Here’s a list of polework distances to help you lay out exercises at home.
As you can see, there is a bit of variety within each gait, and that is to allow for individual differences between our horses and ponies. You’ll need to play around a little bit to find the optimal distance for you and your steed!
General spacing tips
- Make your distances a bit longer rather than a bit shorter when you try the exercises for the first time.
- Check how your pony copes with the distances every time you ride and adjust accordingly.
- Remember that if you put jumps up in the place of poles, you are likely to need to increase the distances.
Horse distances:
Walk poles: 0.8 – 1m
Trot poles: 1.2 – 1.7m
Canter poles: 2.7 – 3.4m
Pony distances:
Walk poles: 0.7 – 0.9m
Trot poles: 1.1m – 1.4m
Canter poles: 2.3m – 2.8m
Please note that these are just general guidelines, and you must play around yourself until you feel the distances are right.
