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MASTERING
THE SIDEPASS
Trying
to teach her horse to sidepass terrified Kelly. Why did just
the thought of getting her 1,000 pound horse to move sideways
send her running from the barn in terror? Perhaps it's because
she never tried teaching it from the safety of the ground. Instead,
like many of us, Kelly's first attempt at teaching the sidepass
was a dismal failure. She got on her horse and tried to push
him sideways by pulling his head in one direction while kicking
him on the opposite side. All this accomplished was to make
her horse swing his rump around or move backward. It didn't
take long before the confused horse began charging forward trying
to escape the situation. Meanwhile Kelly desperately jerked
on the bit trying to keep him still. In a confused attempt to
please, Kelly's sweet-tempered horse finally reared up. Shocked,
Kelly slipped off the instant he hit the ground. Everything
had gone wrong!
Kelly's
big mistake was in asking her horse to do something too far
advanced for him. What she needed to do was get back on the
ground, back to the basics.
Before
attempting to teach the sidepass, one must understand what a
correct sidepass looks like. Most often, when a rider asks a
horse to side pass, he pulls the head in the opposite direction
he wants to go, then kicks the horse in the side. This is a
very crude style of sidepassing. Basically, all the rider is
doing is unbalancing the horse until he has to move just to
keep from falling over.
For a proper
sidepass, the horse's head should be turned in the same direction
he is going so he can see where he's headed. There should be
very little curve in his body. He shouldn't look like the letter
C, and his legs should cross over each other as he moves sideways.
To teach
the sidepass, you'll need a halter, leadrope and short crop.
Before attempting to go sideways, be sure your horse is proficient
at turning on the haunches and forehand as discussed in the
previous article. These are the foundation steps and only when
your horse has mastered them from both sides should you advance
to the sidepass.
Teaching
the sidepass is a real patience-tester, but well worth the time.
To begin you'll need the aid of a tall fence or barn wall, something
he can't get his head over as his first instinct will be to
step forward. Review the turn on the haunches and forehand lessons,
then lead your horse up to the barrier. Hold the halter ring
to steady him, push his head slightly away from you. Then, press
your hand or the butt of the crop against his side, right where
your leg would naturally hang. Since he already knows to move
away from pressure, he should attempt to move but will probably
just move his rump. At this point you will have to help him
by pushing on his side and literally pushing him sideways while
trying to keep his head going in the direction you want him
to move. Use a cue like "side." At this point, there
will be major confusion because your horse is used to planting
his front or hind end and going in a circle, now he must go
sideways. Don't loose your cool. Be patient and try again. It
will take several tries before your horse gets the idea he must
move his whole body away from you.
Praise
him for any sideways movement, even if it's more like a stumble.
Above all, resist the temptation to pull his head toward you
and push him over. This will work but it's incorrect and will
cause major problems later on. Getting him to go sideways might
take a while but try for at least three steps. When he does
that, go to the other side and repeat the process. As the horse
catches on, you'll notice his front legs will cross over each
other. That's the first goal to aim for. Next have the horse
looking toward the direction he is going while the front legs
are crossing over. Then the hind legs should cross like the
front as your horse is going sideways in a straight line without
stepping forward or backward. Your final goal is to have the
head in the right position, the legs crossing properly over
the front with both the front and back legs and the horse moving
straight sideways on a subtle cue and voice.
Be patient,
this maneuver takes time to teach. Sidepassing is a trained
action, horses don't naturally move sideways. You are working
against instinct so be patient. Avoid getting in a rush and
resorting to the old off-balancing trick. A correct sidepass
is something created through patience and understanding. Any
brute can pull a horse's head to its side and kick till the
horse falls sideways.
Once your
horse is sidepassing well in both directions, move about five
feet from the barrier. As he progresses, move further from the
barrier until he will sidepass several steps in an open space.
If he tends to drift forward, return to using the barrier in
front. If he starts backing up, simply place his rump to the
barrier. Don't introduce him to a ground pole quite yet. That's
a more advanced procedure and can cause setbacks in your training
program if you rush things.
Teaching
the sidepass is not something that can be accomplished in a
few short sessions. It takes continuous practice to achieve
a correct sidepass, but the time spent developing a deeper relationship
with your horse is well worth it. It just takes getting back
to basics.
Susan Dudasik
Shadow Rider Equine News
srider@salmoninternet.com
Member: Idaho Press Club
North American Saddle Mule Association
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