[ACinATX]

I'd like to revisit this, because (1) all the books I've been reading lately that talk about ground poles and cavalelletis show round poles and (2) most of what we have at my barn is round poles. I don't really want to have to make my own.

But I feel like a lot of people here are super adamant that round ground poles are absolutely not acceptable because if the horse steps on them the pole could role and the horse's leg could slide out. Is that really that common? I have a hard time believing so many people use round ground poles if they are really that bad.

So I'm opening this up for discussion but also creating a poll for ease of response.

 

[updownrider]

Are they round or octagonal?

 

[ACinATX]

Are they round or octagonal?

they look round to me

 

[ksbowman]

Mine are all round as I use tree trunks laid out in my obstacle course.

 

[ACinATX]

Mine are all round as I use tree trunks laid out in my obstacle course.

But if they are tree trunks, they probably aren't perfectly round and they probably have bark that would help them not slide?

 

[updownrider]

Can you link the previous thread here?

 

[beau159]

I'd like to revisit this, because (1) all the books I've been reading lately that talk about ground poles and cavalelletis show round poles and (2) most of what we have at my barn is round poles. I don't really want to have to make my own.

But I feel like a lot of people here are super adamant that round ground poles are absolutely not acceptable because if the horse steps on them the pole could role and the horse's leg could slide out. Is that really that common? I have a hard time believing so many people use round ground poles if they are really that bad.

So I'm opening this up for discussion but also creating a poll for ease of response.

I really don't think it matters.

With my logs I have at home for practice (ground poles, jumps, etc) are the 8-foot landscaping timbers, so they have a flat spot on each side. I do like them better to prevent them from rolling.

However, I also show AQHA. And usually there, they have the round poles. Especially for the AQHA trail classes, there are a lot of poles on the ground. They do have the dirt heaped up beside them to keep them in place, but they are going to move if a horse steps on them hard enough.

Ranch horse usually uses "real" logs which aren't perfectly round and therefore do not actually roll much when stepped on.

 

[QtrBel]

Safest is not to have something that rolls. Hexagonal. If I have used round I used wood as it's safer that pvc and it is pinned to the ground so it doesn't move.

 

[ClearDonkey]

I have round poles. The benefit is that they sit in jump cups super well, and come out when a horse hits them. I found that landscape timbers get a little stuck in the jump cups and can hang up the horses a bit.

The downside of the round poles that I've found is that when a horse hits them as ground poles, they role much further than a landscape timber would. I try to nestle them into the footing to help mitigate this, but I'm going to eventually get some landscape timbers as I prefer them as ground poles.

 

[QtrBel]

Can you link the previous thread here?

This one perhaps Round ground poles?

 

[ksbowman]

@ACinATX , Yeah, the bark does keep them from sliding I supposed. I've never dinged them enough to test that theory. I know the best part is They are cut 12' long here on our place so they don't cost me anything. I have 6-7 in a row and about 12' apart so I can side pass between them. take a couple steps forward and side pass back the other way. Then I use them like pole bending and finish up going across the center. You can walk or trot and step over or lope and jump them. I also ride thru the bale ring and come back over the PVC step or jump. There are also orange pilons and a wooden ground bridge that are out of sight of this picture. Poor man's obstacle course.

 

[Knave]

I use round lodge poles. Yes, I don’t like that they roll, but that’s just the way it is. I’d like to think most of my horses will keep their legs under them, but it is a possibility that they will fall. I think I’ve had a couple of minor falls over it, nothing to really write home about, but because they roll so easy I keep horses at a walk or a trot unless it’s set up as a jump.

 

[Knave]

On a side note, whoever wrote about using dirt to stabilize them is brilliant! Lol. So simple and something I’ve never considered.

 

[updownrider]

This one perhaps Round ground poles?

I don’t see objections to round poles.

 

[SteadyOn]

A lot of the ones where I currently board are round, but the footing is sand so they don't really roll, even when they get knocked. On different footing they might be a concern, though.

 

[QtrBel]

I don’t see objections to round poles.

They'll roll even in sand. Not as bad as on other footing. Horse steps right or in this case wrong the pole rolls with the foot and stumbling, falling, injury can occur. There's no problem until you're on the horse that goes down with it. Then it's a problem and not something you'll chance again.

