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ically through his shoulders and hocks.All of these efforts are required of a dressage horse in large doses. Working withslightly raised poles (such as cavalletti setat their lowest height) requires greaterflexing of knees and hocks and morerounding through the horse%u2019s back.These exercises are particularly goodfor horses who tend to carry themselves%u201chollow,%u201d but they can also be valuable forhorses who are heavy on the forehand,since they must learn to pick up their feet(and by extension, their whole front ends)to clear the poles. It is important, however, not to introduce work with raisedpoles until your horse is very comfortablewith poles on the ground, can consistentlytrot down six or eight of them without extraordinary effort, and has establishedsome rhythm and balance with a rider up.He should also be fairly fit, since workover raised poles is strenuous. even then,sessions should be kept short so as to prevent muscle soreness, as well as sourness.Cavalletti at their lowest height should beadded gradually to a familiar exercise ofground poles, either on the straight or on thecurve of a circle or corner, one at a time, untilyou have reached a maximum of four raisedpoles. The first pole in the exercise shouldalways be a ground pole, so that if yourhorse stumbles or misjudges his distancecoming into the exercise, he will not fall flaton his face. (Making both the first and lastpoles ground poles ensures that you can usethe exercise in both directions.) The distancebetween poles should be approximately thesame as for ground poles (4 1/2 feet, or onehuman %u201cgiant%u201d step), but it is useful to havea ground person available when you try theexercise, to watch your horse and make distance adjustments as necessary.Ride these poles not in two-point position, but in posting trot, with a sympathetic, steady contact on both reins. Theidea is to encourage extra roundnessthrough the spine as the horse lifts overthe poles, so establishing that your horseis on the bit prior to the poles, and thenmaintaining that state through the poleswith steady contact and active legs, is key.Posting the trot allows your horse toround more fully through his back. (Ifyour horse is very weak-backed, youmight even stand in your stirrups, butmaintain an active leg to keep driving thehindquarters.)Some horses will have a tendency tostall out as they reach the poles; this is either indecision as to where to put theirfeet, or resistance to the extra work theyknow raised poles entail. Assertive driving forward with the legs is the cure - andmake sure you are not overdoing the exercise. Most horses enjoy trotting poles inmoderation, and a lot of reluctance mayindicate you have been a little overzealous.Once your horse is strong enough to dothis exercise on the bit and in a steadyrhythm, you can vary it in a number ofways. Place the poles and cavalletti in different areas of the ring - on a curve ratherthan on a straightaway, for example. Varythe number of poles you use. For a fit,mature horse who needs a challenge, turnthe cavalletti up to the half-way height(usually about one foot off the ground).Or vary the spacing so as to encourageshortening or lengthening of the stride. You can also use ground poles and cavalletti at the canter to encourage roundness and lightness of stride - an especiallygood exercise for a horse that tends tolapse into a four-beat canter, or is lazywith his hind end. Space the poles nineto ten feet apart (two human %u201cgiant%u201dsteps) and be prepared to sit lightly in thesaddle, since each effort over a raised polewill feel like a mini jump. A little bit of work over cavalletti willgo a long way towards keeping the mindof a dressage horse fresh, saving the legsof a jumper, and extending the enduranceof a course builder. The humble cavalletto has any number of applications, limited only by your imagination - so getcreative! o46 Arizona Horse Connection March, 2026Horses available sired by Metallics MVP, Dont Stopp Believin, Hickory Holly Time.Cow Horse, Cutting, Ropingand Barrel ProspectsPlease Give Us A Call!DUSTY A RANCH %u2022 Amado, AZB.K. Thwaits, D.V.M. Shelby Thwaits (520) 940-3573SANTORI RANCH%u2022 BOARDING %u2022 IRRIGATED PASTURES%u2022 LESSONS %u2022 HORSE CAMPS%u2022 ARENA RENTALTrainers on SiteSpecializing in lessons for all ages and abilities.Beginner to the show ring! Seasonedschool horses and leases available.955 W. Road 2 North Chino Valley, AZ(928) 848-3659 Santori-Ranch.com