Pole Bending Clinics with Ken Smith
Why is it that pole bending is such a challenging event for riders and horses to learn? As with every equine activity, it's all about horsemanship! Pole bending is by far the most complex and challenging of the speed events, with ten lead changes and three turns, each separated by only a heartbeat of time. We call it precision dressage at speed. It's a high speed dance, with the rider leading, but so together that they appear as one.
Ken and Perky - Moses Lake WA
Pole Futurity Champions 2008 (click to enlarge)
The requirements for success are knowledge, athletic ability, skill, and desire. Realize that they all apply to both the rider and to the horse. Think of pole bending as a partnership. But it is up to the rider, as the leader, to ensure that all the requirements of both horse and rider have been met.
We attempt to address all of these requirements at our clinics. We use a proven teaching format that gets results: Hear it, See it, Feel it, Do it! Visualization is an important aspect of learning the mechanics of any sport. We start with knowledge. We explain the event in detail, using diagrams and action videos. A rider must understand what they are trying to do, and then the rider must become a trainer and show the horse.
The Origin of the Clinics
Ken Smith and Wayne Sandberg with Twist Kokomos Jet
We use a video and presentation format to initially introduce the technique, then drills are employed that specifically target the key aspects of the event.
When my wife Pat and I began breeding, raising and training horses specifically for barrel racing and pole bending, we planned that I would start the colts, and then Pat would be the one to finish them out and take them through the barrel futurity year. We have always been strong believers that poles are good for a barrel horse, but I began looking for ways for our pole work to become more than merely barrel horse preparation. I set out to improve our pole bending technique so that these well bred horses could excel at this event. I searched for information on pole bending and found very little available. There were a couple of videos, but they proved to be quite superficial.
Ken and Perky - Central Point OR
Pole Futurity Champions 2008 (click to enlarge)
Then I found Wayne Sandberg's book, Nineteen Second Pole Bending, and I was impressed with his detailed analysis of the event. We became friends, and the knowledge I gleaned from his writings and his coaching really helped me on my way as I've developed our young horses and introduced them to this event. I regularly use many of the drills that Wayne originated. Others I've developed on my own, resulting in a set of exercises, drills, and horse handling techniques that work for me, and I have successfully applied them to several horses that have developed into top performers. Over the years I have made many trips to locations all across the country to watch the toughest pole bending competitions and to exchange ideas and ride with many of the best riders and trainers in the game. I continue to compete, and you can see us and our horses in competitions throughout the western US.
The clinics evolved from my personal struggles to master this event. Let's face it: pole bending is a complex event and things happen fast! What is needed is a way to present the details and techniques to students so that they can quickly grasp the main points and be encouraged to work with their horses to perfect their technique. I've found a number of analogies and images that seem to help make it "click" for students. I have had great feedback from the clinics, and we have seen some real success stories from some of the students.
Click on any photo to view it enlarged. Then use your Browser 'Back' button to return to this page.
Sandy winning the Central Point Oregon Circuit Series 2008 |
Sandy's 2007 Pole Bending Futurity Championship Central Point, OR |
Sandy placing 2nd in the average at Gillette, WY - 2007 |
Nicky after winning the 2007 three-run Circuit Series at Central Point, Oregon |
Ashes On The Money WBRA Open Poles Champion 2006 |
Ashes wins three-run Circuit Series at Central Point, Oregon 2006 |
Sumbunnydunnickbar, 2006 WBRA Futurity Champion |
Ashes wins WBRA Futurity 2005 |
Cowgirl In The Money with Pat Smith, 2004 WBRA Futurity Champion |
Clinic Format
Horses don't need to be finished pole horses, but they need to be broke to the point of being able to position them and being able to move them left and right. We begin each phase of the clinic work at a walk or trot, emphasizing position, shape, and technique. I like to go through each phase with each student individually, until they "get it". If they and their horse are ready to lope or gallop, then we will click things up a notch for them. The format has been basically the same:
- Lecture and video
- Basic Speed Event Horsemanship
- Turns
- Bending
- The Run-Down and First Turn
- Putting it all together
The first session is a lecture and video review. I explain the method and the horsemanship behind the method. We watch videos of it being done right, and done wrong. Students are invited to bring their videos for review.
The second session is mounted, and we encourage the students to ride with a true snaffle, so long as they feel they can do that safely. We cover flexion, reins, and leg aids, as they relate to speed events. We cover rider positions - position-right, position-left, hand positions, leg positions, body position. We let the rider "feel" the positions and the aids working. Everything else builds on this.
For the remainder of the sessions we ask students to bridle up with whatever bit or hackamore they normally use. We'll watch the horses to see if the rig is effective.