 

[Acadianartist]

I've never heard this. All poles are round here. I feel like the octagonal ones would roll too - the sides are somewhat rounded and a horse is heavy so they could easily shift downward. If a horse steps on a pole, there is still a twisting action regardless of whether it is round or slightly less round. Horses can trip on them just as easily as they can on round poles. Heck, my horse can trip on sand without poles!

Honestly, I've never seen or heard of a horse injured by a round pole. That has never even entered my mind. I would never use PVC because they aren't heavy enough so they do move easily and can split, and all the rings here are sand so maybe that helps.

 

[QtrBel]

Yes, stepping on anything can cause a twist injury. There is enough flat on a octagonal they aren't likely to roll. I've not had issues on a variety of surfaces. The poles though are heavy enough that between weight and flat not even thd draft crosses move them. With round there have been. Even in sand. It's up to each to evaluate their situation based on their surface and experience. Rounds are a lot cheaper until you have a vet bill. But just like with fences a horse can get hurt in so many ways.

 

[horselovinguy]

So, been reading quietly now my comment....
My take on this is....
* It is unsafe and dangerous to use PVC as any part of ground rails, jump poles or fencing for that matter when it deals with horses... There is a specific PVC used for horse fencing that not break into sharp shards....not what you find in any local home improvement store.
The force a horse puts on a piece of plastic is incredible PSI and you are inviting a disaster to save a few pennies of money, in reality you will probably spend tenfold if a injury occurs.
PVC is very light and blow in slight breeze so if you placed, you need to realign, and check spacing it is accurate and not shifted...a slight tick is going to send the rail moving and yes, it can really twist a animals body "wrong" doing damage if contact is made.

• Particular trees are grown and harvested to make poles/rails and they meet a certain standard of diameter size {3.5"} and not less than 8' long and as much as 12' is what I have encountered in my experience. Wood rails used made from intended grown/harvested trees are not light and flimsy...you know it when you start moving them around.
• Landscaping timbers can work and do work if you want to make your own, but they require some work on your part so they look the part and last a decent amount of time. The timbers I refer to are often found in home improvement stores and are the longer ones, again anything under 8' in length to me are to short to use.

* If using landscape timbers you need to do some prep work to make them last and be seen best by your moving horse....
Purchase KILZ Primer, water-based caulking and paint the colors you want those rails to be....[standard color is white for visibility the horse sees] and lesser amounts of contrasting colors, painters tape and you need a tape measure.
Clean all rough edges gone, caulk all cracks gone on each timber piece all the way around it...let that dry well.
Now prime and allow to dry...now paint several coats allowing drying time between coats...more coats less thick also sticks better.
Now if you want contrasting stripes, tape off evenly spaced from the end, the width of the stripe and make sure you tape it completely around... Design if you just want end striped or end and center or a combination and understand what having those stripes located are truly the guide for...
Paint the stripes, allow more drying time than carefully remove the tape so neat, crisp & clean lines appear...
Make sure you also paint the ends to seal out excess moisture since these will be sitting on the ground in all kinds of weather...
You now have a selection of rails you just made in colors of your choice to use....when they get a beat "ratty" or beat up looking, get out the paint party and spruce them up.

Below are rails, from finished and stripe designs of what your imagination can create, to the plain...
Do notice how the contrast is seen in certain arena/footing conditions...it makes a difference.

Well, that is what we did and still do today.
Rails can be round or not, need to be longer not shorter since you will be going over/across them and need to see/view them as does the horse approaching.
There is a difference in appearance of landscaping timbers and actual round rails intended for equestrian use and of course the cost is your to decide on and use you wish.

Please skip the PVC for your horses benefit and less chance of serious mishap as PVC splinters easily when exposed to sunlight and hoof-strike far to easy. A gentle tick of a PVC pole often sends it flying catching the horse as it travels and then you got injuries, often unseated riders and bronc horses as a result.
🐴.... jmo..

 

[Horsef]

I’ve never heard that and I’ve never seen anything but round poles. I’ve also never seen a ground pole actually roll because a horse hit it. They might move with enough force but I’ve never seen them roll. Maybe our wood is much heavier than what you guys have. Those things are very heavy to lift. I can lift one by myself but just barely and it usually takes two people to carry them comfortably, especially in an all-female yard.