# Correct spacing for canter and trotting poles



## horse.love92 (15 March 2013)

Please can someone tell me the correct spacing for trotting poles and canter poles . Basically the striding when you walk it with your feet (hope this makes sense) . Thanks


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## KatB (15 March 2013)

Providing you can stride a yard, 3.5yards for canter poles and 1.5yards for trot poles


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## blood_magik (15 March 2013)

canter poles (12ft) is four of your paces.
I do between two and three for trot poles depending on the horse


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## eatmoremincepies (15 March 2013)

I would say canter poles 9ft (approx 3 of your steps) and trot poles 4 1/2 feet.

(12ft is more a non-jumping canter stride in a combination/related distance, ie a forward medium-ish canter, rather than a working canter in for grids & poles in the school.)

HOWEVER this is only a rough guide and you need to adjust to your own horse's stride (at least initially, to build confidence).

I was taught the "3-2-1" method: set out 3-5 poles at approx 9ft apart (3 human steps), then walk horse over them - at walk there should be 3 footfalls between each pole (only counting front feet here).   If it feels too long/short then adjust.  Then trot - there should now be 2 front footfalls between the poles, nice and regular.  Hopefully won't need adjusting if you got it right in walk, but might do if horse wasn't quite awake at that point . . .

The poles should now be perfect for 1 canter stride as well - hence 3-2-1.

Then you have "9ft"/canter poles set up for your horse's length of stride/stage of schooling, and you can walk trot or canter over them safely.  If you want trot poles just add a pole mid way between, but remember you can only trot over trot poles, not walk or canter.

Once you have the right distances and it's riding smoothly, it's a good idea to measure the distance using your feet heel-to-toe (more precise than human 3ft steps - though not as cool - and not recommended for related distances or competitions  ).  

Then next time you set out poles you can start off at "8 of my feet" or whatever, and know that it's approximately right.  Then adjust using the 3-2-1.  Also helps you measure how the horse's stride lengthens as his schooling improves, if in a month's time you find it's now "10 of my feet" between the poles.

Hope that helps, I found it revolutionary when I was taught that!  Makes life so much easier when one doesn't have "staff".


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## showpony (15 March 2013)

5 heel to toe steps for trot poles and 10 for canter poles. Not the usual way lol but works for me


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## MandyMoo (15 March 2013)

showpony said:



			5 heel to toe steps for trot poles and 10 for canter poles. Not the usual way lol but works for me
		
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haha I do the 5 ''fairy steps'' for trotting poles too   for canter I use 3.5 of my strides (my strides are a yard)


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## showpony (15 March 2013)

Lol, my steps aren't even so have to do it that way!


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## Sol (15 March 2013)

showpony said:



			5 heel to toe steps for trot poles and 10 for canter poles. Not the usual way lol but works for me
		
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I do this too


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## Daytona (15 March 2013)

I put canter at 3.5 of mine , but my lad does have a big canter


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