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 2008

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 our own techniques and experience, and acknowledge what we have learned from our close association with Wayne Sandberg. Wayne Sandberg literally wrote the book on pole bending. 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.

Then I found Wayne Sandberg's book, Nineteen Second Pole Bending. I was impressed with his detailed analysis of the event and I contacted him and made arrangements to meet. Over the years I've made several trips to California and Arizona to take advantage of his coaching, and Wayne has been to Washington for extended visits with us. The knowledge I've gleaned from his writings and his careful one-on-one coaching have helped me 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.

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 are ways to present the details and techniques to students in such a way 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.

Ken and Nicky win the Open Poles, Moses Lake, WA - 2008

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.

DATE	LOCATION	EMAIL ADDRESS:	PHONE NUMBER
Feb 29 - Mar 2, 2008 (Fri-Sun)	Bozeman, MT		406-579-3570
Mar 29-30, 2008 (Sat-Sun)	Spearfish, SD		605-269-2048
Apr 5-6, 2008 (Sat-Sun)	La Grande, OR		541-962-5197
Apr 22-23, 2008 (Tues-Wed)	Corvallis, MT		406-363-8983
Apr 26-27, 2008 (Sat-Sun)	Ocala, FL		352-237-3588
May 30 - June1, 2008 (Fri-Sun)	Bend, OR		541-410-7472
June 5-6, 2008 (Thu-Fri)	Fountain, CO	Peggy Price and Mary Carson
June 26-27, 2008 (Thu-Fri)	Medford, OR		541-821-5818
September 9, 2008 (Tue)	Gillette, WY		307-686-3032
DATE	LOCATION	EMAIL ADDRESS:	PHONE NUMBER
Mar 6-8, 2009 (Fri-Sun)	Bozeman, MT		406-579-3570
June 25-26, 2009 (Thu-Fri)	Medford, OR		541-821-5818

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

... 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.

Dear Ken, I attended one of your great clinics in Alpine, WY last spring with my daughter's gelding. I got so much out of it! Your techniques and training philosophy really open up the possibilities for horses. Thank You!

Hi Ken ... we really had a great time with you and we all agreed that what we appreciated the most was your ability to use sound and simple horsemanship principles to teach a very complicated speed event. We've all been referring to the handouts you left behind and to Wayne Sandberg's book. I am trying to get quieter and the other day my mare actually started to collect up before the turns. I am trying to think about pushing ahead and staying with her through the turns just like you said. And, we're doing lots of flexing... I hope we'll see you again, soon.

Ken and Pat Smith
Sunrise West Quarter Horses, LLC
2240 4th Avenue
Clarkston, Washington 99403
509-758-9426

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.