Thursday Video: You Say ‘Ground Pole,’ I Say…

…giant dog toy.

Light lunging over a ground pole can be a great way to engage the horse’s core muscles and develop some topline. The elevated step-over can also help strengthen weak stifles (which reminds me that it’s probably time to get out my poles for the winter since I won’t be riding up nearly as many hills…)

It can also, apparently, be a way to entertain one’s horse:

My favorite part of this video absolutely has to be how this horse goes from unenthusiastically plodding along to happy-trotting, waving his new giant dog toy around without a care in the world, totally ignoring his handler.

You do you, horse.

Go riding!