What does this horse term mean?

Question

I've heard the term bending at the poll(s), what does this mean?

Answer 1

The poll is the very top of the horse's head right between the ears. Bending the poll is simply asking the horse bring his nose in, or down. With certain types of riding, you don't want your horse sticking his nose way out in the air. There is a lot more to it but, basically, bending the poll gives you a smoother and more "collected" horse posture.

Answer 2

Bending at the Poll- Bending is a term to describe the range of motion and resistance in the muscles of the horse. Bending your horse is an easy exercise with huge benefits that you begin to see almost instantly. Bending is one of those things that you could do every day for an hour with your horse and you would never overdo it. There are entire books written on this subject. To get a horse that is soft, supple, and carries itself with collection the horse needs to bend correctly. When you pull on a horse's mouth/nose from a standstill, you expect him to bend his nose into his chest (flexing the point where his neck meets his skull) and 'give' his mouth to you and make the reins loose without you moving your hands or fighting with him. You can also make him do this to the left and to the right (flexing at the poll for us would be like, ok first level your chin and look strait ahead, then pretend someone just pulled on each corner of your mouth, to be respectful and avoid being touched in your mouth, dip your head so your chin rests on your chest. You can feel the pull on your neck right where your neck and skull meet. that is bending at the poll)

Answer 3

Bend at the poll (the atlas joint that connects the last vertebrae to the skull) it means to beand his head and his hindend inwards and for him to be balanced at the same time...

Answer 4

Used in horse jumping, if they touch the polls, but do not knock them down, they sometimes bend them. Basically just refering to how close they are to the polls.