PERFECTING
THE SIDEPASS
By SUSAN
DUDASIK
In previous
articles, we covered teaching your horse to sidepass in hand
and from the saddle. Now it's time to put that training to use.
For many Trail exhibitors the sidepass obstacle is a source
of frustration because their horse either kicks or steps on
the pole. Unfortunately they don't realize that they, the rider,
are usually the cause of this problem. If you have taught your
horse to sidepass correctly from the ground and can sidepass
from the saddle without a ground pole, there is no reason he
can't do it with a pole under his belly. Working the sidepass
is like dancing, you have to be aware of your horse's body action
and be ready to counteract it if need be. If you just sit there
like a lump and kick, he will most likely hit the pole.
Sidepassing
over a pole is actually three different maneuvers. First, you
must ride straight to the obstacle, stop, then move sideways.
Sounds easy, but then again, to do it right and fluidly takes
practice and teamwork. At first your horse will be confused
and will try to step forward or back. It's up to you as his
rider to counteract his movement and keep him going sideways.
The more you practice, the better you will become at feeling
your horse's slight weight shifts either forward or backward.
While he should be going sideways, it's better if he tends to
go forward rather than backward. As he steps forward his front
legs will still cross properly with one leg crossing in front
of the other. When he sets back, the leg crosses behind and
comes closer to the pole. So if your horse tends to drift backwards,
encourage him forward instead. For some, it can be like riding
a seesaw where you have to keep shifting your body weight to
counter act the horse's.
Start this
type of obstacle with something simple, a short log or ground
pole. Make sure you have plenty of room to make a nice straight
approach to the pole. As you approach it, about six feet before
the pole, start asking your horse to slow down. You want him
to stop so your leg is right next to or slightly in front of
the pole. Stop and stand. Take a deep breath and count to five.
Ready, here comes the tricky part. Without leaning forward,
backward or sideways, drop your head and see where the pole
is. It should be right under or slightly behind your leg. Now,
raise your head so you are either looking straight ahead or
turn your head in the direction you are going, but look up,
straight off your shoulder, not down at the pole. Put some weight
on your seatbone opposite from the direction you want to go,
squeeze with the outside leg and calmly ask your horse to step
sideways. Go slow. You want him to step correctly without rushing.
Keep cueing with your seat, hands and body weight and continue
to look up where you are going, not down. Looking down will
cause your body to shift and your horse to step forward or back.
To help
show this, look at photo #1. Here the mule has come in straight
and is standing in a relaxed position ready to work. In photo
#2, I leaned over to see how close her feet were to the pole.
That caused her to step back, putting her hoof right next to
the pole. Now if I were showing, I would have to reposition
her by asking her to step forward or move her front end over
a step. This whole situation could have been avoided if I had
simply tipped only my head and looked down my leg as I was doing
in photo #1.
In photo
#3, we are playing the seesaw game. She was stepping forward
then back then forward and I was trying to counteract her with
my hands, seat and legs, but it wasn't until I saw the photo
that I realized I was looking down. Draw a line from my eyes
and you'll see I'm looking right in front of her shoulder. This
slight change is most likely the reason for the seesawing. I
should have my head up and looking either straight ahead or
in the direction I'm going. Also by looking up, it tends to
take the roundness out of my back. Also, because I'm playing
seesaw, I've taken too much hold of the far rein which has caused
her to tip her head in the opposite direction to which we were
going. This is a basic no-no but she is a green mule and that
is something that will most likely correct itself as she and
I gain more confidence in each other.
There are
a number of patterns you can use to practice sidepassing. The
basics are a straight pole or those shaped in modified versions
of the letters "L", "U", and "V".
As you advance, you can increase the difficulty by using poles
shaped in the letters "N", "W" and "Z",
just be sure there is enough space between the poles to maneuver
since these require turns on the haunches and forehand. For
even more of a challenge, raise the poles about 6 to 12 inches.
Old flowerpots, dirt-filled 5-pound coffee cans and gallon paint
cans are good for this. As your horse gains confidence, you
can start sidepassing over a row of traffic cones, a bale of
hay or some brush. Add variety to your sidepass obstacles but
remember safety first and limit the obstacle to about 18 inches
high. You don't want your horse to get poked in the belly by
something you asked him to pass over. If you use a loose back
cinch make sure it can't get hooked on the obstacle. Remember
to vary the length and direction. By doing this and taking your
time, you will soon have a horse that will willingly pass sideways
with very little effort. All it takes is patience, practice
and teamwork.
archives
Susan Dudasik
Shadow Rider Equine News
srider@salmoninternet.com
Member: Idaho Press Club
North American Saddle Mule Association
