We’ve returned to the discipline spotlight series! I first tried out pole bending (also called poles) at the trot a couple years ago when my mare was being trained for barrel racing. The trainer suggested that I try out poles while I was there to ride my mare, and I did, and it was fun! This year, I plan to compete in poles. Now, to get into it.
What is it?
In this discipline, there is a line of six poles that are typically six feet high, set up twenty-one feet apart. They have slightly weighted bases so they don’t just fall over, but it’s still easy to knock them down. First, you gallop (or whatever speed you’re comfortable with) down to the end, starting on whichever side you want. You turn around the end pole and weave through them, usually changing leads between poles. You turn again at the other end pole and weave back through, then turn again and gallop back down to where you entered. Then, your time stops! It’s a timed event, so speed is key, but like barrel racing, the placing is separated into divisions (1D, 2D, 3D, and so on, usually in a 4D format), so if you’re inexperienced and don’t go as fast, you could still win something, like the 4D. Each division winner is a certain amount of time behind the winner of the division above it (for instance, the winner of the 2D is a certain amount of time behind the winner of the 1D, and everyone between them falls into the 1D).
What do you need?
For this sport, you need yourself, western tack, and a horse that goes where you ask when you ask! It’s also helpful to have poles to practice with, but you could substitute in anything that stands upright as long as you have the proper distance between each object. If you want to know your time, you’ll also need a friend or family member to time you.
As usual, let me know if you’ve done poles before and what you want to see next! Thanks for reading.