Once poles become fences, rhythm, balance and accuracy become even more important. These exercises are designed to help you think about the line before and after a fence, rather than treating the jump itself as the whole exercise.
You’ll find layouts for practising turns, related lines, adjustability, landing leads and changes of canter lead, as well as exercises that begin to introduce more technical questions. The emphasis throughout is on keeping the approach organised and giving your horse enough time to understand what is being asked.
Build the exercises gradually and keep the fences appropriate for your horse’s experience. A smooth, balanced line ridden in a good rhythm is far more valuable than making a turn tighter or a fence bigger.
Setting up your poles?
Pole and gridwork distances should always be adjusted to suit the horse and the exercise. See our Pole & Gridwork Distance Guide for suggested starting measurements and advice on adjusting them for your horse.
THE ZIG-ZAG
Set the poles in a zig-zag, creating clear angles at each end. On the flat, this tests careful footwork, straightness and your ability to keep an even line between the poles. Check the centre-to-centre distance first; as a guide, collected trot may suit around 1.1 m (3 ft 6 in) and extended trot around 1.5 m (5 ft), adjusted for your horse.
For jumping exercises, ride each pole or fence as an individual question from a turn. It is a super way to develop your eye, improve adjustability and practise a tidy line on the approach. You can also use the shape to rehearse changes of lead over a fence. Keep the turns fair and the angles suitable for your horse’s experience.
THE OFF-SET THREE
Set the three jumps or poles as shown, with each related distance allowing approximately two to four strides. This is a useful test of control, straightness and accuracy. Ride the first element without chasing, stay centred through the line, and let your horse maintain an even rhythm between the questions.
THE JUMP-OFF TURN
This easy set-up is perfect for practising course riding, rhythm and those efficient jump-off turns. Think ahead, establish the canter before the turn and stay balanced over the fence. A smooth line will always be quicker—and kinder—than a tight, hurried one.
THE FLYING CHANGES
This layout is useful for introducing and refining changes of canter lead. Ride it first in walk and trot to learn the lines, then in canter when your horse is balanced. It can support both simple changes and, for established horses, flying changes. Prioritise straightness and a calm, quality canter over making the change happen quickly.
THE FIGURE-8 BOUNCE
Add a little gymnastics to your schooling with this figure-of-eight bounce. It is a useful way to practise changes of bend and changes of canter lead over a fence. Build up gradually, keep the approach calm and only use the exercise when your horse is comfortable with bounce work.
THE LANDING LEAD TEST
This exercise is made for checking landing leads, while keeping your horse attentive after a fence. Ride away from the jump in balance, assess the lead, and use a clear line or turn to confirm it. Varying the route helps prevent your horse from rushing away or predicting what comes next.
Want to keep these exercises handy?
Download the complete NEIGHKED Pole Exercises Guide with all five exercise sections, layout diagrams and pole & gridwork distance guidance — ideal for saving to your phone or taking to the yard.