The session on turns is related directly to the horsemanship we did earlier. It includes the anatomy of a turn where we teach the basics of the three-pivot turn (the Sandberg method), preparing the horse for the turn (the most neglected part of pole bending), rider position for the turn, applying basic horsemanship, properly finishing the turn, the importance of the "look with your body", and avoiding being "behind" the horse. During this session, it is common to be working at a trot into the turns, and then having a horse begin to gallop out. Why? Because it feels good to them! Everything is right and they feel like they can!
The bending session starts with anatomy of the bend, the zig-zag slalom pattern, application of position-left, position-right, working with the "crooked" horse - one that flexes on one side but not the other, foot-fall and timing, and the connection between the turns and the bending segments - why a successful bending segment is critically dependent upon the proper completion of the preceding turn.
There is a speed building exercise that is designed to boost the confidence of both horse and rider. The success of this exercise never fails to impress both students and observers.
We talk about the run-down and the importance of speed. The first turn is similar in many ways to the other turns, but we also point out the critical differences.
For those who want to try a run, we can now put it all together. We don't use a clock. We watch for smoothness and the application of the methods.
We have used this format with a two-day clinic using an early morning start on both Saturday and Sunday, and we have also used a Friday evening session and then all day Saturday. Fifteen (15) students is an absolute maximum number. More than that and we get too much waiting. I have done one where we had 24 students. They were all together on a Friday evening, and then we took half on Saturday and the other half on Sunday. We have had several successful clinics on weekdays! It is one way to avoid conflicts with rodeos and other contests.
Please note that we can provide a certificate of insurance that will satisfy the requirements of your facilities management.
I would encourage you to review the Pole Bending Help section.
Clinics Scheduled:
The cost per student is very reasonable. Please contact the clinic host for more information. Click on a name in red for email, or use the phone number.
Web Cast! The clinic at the Copper Spring Ranch in Bozeman, MT March 5-7 will be web cast.
This will be our first experience with this technology. More information is available here: Copper Spring Ranch Clinics (opens in a new window)
| DATES | LOCATION | EMAIL ADDRESS: | PHONE NUMBER |
| Mar. 5-7, 2010 (Fri-Sun) | Bozeman, MT Web Cast! |
406-579-3570 | |
| Mar 20-21, 2010 (Sat-Sun) | Peachland, BC Canada | 250-448-6245 | |
| April 10-11, 2010 (Sat-Sun) | Chadron, NE |
308-327-3173 (eve) | |
| May 7-9, 2010 (Fri-Sun) | Craig, CO |
970-824-4767 |
If you don't see a clinic scheduled near you, then it may be only because you or someone you know has not asked. Send me an email at the address below and I'll forward the details and costs associated with hosting a clinic.
Feedback Comments
Dear Ken,
Our daughter attended your clinic at Spearfish, South Dakota last year. She learned a lot as we did also. She took home what she learned and used it on
her good little quarter pony and had 20 second pole runs consistently all summer long. She was the state champion pole bender for the Jr. High in Nebraska,
and she finished fourth in the world in National Little Britches.
TS
Dear Ken,
We wanted to thank you for working with Sarah and helping her to achieve her goal of being the British Columbia High School Pole Bending Champion in her 2009 Rookie season.
Without a doubt, your coaching was so important to her year long success. The precise way that you analyzed both Sarah and her horse then helped both to make the necessary adjustments was in my opinion such a huge part of her meeting her goal for the 2009 season.
Sincerely, David & Leslie Wright
... we have been to the Wrangler Jr. High National Finals. Nationals had 38 States, 5 Canadian Provinces and
Australia represented. The top four kids from each State/Province could come in each event. H. has been working hard to institute your techniques in order to fix her end poles for the last month. The results were she became the State Champion Pole Bender and she became the Reserve National Pole Bending Champion. We appreciate your in-sights and depth of
knowledge that helped us take Pole Bending to the next level.
God Bless!
Dear Ken, Just wanted to tell you how much we got from attending your clinic in Spearfish. It was awsome. It was better than I imagined it could be. Pole bending is very detailed and I kept wondering how you could 'properly' teach it to the kids. You did a very good job, and your passion for the subject got everyone's attention. As an adult, I learned A LOT from watching the others receive your help. I know I can do better after learning your concepts.
Ken and Pat Smith
Sunrise West Quarter Horses, LLC
2240 4th Avenue
Clarkston, Washington 99403
509-780-9426
If you found this information via a search and you have not yet seen our Horsemanship and Pole Bending section, we would like to encourage you to take a look.
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