Poll Bending Info

I have a 13 year old quarter horse gelding, and i'm thinking of doing poll bending with him, but I heard from a friend that it was good for their backs as well? Is that true and if so how?

I do really want to start this it looks so wicked in videos and at fairs. So I thought what the heck.. But heres the thing how many pole are used? And feels free to give more information for some extra help :)

Poles, not polls. There are six of them, spaced 21 feet apart.


No, there is no benefit for the horse's back. If anything else, like all athletic events, it can lead to soundness issues if overdone or pushed too hard.

Ohhh okay, what is soundness issues?

Arthritis. Soft tissue tear. Back problems. Navicular. Ambiguous lameness.

Oh, I didn't know some of this could cause so much, but you are doing the actual pole bending, does the horse feel any pain? Do you know? Our do they just not notice it and just have fun?

I love doing barrels and poles and my friend has been doing it forever and her pole horse is 19 and before she used him her mom did and he's been doing this stuff for 14 yearsish. I've done a little pateren and he loves it he's really good also and he just gets hyper when he sees poles. Make sure your gear fits them though

Bending and circles are good for conditioning back muscles

It also makes them more flexable.

Pole bending is no different than any other equine sport. If you ride a horse hard, it's going to cause issues down the road, almost certainly. If you whip and jerk and spur, your horse isn't going to much like you. Use common sense, ride smart, and have fun.

Was that video that you posted bubba13 called "pushing him to hard"?