FEBRUARY 2026 THE RIDER /29


The Science of how Horses Think & Learn Crossing poles in stride.


By Lindsay Grice, Equestrian Canada coach and horse show judge.


Ground rails, trail pattern poles


or obstacle course logs. These low- lying obstacles are a regular feature in the equestrian experience. We walk, trot and canter over them in straight paths, serpentines, or pinwheels. As a schooling exercise or ele-


ment of competition, many riders find crossing ground rails more fun than flat work and less risky than jumping. There are more commonalities


than differences in pole crossing styles between riding disciplines. We’ll cover the shared essential ingredients for English and western riders in the bulk of the article. However, let’s start with some differences worth noting:


Western riders cross poles set at shorter distances and in quieter strid- ing, working toward patterns of poles in tighter formations. Competitors in trail, ranch trail, ranch riding and western riding classes navigate poles at the jog and lope. Precision is prized. As a judge, I’ve learned the assigned penalties for hitting poles, even for a slight tick in trail classes. Adding or subtracting a stride between the rails earns penalties, too. In walk-overs, two hooves in the same space or no hooves (skipping) a space costs a 1 point deduction. Moreover, style and consistency


is scored. The horse should cross each pole without a change in cadence or topline or even changing his pleasant expression.


English riders use ground rails as a training tool rather than an element in competition. Riding over poles on the


Many riders find crossing ground rails more fun than flat work and less risky than jumping.


ground is an excellent way to work on stride adjustability - for the horse and for the rider. Poles can encourage buoyancy in the stride, teaching your horse, by trial and error to rebalance and “define” his step. Ground rails can prepare horse and rider to answer the questions asked in jumper and equi- tation courses without actually jump- ing.


Regardless of your riding style,


the principles and the ingredients are the same in order to take poles in stride.


Pole crossing principles – two big ideas: 1. Master fundamentals before in- cluding poles. As a coach, I’m a fan of fundamentals. Don’t skip training steps. Nothing shakes a horse’s confi- dence like getting his feet tangled as he leaps over and lands on the rails. No wonder - for a prey animal, to have your feet trapped is big trouble. A good math teacher communi-


cates the basic concepts, rehearsing adding and subtracting before equa- tions and problem solving. As a rider, it’s your responsibility not to pose questions with poles your horse isn’t ready to answer. Trotting over a row of multiple


poles before a horse has the hang of crossing two is overwhelming. Mis- judge the spacing on the first two poles and by mid row, his legs are scrambling like Fred Flintstone’s feet, rushing to the end of the line. Loping over a pinwheel of four poles starts with consistently rating the


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stride between 2 poles and then 3 on a shallow curve, before a tackling the tighter


turns between pinwheel


spokes. Misjudge the distance to the first pole and it’s tricky to recover your rhythm and carry on without a big move. And big moves scare green horses. As with jumping, the three building blocks of successful rail crossing are stride adjustment, straightness and suppleness. Jumping is fun. Competitive trail


is fun. Fundamentals and flat work… less so. Perhaps being a fan of funda- mentals makes me a “less fun” coach at times, but having to exit the show ring because your horse got flustered over a trail course of poles for which he wasn’t prepared is not fun for you and not fair for your horse.


2. Slower is faster. A logical progression requires a


slower pace. Trot rails first, before loping or cantering. This is especially important for novice riders still devel- oping their balance and their “eye”. Rider error can incite horses to hurry through ground rails and trail obsta- cles.


As a younger ride, I assumed that


rushing in my horse was eagerness. Now, after studying equine behaviour, I know rushing is actually a horse’s automatic flight response, triggered by fear. With every mistake (and I’ve made my share of pilot errors!) horse’s confi- dence erodes and a his flight instinct takes over. Horses who’ve learned to distrust their riders’ judgement just


I love to include exercises with crossing poles in the clinics I teach


want to get it over with! Rushing will rattle a rider’s confidence, too.


To summarize the two big ideas above: You know you’re


ready to progress - adding poles, pace or more com- plex configurations - when


your horse is crossing one or two rails without changing rhythm or composure. Slow and steady is the best insur- ance policy. Next month we’ll talk


about a 3-point checklist on the approach to every obsta- cle. Do you have the tools available to set the approach


About Lindsay Grice.


“Is it me or my horse?” Horse show judge, coach and spe-


cialist in equine behavior, Lindsay Grice loves to help riders solve their “horse puzzles”, sharing keys from the science and research of how horses think and learn.


She coaches riders of all levels to


prepare for competition and mostly, to enjoy the process of riding, not just the results! Lindsay enjoys teaching clinics and


travelling to Ontario farms as a freelance coach. She’s taught the science of equine behav- ior and learning for horse associations, courses for University of Guelph and therapeutic riding facilities. Lindsay judges multiple disciplines


and make any needed ad- justments on that approach? • Straightness • Suppleness • Stride Adjustment. And bonus - next


month I’ll include 5 tips I’ve found helpful to cross poles in stride! Spring’s coming!


and breeds, holding judging certifications with • AQHA • Equestrian Canada • Extreme Cowboy And also judging: • Working Equitation • Hunter/Jumper • Mountain Trail • and some dressage. She loves to share her own insights


and stories learned from 25 years as a competitor and horse trainer. “Why do horses do what they do?” Lindsay says, “In the horse world,


our traditions and the evidence some- times collide. I love to communicate the WHYs behind the HOWs of riding. “Eq- uitation Science” – it makes life better for horses when we speak in a language they understand!”


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