What is a side pass? A side pass is when a horse moves straight sideways without moving forward or backward. Can I teach my horse this skill? Yes, you absolutely can teach your horse to side pass with patience and good groundwork. This is a key part of horse lateral movement training.
Teaching a horse to step sideways is essential for many disciplines, including Western, dressage, and trail riding. A solid side pass makes navigating tight spots easy. It also builds a strong partnership between you and your horse. Good horse training for side passing starts with basics. We will break down the process into simple, easy steps.
Laying the Groundwork: Essential Prerequisites
Before asking your horse to move sideways, they must master a few basic skills. These steps ensure your horse listens well to your aids. They help build the core strength needed for true horse lateral movement training.
Establishing Basic Flexion and Yielding
Your horse needs to yield to pressure easily. This is the foundation for horse yielding to leg pressure. If your horse pushes into your leg instead of moving away, the side pass will be difficult.
Neck Rein and Direct Rein Control
You must have good control over your horse’s head and neck. This is often called horse one rein control.
- Use a gentle inside rein to ask for a slight bend.
- Use the outside rein to keep the horse’s shoulder from swinging out.
- The horse should soften to this light pressure immediately.
Hindquarters Yielding
The hindquarters must move independently of the forehand. This is crucial for stepping the horse sideways correctly.
- Stand at the horse’s shoulder.
- Gently apply pressure with your inside leg slightly behind the girth.
- Ask the hindquarters to move away from your leg, crossing one leg over the other.
- Reward immediately when they step sideways, even a tiny bit.
- Practice this on both sides until it’s smooth. This is a simple form of horse yielding to leg pressure.
Step One: Introducing Sideways Movement on the Ground
Many great trainers start lateral work from the ground. This removes the complication of riding aids and lets you focus only on the body position and pressure. This groundwork prepares for schooling horse side pass later.
Using A Long Line or Lunge Whip
Use a long line or a lunge line to guide the horse. Keep the horse walking in a large circle first.
- Create a Barrier: Position yourself at the horse’s shoulder. Use the end of the line or a whip near their flank to create an imaginary wall they cannot cross backward or forward.
- Apply Sideways Pressure: Gently move your body toward the horse’s side. Use the whip or line at their side to ask them to move away from this pressure. Keep the pressure steady, not sharp.
- Look for the Step: The horse should shift its weight and take one step sideways, moving parallel to you.
- Release and Praise: The instant the horse moves sideways, release all pressure. Praise them warmly. The reward must be immediate to mark the correct action.
- Practice Both Directions: Repeat this process until the horse moves three to four steps sideways willingly.
Step Two: Asking for the Side Pass While Stationary
Once the horse moves sideways on the ground, you can ask for it while mounted. This step focuses on horse yielding to leg pressure while stopped.
Positioning the Horse
Start with the horse standing squarely. Ensure the horse is relaxed.
- Inside Rein Lightness: Take a slight contact on the inside rein. You only need enough to slightly soften the neck, perhaps asking for a tiny bit of horse bending and yielding toward you. Do not pull hard.
- Outside Rein Control: The outside rein acts as a fence. It stops the horse from moving the shoulder out or moving forward. Keep it steady and firm enough to block forward movement.
- Inside Leg Pressure: Apply gentle pressure with your inside leg just behind the girth area. This is the main cue for the hindquarters to move over. This pressure asks for the horse yielding to leg pressure.
- Outside Leg Support: The outside leg stays slightly forward to prevent the hindquarters from swinging out or moving backward. It maintains straightness.
- Seeking the First Step: Maintain steady pressure from the inside leg. Wait patiently. Do not add more leg or rein pressure if the horse resists. Wait until the horse takes one hind foot across the other. This is the beginning of teaching a horse to cross over.
Moving Off the Pressure
The moment you feel the horse shift sideways—even just a small weight shift—release the leg pressure instantly.
- Maintain the light rein contact.
- Pause for a second, then reward with a light voice and a relaxed seat.
- Repeat, asking for two steps, then three steps. Keep sessions short and positive.
Step Three: Developing Forward Motion During the Side Pass
A true side pass requires the horse to maintain a straight line sideways, without drifting forward or backward. This requires refining your side pass aids for horses.
