[BugZapper89]

A good trainer and a lot of slow work. It takes me about a year to have a decent one and that is after they are 100 broke. Many better barrel
Horses do not make good pole horses. Normally my lower level barrel horses 2D or slower make the better pole horse. I like a short backed handy one for poles, for barrels I can give a bit as long as they can get under themselves and are quick I can ride the rest

 

[beau159]

I second the "work with a trainer" suggestion by Bug. You'll get the most bang for your buck, learning from someone who already knows the ropes.

This video can help get you started.

In pole bending, you are NOT making turns as you weave. You actually want the horse's body to stay fairly straight. Think of the horse's body moving over laterally, in-between the poles.

Your horse definately needs to be really solid on leg cues to work the poles. Just like you never want to pull your horse's nose away from a barrel, you never want to pull their nose away from a pole. Use your legs, legs, legs!

The end poles are also turned more like a rollback, and not so much like a barrel. So the approach you take for those will be a little different.

 

[SorrelHorse]

The boyfriend and I hit a little argument in this one. lol. HIs training style has produced a 19 second pole horse, but mine has produced some faster barrel horses. The difference? As Beau was stating, the pole horses run stiffer. It keeps them straight and efficient. Barrel horses take more bend to get them around.

I definitely would get a trainer. It is hard to learn about these things from the internet.