side passing

Question
Hey, my name is Katelyn and i am 15 years old. I recently recieved a new horse. He is a seven year old Buckskin QH gelding. He was never used as anything but a pleasure/trail horse. The previous owners never really trained him. He's broke to ride, but nothing else. So i have decided to focus on side passing him. Dakota will go forward, backward, right, and left, but NOT sideways. I have three other QH and they are all show horses/trail/pleasure horses. So i expect nothing less of Dakota. I have tried putting his nose to the fence and asking him to step over, but he throws a fit and backs away, or turns away from the fence. I will of course move him back to the fence with my leg but he just wont do it. After three or four times, he starts acting like he is going to buck or rear up on me. I have only had him for about three weeks to a month. So i am still getting to know him, and vice versa. He has pulled back from the trailer multiple times and tried to rear several times. This was during bridling, or just standing there. He is a very stubborn horse, but thats why i love him. I want to try and side pass him in a halter on the ground, but i dont want him to rear up on me. Dakota is a very muscular beautiful pure bred QH and i dont think i would win that fight. So i am desperate for advice. I have refused the help of friends and family because he will be the first horse i have ever trained. I have been riding since i can remember, but i have never trained a horse on my own. I know people who train their horses and other's horses, but i want to do this myself. Any advice you can give me will be extremely welcome and helpful.
Thank you!!!!
Katelyn, and Dakota.

Answer
Hi Katelyn!

Congratulations on your new horse!  Sounds like you have your work cut out for you!  This is really all part of the fun and adventure of having a horse.  This horse will really teach you so much!

The reason Dakota is not able to side pass is that he just does not understand what the release of pressure means to his FEET.  He just does not know what to do!  He is trying to find the answer, that is what the going forward and back is all about and he is frustrated.  He is not finding the answer because your releases on not spot on.  No worries, you just don't know either!  Everyone has to start somewhere, so here we go...

The side pass issues is directly related to him pulling back when tied.  Please don't time him unless it is to a highline, UNTIL you TEACH him how to tie!  He knows nothing about how to give to pressure.  All he knows is that when the lead rope comes tight, he feels trapped and tries his best to get away.  If you don't teach him how to give to pressure and what to do with his FEET, I see injuries and many broken halters in your future.  Rearing, pulling back all of these things point to a brace in the feet mainly the hind feet.  The first thing I would like for you to do is throw away, or give away or sell all of your nylon web halters.  Buy a good rope halter, Double Diamond makes a good one, with a 12' tree line lead rope.  The tree line has good weight and feel and a nice leather popper on the end.  Now, start teaching your horse to yield his hind quarters from the ground.   You want to send him in a 10 meter circle around you, this is NOT lunging!  Have him walk a good flat footed walk, step toward his mid belly closer to the flank area, lift your leading hand, if you are going to the right it will be your right hand, bend your horse keeping his muzzle perpendicular to the ground and his ears level, make sure the inside right front leg continues to step forward in a smaller circle than the hinds, keep advancing toward the mid-belly and yield the hind quarters.  Your horses inside hind leg should reach up and under the body in front of the outside hind leg, always keeping forward motion.  This is yielding the hind quarters.  Keeping the horse bent slow your feet, wait for your horses feet to come still and have him face up on you.  This is the beginning of the one rein stop.  Now, send him in the opposite direction.  When you are sending the front quarters into the new direction, make sure the weight is over the hocks and the outside front foot is stepping out and back making room for the inside front to cross over and step to the new direction.  Get REALLY good at freeing the feet.  Make sure the horse does not lean on your lead.  You need to be doing these exercises with a drape in your lead.  How your horse is on the ground is exactly how he will ride!  Keep working at this until he can follow a soft feel and you can place his feet where ever you want them.

This is only a rough beginning of where you need to go with this horse.  He needs to be restarted and have all of his basic skills checked out.  I'm sure he will be found lacking in many areas.  Dakota needs a full and complete education and he WILL be the horse of your dreams.  I'm going to suggest some reading and a couple of DVD's for you to watch. Get your family and friends involved in this and you can all learn.  However, I want just you working with your horse.  Too many cooks in the kitchen can spoil the soup!  Remember Katelyn, no human will EVER win a fight with a horse.  We need to make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult and never set up a war.  You are on the right path because you care about your horse and you are searching for the right answers.  Good for you and GREAT for your horse!  

HOMEWORK:

"Ground Work" DVD by Buck Brannaman
"Ground Work" book by Buck Brannaman
"True Horsemanship through Feel"  book by Bill Dorrence
"Back to the Beginning" DVD by Ray Hunt

Katelyn, I think the information by Buck Brannaman will really help you and make so much of the principals of ground work clear to you, so start there.  This is the place to get family and friends involved.  Also, if you can, attend a clinic with Buck, Ray Hunt or Ricky Quinn.  These guys are my teachers and it only costs $20 per day to go and watch.  It is not a big show or production, it is just real people quietly working to get things better for their horses.  You can ask all the questions you want and these guys will be more than happy to help you out in person.  Give it a try.  Take your friends, I guarantee you will learn tons!

As you work through these things, keep asking questions!  It is how we all learn, and I'm more than happy to help!  If I have used terms or concepts you do not quite understand, let me know and I'll do my best to clear things up!

Have a blast with your new horse!  Your are doing just right by him!  

Smiles!  Denise