Poling (horse)

Poling or Rapping is the practice of hitting a horse on the legs as it goes over a jump, to make it think it hit the fence hard (due to the pain), so the animal will pick his legs up higher the next time. It is usually performed using a long bamboo stick, which is smacked on the cannon bones of the horse.

Poling is illegal under FEI rules, as well as under many national rules.^[1] Show jumpers and hunt seat competitors were the most common users of this technique, as a rail down is often a deciding factor in winning a class. However, the practice is rarely seen today.

In popular culture

Poling can be seen in a scene of the movie National Velvet, when Mi Taylor hits the Pie on the legs as Velvet rides him over an obstacle in a training session.

References

Footnotes