Cowboy Dressage Challenge Court.

Ground Pole stretches
If the horse is reluctant to stretch forward in the walk, placing poles on the ground can be helpful. Ground Pole work also helps to keep your schooling sessions varied, encourages concentration, and makes the horse think.

Place 4 poles on the quarter line ground in a straight line 3ft apart. Walk your horse in working frame looking to the middle of the first pole. About 6 feet before the first pole, lower your hands, length the rein to a free walk frame and RIDE RIDE RIDE RIDE every step. Stop a few strides later and reward the horse
Over-track is the distance that the horse’s hind foot steps beyond his front foot. Some horses naturally have a limited stride length, but you can improve the amount of over-track that your horse has by using the technique described above.

            

  For the horse to be able to lengthen his strides to the max, you need to make him supple through his back. When the horse walks, his rib cage swings from side to side each time he takes a stride. To maximize the stride length, allow a little bit of energy to bounce from your hip down into your heel on the side that is swinging away from you.
For example, when the horse’s left shoulder is the furthest back, his left hind leg pushes off, and his rib cage swings to the right at the same moment. So, as you feel the horse’s left shoulder coming back, bounce some energy into your left heel, and in the next stride, allow your other leg to “step down” (Wight the stirrup).

Susan and Zeta over the poles