21/11/2021
Using pole work as part of a rehabilitation programme is often recommended by physios and may be part of your routine, but why?
Looking at the picture and using what literature is available, lets look at the benefits of just walking over a series of poles.
Bri’s posture changes completely between the two pictures; she has to clearly increase flexion of her limb joints in order to clear the poles. But did you know, this increase of joint range of motion has been measured in every limb joint, including the shoulder and hip (Murrary et al., 2020). This is particularly useful if your horse has arthritis or ’stiff’ joints, as the increased range of motion occurring aids joint mobility.
You can also see the ‘lift’ through her back when travelling over the poles. The change in her head and neck posture combined with the muscles in her back and abdominals engaging whilst walking over the poles results in thoracolumbar back flexion. The space between the dorsal spinous processes in the spine increases when the back is flexed in comparison to when it is hollow. In cases of kissing spine or general weak top line, pole work is crucial as the back muscles are being strengthened during this exercise, resulting in a stronger, healthier back (Shaw, Ursini, Levine, Richards & Adair, 2021). Over time, top line will improve as muscle mass increases in the back and spinal posture improves.
Walking over poles will also trains a horses gymnastic ability. It has been shown to result in increases in stride length (de Oliveria et al., 2015). Ideal for any horses involved in work that tests their performance such as jumping.
Lastly, the poles are a proprioceptive challenge as Bri is using her visuomotor coordination to elevate her hooves over the poles. Not only is this exercise crucial for everyday actives ie not tripping / jumping safely, but it also can be used in the rehab of neurological cases (Brown, Stubbs, Kaiser, Lavagnino & Clayton, 2015).
As we can see, just walking over poles has a huge range of benefits! Pole work is a useful addition to your horses exercise regimes, and for rehabilitation of injuries. I always recommend in hand poles initially to allow your horse to work without the weight of a rider, and to work independently. Your physio may recommend trotting poles, raised poles and different pole layouts as part of a progressive therapeutic exercise programme for your horse. As always, consult your physio to see what is appropriate for your horse at this stage.
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References
Brown, S., Stubbs, N., Kaiser, L., Lavagnino, M., & Clayton, H. (2015). Swing phase kinematics of horses trotting over poles. Equine Veterinary Journal, 47(1), 107-112. doi: 10.1111/evj.12253
Murrary, R., Walker, V., Guire, R., Spear, J., Newton, R., & Tranquille, C. (2020). Effect of walking over ground poles and raised poles compared to no poles on limb and back kinematics in horses with different postures. Equine Veterinary Journal, 52(S54), 9-10. doi: 10.1111/evj.10_13365
de Oliveira, K., Soutello, R. V., da Fonseca, R., Costa, C., Paulo, R. D. L., Fachiolli, D. F., & Clayton, H. M. (2015). Gymnastic training and dynamic mobilization exercises improve stride quality and increase epaxial muscle size in therapy horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 35(11-12), 888-893.
Shaw, K., Ursini, T., Levine, D., Richards, J., & Adair, S. (2021). The Effect of Ground Poles and Elastic Resistance Bands on Longissimus Dorsi and Re**us Abdominus Muscle Activity During Equine Walk and Trot. Journal Of Equine Veterinary Science, 107, 103772. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103772
