Equestrian Event Training: Adding Pole Bending Speed

Video Transcript

"Okay, we have our horse and our rider prepared, and we're going to start adding speed to this event. We have done a lot of slower work in bringing this horse to a quiet introduction. I like to keep my horse and his snaffle without a lot of gear as we start to take him, so that he still can maintain this more quiet, relaxed attitude. We're not try to make it the fastest, we're just trying to make it correct as we increase the speed. He does a very nice job coming around those turns, and now he's going to bringing it on home where we can let him have the fun that these horses enjoy. A good horse in this event is going to like the opportunity to show off. So we'll bring him back through, and now we're going to take him back to the jog, and let him jog it. We always want to be sure that we're never asking too much of the horse too quickly. You can see, this horse likes to go fast, he's showing to be a very good individual to manage the challenge of these speed events. So now we're going to go ahead and- (you can ask him to just jog through it in a nice easy fashion, and then we'll do it one more time at the speed.) As we move him along and take him through his training process, yes I would start adding things, we can add a tie down, we can add a little bigger bit, maybe something of a gag variety, but right now I like him in his simple snaffle because this is his first introduction to the speed, and we don't need to clutter him up helping him to get more anxious, we're just going to let him figure it out in a slow pace. And then down the road we'll start adding the pieces to help him more focused, to get his body in a more correct position, because the speed is going to ultimately bring a little bit of chaos. There's not a very competitive horse in this arena of play day events, that doesn't also get just a little bit on the excitable side. So we let him jog through again, and then we'll bring him on down, and we'll show you again a nice example we hope, of how this horse will come together in his speed.(aAnd now Laura we'll go ahead and do one more time, and a pretty forward gallop but not necessarily all of the speed that he can give you; oh he's got a lot there, he's going to be good. Stay closer to your poles and then-) So she has to be careful, she needs to start out on a really good note where everything is organized. So here he comes through in a very good fashion; that was excellent, and a good turn, and now we bring him back through on the straightaway; Laura's doing a nice job at keeping it moving off of leg pressure, very little hand; as he makes this turn, she can bring him on home. And I bet you this horse can go on and be a very competitive pole bending horse. He exhibits the talent, the skill, and we've prepared him well."