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Just as the poll position is the top spot, the poll of a horse is the top spot of the horses skeleton while standing with its head raised. While mounted on a horse, place your hand in front of the saddle on the mane. Stretch forward, running your hand along the top of the horses neck until you feel the bony protuberance between the ears. This is the poll. The top strap of a bridle or halter rests just behind the poll on the horses neck.

This is also one of the most vulnerable parts of the horse. A horse should NEVER be disciplined by a slap or strike between the ears. Many horses injure their poll by rearing up and flipping over backward. The poll is the point where the skull meets the spinal column and injuries to this area sometimes result in paralysis or even death.

Many training devices utilize this vulnerability to control a horse by using a small diameter rope to apply pressure to the poll. Always remember that the pounds per square inch applied by a rope are more intense than the same pressure applied to a wide leather strap. Think of a barefoot 150 lb. person. Have that person step on a tiny pebble. Then have that same 150 lb. person step on a large flat river cobble. Which do you think would be more painful? Keep that in mind when you put all of your power into jerking on a thin rope halter instead of a wide leather halter. Less pressure on that rope halter would yield the same results as a lot of pressure on the wide flat leather halter. The flip side is that this principal can work to your advantage when you consider how much a horse outweighs you. But just be careful not to overdo it. Remember that the poll of a horse is a very sensitive spot that is susceptible to being easily injured and with often catastrophic results.

Learn more about this author, Lee Hermandorfer-Underschultz.
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