Shine bright like a diamond

If you’ve never tried polework, you’re totally missing out! Whatever you love doing with your fave pony, adding polework to his exercise routine is a must because it will make him stronger, more supple and therefore better able to perform at his best.

Follow my tips and have a go at this cool layout in your next session!

Did you know?

Walking through each line first gives you the chance to show your pony where he’s going, ready for when you pick up the pace.

Top tip

If your pony is new to polework, why not create just one diamond to start with and have a go at some of the lines? It will help him get familiar with the idea of poles and will boost his confidence!

Set it up

You’ll need eight 3m poles for this layout. Create two diamonds so they’re touching and make sure there is a straight line between each of the points so it’s all even.

Line 1: Point to point

Focus on one diamond for the first line and try riding through the middle from point to point. You’ll need to stay really straight and accurate on your approach to encourage your pony to step over the point where the two poles meet, then maintain that line towards the other point – simple!

Line 2: On an angle

Riding over angled poles is really good for boosting your pony’s spatial awareness, so the key here is to remain focused on your line and avoid riding towards the poles at a 90º angle. You might find that your pony drifts or starts to turn to one side here and, if that’s the case, press with your leg on the same side he’s drifting to and support his shoulder by lifting your hand a little higher.

Top tip

Remember to give your pony a good warm-up session before you get going with the poles. His muscles need to be ready for action!

Discover more lines to try in Harlow’s diamond polework exercise in December PONY – out now!