POLE BENDING PRIMER

A trainer gives step-by-step advice on this exciting western sport.

- BRONWYN IRWIN

Pole bending is a great sport to try, whether you want to compete or just have fun! It improves your horsemanship skills and gives your horse a task to do.

Sometimes pole bending can seem complicated because there are so many poles to quickly maneuver around, but the most important advice is to keep it simple. The following are some tips to keep pole bending simple so that it doesn't feel as though you are ducking and diving through a forest of trees.

PARTS OF THE PATTERN

When training a horse for pole bending, one important concept is to maintain consistency. Basically, do the same thing in the same way so that your horse begins to build confidence in what he is doing.

There are certain points to hit on the pattern that will build you and your horse's confidence and help you to stay accurate as you get faster. The four main parts of the pole bending pattern are the run down, the end poles, the weave, and the run home.

When training your horse, start at the walk, then trot, and then progress to the canter over time. If you go too , you might end up hitting poles or losing control on the pattern, which can lead to bad habits in your horse.

As you become more advanced, you can adjust the distance you travel from the poles to better suit your horse, but remember to remain consistent.

THE RUN DOWN

On the run down, it's important to stay straight while moving parallel to the poles. I tend to stay about 4 to 6 feet away from the poles, depending on the horse I am riding. Some horses need a little more space to make the first turn.