active canter.

• Goal: 4 consistent strides between each pole.

• Repeat several times on the left rein, then on the right rein.

🎯 Goal: Improve straightness and maintain a steady, consistent canter.

Step 2: 5 strides – 5 strides

• Establish a more collected canter.

• Maintain straightness and precision on the approaches.

• The adjustment must come from the working canter: no break in rhythm, no hesitation on the approaches.

🎯 Goal: Ability to collect without losing the line or the balance.

Step 3: Stride variations

• Examples of stride contracts:

  • 4 strides → 5 strides

  • 5 strides → 4 strides

• How to do it?:

  • To ride 5 strides, act early at the entry and collect progressively.

  • To ride 4 strides, the last stride before the preceding pole must be more forward in order to prepare the next line.

🎯 Goal: Adjust the canter at the right moment, anticipate, and feel the last stride before each pole.

Advanced level: more technical variations

For well-schooled horses, you can increase the difficulty:

• Examples: 6 → 4, 4 → 6

• The more the stride contracts vary, the more discipline is required on:

  • The quality of the canter at the entry

  • Straightness

  • Preparation of all three approaches

🎯 Goal: Work on finesse, responsiveness, and optimal canter management.

👉 Key points to remember

• Absolute straightness: the horse must stay straight from start to finish ✨

• Repetition: it helps the horse better understand the stride contracts 😊

• Act early: adjustments must be made before the poles, never in a rush 🫣

• Adapt the difficulty: according to the horse's age, experience, and condition 😉

By incorporating this exercise into your sessions, you give your horse technical, progressive, and effective work, while developing your own canter control and precision on the approaches 🐴🔥