Poll as the Highest Point: A Simple Guide for Horse Riders

Why Is "Poll as the Highest Point" Important in Equestrian Training?

Whether you're a dressage enthusiast, a showjumper, an avid hacker, or someone who enjoys groundwork with your pony, the concept of “poll as the highest point” is one you’ve likely encountered. It’s a staple in equestrian training discussions, familiar to riders across all disciplines.

Below, I’ve included insightful quotes from my equestrian library and official FEI documents to frame this discussion.

“The neck must always be sufficiently ‘long’ to enable the horse to balance. The lower neck muscles are relaxed; the upper neck muscles are noticeably active and ‘carry’ the neck. The poll is relaxed, and the horse carries the neck so that the poll is the highest point. A horse that is well balanced, with active hind legs so that it carries itself and is very light in the rider’s hand, is moving in the desired SELF-CARRIAGE and is therefore in BALANCE.”

– The Principles of Riding Basic Training for Horse and Rider, German Equestrian Federation, 2017

“The horse travels in secure, constant, quiet, and supple connection. The poll of the horse is relaxed and doesn’t stiffen against the rider’s hand. The horse moves with an open poll angle. That means he doesn’t roll over, the throatlatch is in no way narrowed, the parotid glands are not squeezed, the nose is in front of the vertical, and the poll of the horse is the highest point.”

– Gerd Heuschmann, Collection or Contortion?, 2016. NOTE: I do not agree with the author in terms of the nose being in front of the vertical; FEI rules as well as Classical Masters teachings recquire the whole head to be in front of vertical and this is what I apply to my riding.

“As the strength and proficiency increase, the horse’s head and neck will be raised to a position in which a line drawn from the nose to the hip will be parallel to the ground, and the poll will be the highest point of the arched neck. This must not be considered a strict rule, as the amount the neck will be raised will depend on the conformation of the horse, that is to say, the length of his back and the length and shape of his neck. The poll, however, must be the highest point of the horse’s head regardless of his conformation.”

– Alois Podhajsky, The Complete Training of Horse and Rider, 1967

“In all the work, even at the halt, the Horse must be in front of the Athlete’s aids, ‘on the bit,’ but it also has to accept the bit. A Horse is said to be ‘on the bit’ when the neck is more or less raised and arched according to the stage of training and to the extension or collection of the pace, and when it accepts the bridle with a light and consistent soft submissive contact, thereby chewing the bit with a quiet, sensitive mouth. The head should remain in a steady position, as a rule with the nose line slightly in front of the vertical, with a supple poll as the highest point of the neck, and no resistance should be offered to the Athlete.”

– FEI Dressage Judging Manual, 2024

“Developing collection by dismounted work is greatly aided by these side reins, whose length we had been able to ‘try out’ previously and adapt them to the individual case. The horse must by no means be squeezed into a shape that hampers the rhythmic oscillations of its body. It will always seek an escape backward from such constraint. Its poll and mouth must always be able to give somewhat to the rear. But this will be the case only when the line of the nose is somewhat ahead of the vertical and the poll is the highest point along the crest of the neck.”

– Waldemar Seunig, Horsemanship, 1956

“Ramener is an attitude of the head produced by a flexion of the poll, allowed by the joints connecting the first cervical vertebra with the poll and second vertebra, and in which the poll remains the highest point in the overall carriage of the head and neck. In a complete ramener the face is held vertical and must not retreat behind this line so that the horse becomes ‘overbent.”

– Jean Froissard, A Guide to Basic Dressage, 1978

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS AND EXCUSES

As someone who specializes in Iberian breeds, I often hear myths about their inability to meet this standard. A common claim is:“Their large necks make this rule inapplicable to them.”

This perception was even echoed by Carl Hest, a British Olympic rider and medalist, who expressed doubts about whether Iberian horses can consistently meet FEI Article 401’s fifth point:

“The head should remain in a steady position, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical, with a supple poll as the highest point of the neck, and no resistance should be offered to the Athlete.”

Let’s clarify: any horse, regardless of breed or conformation, can and should work with the poll as the highest point (see Podhajski's quote above).

Yes, in some instances, particularly with cresty horses, said crest may appear higher than the poll. However, this does not mean the horse is being ridden incorrectly. The key lies in understanding that “poll as the highest point” refers to the skeleton, not the visible muscle or fat.

How to Check If the Poll Is the Highest Point

To assess if the poll is the highest point of the bony structure of the horse, first - we need to know what ‘poll’ is.

Please, see the drawing below.

Poll is the protruding point of the skull, placed just in front of the atlantol-occipital joint. When poll is the highest point (desirably, AT ALL TIMES when the horse is being ridden), the crown of the bridle, which lies directly behind the poll, is slanted (angled) back towards the rider.

It is easily seen both from the ground, when we look at horse mounted by somebody else, and from the saddle:

Can the Poll Be the Highest Point at All Times?

As a general rule, once we’re on the horse’s back, the poll must be the highest point.

Yes, you can always take a screenshot of even the finest rider not fulfilling this rule, and no, that does not make him less of a trainer, IF corrected and not elongated in time. Should the horse overbend and try to escape from the contact or pull the rider, lowering its poll, a balance issue -mostly caused by- poor equitation of the rider is evident and needs to be addressed.

LONG AND LOW POSITION

Stretching the neck out and down, that should always be done with the poll open and head (not nose) in front of the vertical, still allows the poll to be the highest point, IF activity/engagement of the hindlegs is not lost.

As a rule, I personally do not want the horse to go lower than the poll on the height of the withers (this being the only acceptable and non-worrying exception of the rule). My reasons for not wanting the horse to go lower than that when rider is on their back:

a low set of the neck and head causes the horse's centre of gravity (COG) to come forwards, which causes…
more weight on the forelimbs, which is…
an unnecessary risk of wear and tear of these structures, as…
lower does not mean better, and keeping the poll on wither’s height is enough to benefit from lengthening of the frame and steps.

Said benefits of working the horse with stretched neck (and lengthened strides) are so extensive there will be a separate blog post about it.

There is, as a matter of fact, a moment of training in which I do not care about the horse going lower. It is lunging, when the horse does not have to carry additional weight. I will then not worry about the poll being lower than the withers, as long as the horse does come up, as well. Example shown on this video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/0STcTjQW2aw

Final Thoughts: Poll Position in Horse Riding

Hopefully, you have gained a new insight after reading. Please, feel free to comment and ask any question below.

This blog represents my personal reflections, informed by years of research and collaboration with renowned trainers.