Maintaining Straightness
The challenge here is balancing the forward impulsion (which you want) with the lateral instruction (which you want now).
Using Your Seat and Core
Your seat is vital for keeping the horse straight. Sit deep and evenly on both sides of the saddle. If you lean toward the direction you want to move, the horse will follow your weight, causing a slight arc instead of a straight line.
Leg Aids for Forward Momentum
If the horse stops or tries to slow down during the side pass, use your outside leg slightly forward of the girth to encourage forward movement, while the inside leg continues to ask the hindquarters to step over. This is a complex coordination exercise.
- Inside Leg: Asks the hind leg to step across.
- Outside Leg: Asks for forward energy.
The balance between these two legs helps achieve smooth stepping the horse sideways without drifting.
Using Arena Walls for Support
Use the arena rail or a wall as a helper initially. Place your horse parallel to the wall.
- Ask for the side pass toward the wall. The wall physically prevents the horse from bulging out with the shoulder.
- Practice moving sideways along the wall. This focuses your effort purely on horse yielding to leg pressure away from the wall.
- When the horse is reliable next to the wall, move to open space. This transition is key for advanced horse lateral work.
Refining the Aids for Precision
As the horse gets better, you need to make your side pass aids for horses nearly invisible. This involves subtle shifts in weight and rein tension.
Transitioning from Strong Aids to Subtle Cues
Begin to soften the pressure you apply. This refines your horse one rein control.
| Old Aid (Initial Teaching) | New Aid (Refined Execution) | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|
| Strong inside leg pressure | Slight squeeze or light tap | Inside Leg |
| Firm outside rein | Soft contact, ready to block | Outside Rein |
| Obvious body shift | Subtle weight shift to the outside hip | Seat/Weight Aids |
The goal is to ask the horse to move sideways using only the lightest touch of your leg or rein before the horse even needs to move. This shows excellent horse yielding to leg pressure.
Incorporating Bending and Yielding
For more advanced schooling horse side pass, you need slight horse bending and yielding into the direction of travel.
If you are side passing to the right:
- The horse should have a very slight inside bend to the right (toward the direction of travel).
- This slight bend keeps the horse aligned and helps them coordinate the leg movements necessary for teaching a horse to cross over.
- This subtle bend should be maintained by light inside rein contact.
Common Challenges and Solutions in Side Passing
Every horse learns differently. You will meet resistance or confusion along the way. Addressing these issues quickly prevents bad habits from forming.
Problem 1: The Horse Moves Forward Instead of Sideways
This is the most common issue when starting horse training for side passing. The horse defaults to moving forward because that is their natural direction of travel.
Solution:
- Reinforce the outside rein strongly. The outside rein is the “stop” button for forward movement.
- Use a slightly sharper, momentary squeeze with the inside leg rather than a long push. This focuses the energy sideways.
- Go back to groundwork and emphasize stopping forward motion with the line or whip against the shoulder or chest.
Problem 2: The Horse Pops the Shoulder Out
The horse resists the pressure by swinging the shoulder away from the direction you want to move. This breaks the straight line required for a true side pass.
Solution:
- Use the inside rein (the rein toward which you are moving) to maintain slight horse bending and yielding. This slight bend keeps the shoulder aligned with the body.
- If the shoulder pops out to the left during a right side pass, the left rein needs to maintain light contact to keep that shoulder aligned with the ribcage.
Problem 3: The Horse Stops or Refuses to Move
Resistance shows the horse does not fully comply with the pressure yet, or the pressure is confusing.
Solution:
- Never fight pressure with pressure. If the horse resists your leg, release the leg pressure briefly, then immediately ask again with a slightly different cue (e.g., use your seat or a light tap with the whip instead of just the leg).
- Ensure your release is immediate when they try the right thing. Patience here is crucial for successful horse lateral movement training.
- If the horse is braced, ask for a very small, easy movement first, like yielding the hindquarters just an inch. Reward that small effort massively before asking for a full step.
Moving to Advanced Horse Lateral Work
Once your horse steps sideways reliably on the ground and at a standstill, you can incorporate the side pass into movement. This elevates the work to advanced horse lateral work.
