Wondering about sidepassing a young resistant horse?

Question

When every I try he just goes backwards, rears or completely stops? any tips?

He does just about anything. Poles, trail, reining (spins but wont compete one) equation and pleasure was siding passing well but has decided to pull stunts insead?

Answer 1

1 - give him a long break from sidepassing. well, not long. don't ask him for the next 3 rides or so, depending on how often you ride.
2 - side passing can be hard for horses. when you start again, just walk up to the wall. stand as if you were ready to sidepass. praise your horse when he just stands there, ready to side pass. try it several times. always praise your horse tons for doing this little thing.
3 - the NEXT ride, go to the wall, praise him, and then ask him to sidepass. when he takes ONE STEP- just one! stop, and praise him. then go on. later in your ride ask him to take one step in the other direction. when he takes one step in the right direction, praise him tons.
4 - gradually work your way up. don't do it tons - and give him a break before you ask him to go the other way. always praise him lots.

Answer 2

If he's rearing you have enough/too much leg. He's not understanding what you're asking him to do. Figure step by step in your mind the cues. Put his *rear* towards a building. Stay relaxed. The reins should be just barely snug enough to block going forward. Press with ONE LEG - the other leg(direction he's going) pull your leg off him. Slightly press the rein on the neck at the same time. If he leans his weight start praising him...when he takes a step stop the pressure and praise him. Then go do something else for a bit.
Think of the water in a hose - it goes through the hose and comes out, wherever you put your finger is resistance and the flow of the water goes around it. Let the horse find that same open area to avoid the resistance. When he moves away from pressure he'll naturally start doing what you want. Try sidepassing with a large gate...any sideways movement is a reason for praise then do something else. Rearing, going backwards and locking up are all resistance from not understanding. He's thinking more "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT" not "I'm gonna be a jerk this will really drive her nuts"! ;-)
Also increase flexibility...bend his neck around to where eventually he can reach around and touch both toes.

Answer 3

Maybe too much woa? Try squeeze and release and make sure you also have enough leg. I think with sidepasses it is a balance beween forward and backward pressure as well as leg directing the horse sideways. If it is off balance, your horse can get confused and respond in a different way than what you want. Sidepasses can be very hard for young horses to get the hang of. I wouldn't say he is doing all this just because he doesn't want to do what your asking, but it's more of the fact that he feels too much pressure and is getting frustrated with himself for not getting it right. I have yet to have met a young horse that doesn't want to give 100%, even ones that have a bad history still give it a go. Try more encouragement as well. Try not to get mad at him, he sees you as his parent and you getting irritated will help him to loose concentration. If you feel you are both getting frazzled, do something different and come back to it. Don't give up though, just take a break- do a circle, a serpentine or something, then ask again. Both he and you need to be relaxed while learning new things. Be determined to end the session on a good note.
See one step sideways as a major triumph, then he'll get his confidence up a bit and say "hey! I can do this!!"

Good Luck :) I'm sure you'll both get there

Answer 4

There is something that isn't working. Whether you are doing something, he is doing something or loss of communication in between.

What I done to train my gelding to side pass (with lots of patience, practice and time). You start from ground and then after completion of ground. Then you re-do it all again while in the saddle. I first started by getting him where he can't go forward. Line him up where his head is facing the fence pole (or rails if tying him up). I take my rope and lightly turn it so the tip hits the middle of his side where originally my foot would be tapping him to go sideways. I would get harder and harder til he responded. Then I would stop. I wanted to test how much it would take to get his attention to where he wanted to move away from it.

At the same time, I would slightly bend his head towards me with the lead rope. So, if he tried to back up. I can lightly lean his head towards me, which would move his hind in to the side slightly. Be quick to correct that by re-asking with swing of the rope and being at shoulder width and walking towards him.

Now saying it can be easier than done. Just takes time and lots of working with it.

If he moves a few steps, stop and praise him. Sometimes doing a little at a time can take awhile. However, it can put stress at ease and frustration.

I would apply pressure to that location (recommended to be consistent in the spot) with either thumb or numb spur instead of a rope.

I would also recommend someone helping you and giving you guidance. My step dad and a few others help me and now I am able to go the rest of the way with it.

Answer 5

You could try working him 'in hand'. He has to understand you mean to move away from your leg, if he doesn't understand (as I'm sure he doesn't), he will avoid your aids. In hand is sometimes easier to be more consistent. Read some good books, like Nuno Olivera's, or go to a knowledgeable instructor who can show you how. You must understand it precisely, and be consistent, so that your horse can learn easily

Answer 6

ground work him

place a pole on the ground and have him side pass over the pole

he sounds confused and is rearing as a reaction

Answer 7

Make sure you have your basics go forward stop back turn left and right down really really well and then move to side passing.

Answer 8

How educated is your horse?? The main thing is to have him going forward before asking for any lateral movements.

Answer 9

do exercises to increase suppleness. there all over in the magezines and ussally work really well. going to a good trainer is good too because they can tell u want to do instead.