Cavaletti

[Kendra]

I have lots of poles, just wondering if anyone has the crosses to elevate them? I'd like to build some but don't have any idea of dimension and would appreciate any helpful hints anyone could give me!!

It's going to be too cold/snowy to drive soon, and while I don't have room to drive inside, I do have an indoor roundpen. My horse is just starting to use his hind end more and becoming more balanced in harness, I thought some cavaletti work might help him maintain some of his conditioning while I'm not able to drive him.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

My dad just built some from internet plans for me because the vet was emphatic that Kody needed to be doing pole work after his stifle surgery. They're a little weird, but they seem to work! LOL

I'll see about getting pictures and plans from him if you want them.

Leia

 

[Kendra]

Thanks Leia! If you could even point me in the direction of the sight he used, that'd be great!!

I could just block them up, but I thought a proper cavaletti would be handy!!

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

I built my own......

Take a 2x4 piece of wood about 4" long, drill a 2" hole close to the top on the 4" side so you can slide a piece of PVC through it. Attach that to a long piece of 2x4 that will lay flat on ground. Attach several of the "pole holders" to your 2x4. Hope this makes sense.

 

[Katiean]

can we see some pictures ? I didn't understand a thing.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I ran out tonight and snapped a shot of mine. They look a little chaotic because I rolled them so they were (I think!) set at three different heights. I still want the plain old crosses but these will do for now and are surprisingly functional.

My dad modified the plans to be lighter and easier to make since he figured a mini didn't need the same sturdiness as a big TB, but here is the website he worked from:

http://www.sscgb.org/Misc/Cavaletti.html

Leia

 

[Kendra]

I like the idea of three different heights!

Thanks Leia, I'll give it a shot, see if I have any dormant carpentry skills I didn't know about!!

 

[MiLo Minis]

Leia's are actually only at 2 different heights in the photos. If you turned one so that the cross piece was in the top of the X that would be the third height. Traditionally caveletti were made with the cross pieces of equal length on both ends - a perfect X and when you roll them they give you the 3 different heights. Take 2 equal lengths of 4 x 4 and cut a notch 2" x 4" halfway through the thickness of each in the exact middle so that you can slide them into each other forming an X. Take your 4 x 4 pole and nail it as you see in Leia's photo. Using 4 by 4's for the X you will get a ground pole, an 8 to 10" height and an approximate 12" height. You can then stack the cavelletti on top of each other to create higher and/or wider jumps. I round off the sharp edges of the cross pole.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I kept trying to get my dad to make the perfect X version, but he put his Stubborn Goggles on and just couldn't see how that would work.

At least I got poles! We did construct them for lower heights as these were for walking exercises for a 33.5" mini and not for jumping but someday I'd like to build a regular set for all purpose use.

I can't see the Photobucket picture now that I'm at work but I think I had them at three different heights. Two of the heights are very very close but looking at it last night I remember thinking that the pole on the right was on the lowest setting while the one on the left had the pole on one of the two side settings which really is slightly higher. It's hard to tell as that was a flash photo in tall grass and even I can't tell how high off the ground they really were. I know they feel higher than they look there when I'm walking over them. Kody has to really stretch to make it over the top height without hopping.

Leia

 

[busyb]

For those of you that do pole work with your mini's, what distance do you set them apart for starting walk and trot work? I have used them for years for my full size horses, but setting for an 16.1hh horse is a lot different than setting for a 31" inch one.

I do like the "lighter" version and may have to look into having my husband build something like that for the little one.

Thanks

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Heh- I had the same problem as you did (coming from big horses) and I simply guessed! Basically I set up one pole and sent the horse over it at a walk, made a mental note of where his feet landed, then set up a second pole and kept adjusting as I repeatedly walked him over it and could see if it was too close or too far. Once I had the right distance I set a third pole at the same distance and tested it out. Now that I can eyeball a basic walk set I can make it tighter or wider pretty easily depending on how I want him working and I've done the same thing at a trot. How wide also depends on how high, of course. I don't make them very wide if I have them high as he's already stretching to get over them.

I imagine it will be different for each horse. Mine has pretty long legs for a little guy and I think his walk poles were between 14-16" wide. I haven't measured the trot as I just set that up for the first time last night. Mentally picture your big horse going over a set and scale it down to match your mini!

Leia