Side Passing While Walking
This is often the next step after mastering stationary side passing. The horse must maintain the rhythm of the walk while moving sideways.
- Establish Forward Walk: Get a steady, even walk rhythm.
- Introduce Sideways Cue: Use your established leg and rein aids to ask for one step sideways.
- Maintain Rhythm: Immediately after the step sideways, release the side-pass cue and encourage the horse to take another forward step in the walk.
- Linking Steps: Gradually link these steps. Ask for a step sideways, then immediately a step forward, then sideways again. The goal is to move three or four feet sideways while maintaining forward walk tempo.
This requires excellent coordination of side pass aids for horses. You are essentially cueing for lateral movement within the existing forward gait.
Side Passing While Trotting
This is significantly harder and demands near-perfect horse one rein control and yielding.
- The horse must maintain the rhythm of the trot.
- The side pass at the trot requires the horse to use its energy laterally rather than just pushing forward. This is difficult because the trot is inherently a forward gait.
- Begin by only asking for one or two hind steps sideways during the trot on a straight line. Keep the pace slow and controlled.
- If the horse breaks gait (e.g., breaks to canter or skips), immediately return to the walk and solidify the side pass there before trying the trot again.
The Importance of Bend in Lateral Work
True precision in schooling horse side pass involves using bend. If a horse moves purely sideways without any bend, they are often stiff through the ribs or neck.
The Role of Horse Bending and Yielding
When performing a right side pass:
- The horse’s body should remain straight, but the neck and head should have a slight degree of yielding to the right rein.
- This slight bend keeps the horse supple and helps the hind legs step underneath the body effectively, ensuring one leg crosses over the other (teaching a horse to cross over).
If the horse resists the bend (stiffens the neck), it is often because the inside rein pressure is too strong or the outside rein is not blocking the shoulder correctly. Focus on making the inside rein pressure incredibly light, using it only to confirm the direction of the head.
Summary of the Side Pass Journey
Teaching the side pass is a journey of refining pressure and release. It builds on prior skills like horse yielding to leg pressure.
| Stage | Key Focus | Primary Aids Used | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groundwork | Pressure awareness, straightness | Whip/Line pressure, body position | Horse moves away from pressure sideways |
| Stationary Mounted | Yielding hindquarters | Inside leg, outside rein block | Horse takes one crossing step sideways |
| Moving Sideways | Straight line maintenance | Balanced leg use, deep seat | Horse moves several feet sideways maintaining tempo |
| Advanced Work | Coordination with gait | Subtle rein and leg cues, light contact | Smooth horse lateral movement training during walk/trot |
Consistency in your aids is the secret to success in horse training for side passing. If today you ask with a kick, and tomorrow you ask with a tap, the horse cannot learn reliably. Use the same signal every time until the desired response becomes automatic.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long does it take to teach a horse to side pass?
It varies greatly by horse temperament and prior training. Some horses grasp the concept in a few sessions if they already yield well from groundwork. For others, achieving a reliable four-step side pass might take several weeks or months of consistent, short practice sessions (5–10 minutes focused solely on this movement).
Should I use a curb bit or a snaffle for side passing?
Most trainers recommend starting in a plain snaffle. The side pass relies heavily on leg cues and seat pressure for horse yielding to leg pressure and straightness. A curb bit can confuse the issue by adding unnecessary leverage pressure to the mouth when you are trying to refine horse one rein control. Introduce leverage bits only after the lateral movement is solid in a snaffle.
What if my horse keeps backing up instead of moving sideways?
This means the outside rein is not strong enough, or the inside leg pressure is too far back. The outside rein must clearly block any backward movement. If the horse backs, immediately square them up, ask for a forward step, and then immediately reapply the side pass aids, ensuring the outside rein is firm enough to block the rearward step.
Is the side pass the same as a shoulder-in?
No, they are very different movements, although both are advanced horse lateral work. A shoulder-in involves maintaining the horse’s forward direction while bringing the shoulder inward by about 30 degrees, bending the horse around the inside leg. A side pass involves moving strictly sideways, parallel to the starting line, with minimal forward movement.