Post by Calaminty Jane on Jun 21, 2012 17:59:44 GMT -5
Send Your Horse Sideways
by slowe
May 22nd, 2012
Developing Your Partnership
-by Linda Parelli
Horses tend not to go sideways very much on their own, but it is an essential part of developing a horse as a partner. Being able to send your horse sideways on the ground teaches him to be more maneuverable and step out of your way, and when riding is practical for opening gates. At a more advanced level, sideways adds suspension and dimension to a horse’s gaits through half passes, counterarcs, shoulder in, etc.
Pat Parelli has a saying: the better your horse goes backwards and sideways the better he does everything else… which means the worse he goes backwards and sideways the worse he does everything else!
_______________________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS FOR: Sending Your Horse Sideways – Game #6.
What to do
Trying to move the whole horse sideways is much more difficult than moving one end at a time! Using the Driving Game (Game #3 of the Seven Games) to move the front end and then the back end is the key. When each of these are easy to move, getting the whole horse to go sideways will be easy too.
Move the Front End
Face your horse to the arena fence.
Using a Carrot Stick, gently ask him to move his front end a step or two away by using gentle rhythm towards his neck or nose. If he doesn’t move, allow the stick to start tapping him with the same rhythm until he figures out the idea is to move away and then you’ll quit and rub him.
This is the Driving Game: rhythmic pressure – stop and rub – rhythmic pressure.
Pretty soon he’ll move over with the slightest suggestion.
Now that you’ve got the front end moving, do the same with the hind end.
Move the hind end
Hold the lead rope a little short at first which will keep your horse’s nose towards you. This will prevent him from kicking at you should he get confused and react this way. It’s not what you want, but if there was to be a mistake you want to be out of the kick zone, out of reach in terms of distance, or because you have his nose towards you.
As you hold the front end, gently motion towards his hindquarters (the thigh or the hip is best) with your Carrot Stick. Again, if he doesn’t understand he should move, lightly tap him until he does and then rub until he’s relaxed.
Rhythmic pressure – stop and rub – rhythmic pressure.
Practice it a few times to make sure the horse understands but don’t drill him over and over.
The windscreen wiper
Now move the front end a couple of steps, then the hind end… and rub. The front, then the hind, then stop. Can you see the sideways developing?
Your Carrot Stick motion will start to look like a windscreen wiper as it rhythmically goes from the front end to the hind end and your horse glides away from you sideways.
Take it slow, be gentle but clear, and let your horse know when he’s right.
How often to repeat it
Only do this a few times until your horse understands what you want. Then you have to move on to something else. This is part of your language, it’s not an exercise to drill over and over. As your horse becomes more skilled and confident, you can ask him to go faster and have him at the end of your 12’ or 22’ line.
The best thing is to begin doing Parelli Patterns with your horse and you’ll learn the different ways you can use the Sideways Game and make it interesting and productive for your horse and his development… things like going sideways over a pole or a log really build his confidence and athleticism.
A note about Horsenality:
If your horse is more Right Brain and unconfident, you will need to take it just a step at a time and when he loses confidence just stop and rub his neck or his hip until he relaxes. If you hurry him you’re going to make him afraid and that’s not the idea.
If your horse is more Left Brain and dominant, you might find it harder to move the front end and find that you have to do more there to get it to work at first. Again, don’t rush. Let him think his way through it by stopping and rubbing him with the stick when he gets it right.
If you want to learn what your horse’s Horsenality is, download the Horsenality Profile from parelli.com
What to use
Halter & 12 ft and/or 22ft Line.
(Ropes and Sticks)
A horseman’s halter made of soft, ½ inch yachting braid. You don’t want something thick that he can lean on, nor something that’s too thin and hurts him.
Use a 12’ line at first, then progress to a 22’ line pretty quickly so your horse feels like he has somewhere to go.
Carrot Stick & Savvy String
This is a four foot long stick with a leather loop on one end to which you can attach a 6 ft Savvy String; and it has a handle at the other end.
Once your Sideways Game is established you’ll be able to send him at the end of the line and use the Carrot Stick & String from a distance to drive him sideways.
All Parelli equipment is professional grade.
by slowe
May 22nd, 2012
Developing Your Partnership
-by Linda Parelli
Horses tend not to go sideways very much on their own, but it is an essential part of developing a horse as a partner. Being able to send your horse sideways on the ground teaches him to be more maneuverable and step out of your way, and when riding is practical for opening gates. At a more advanced level, sideways adds suspension and dimension to a horse’s gaits through half passes, counterarcs, shoulder in, etc.
Pat Parelli has a saying: the better your horse goes backwards and sideways the better he does everything else… which means the worse he goes backwards and sideways the worse he does everything else!
_______________________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS FOR: Sending Your Horse Sideways – Game #6.
What to do
Trying to move the whole horse sideways is much more difficult than moving one end at a time! Using the Driving Game (Game #3 of the Seven Games) to move the front end and then the back end is the key. When each of these are easy to move, getting the whole horse to go sideways will be easy too.
Move the Front End
Face your horse to the arena fence.
Using a Carrot Stick, gently ask him to move his front end a step or two away by using gentle rhythm towards his neck or nose. If he doesn’t move, allow the stick to start tapping him with the same rhythm until he figures out the idea is to move away and then you’ll quit and rub him.
This is the Driving Game: rhythmic pressure – stop and rub – rhythmic pressure.
Pretty soon he’ll move over with the slightest suggestion.
Now that you’ve got the front end moving, do the same with the hind end.
Move the hind end
Hold the lead rope a little short at first which will keep your horse’s nose towards you. This will prevent him from kicking at you should he get confused and react this way. It’s not what you want, but if there was to be a mistake you want to be out of the kick zone, out of reach in terms of distance, or because you have his nose towards you.
As you hold the front end, gently motion towards his hindquarters (the thigh or the hip is best) with your Carrot Stick. Again, if he doesn’t understand he should move, lightly tap him until he does and then rub until he’s relaxed.
Rhythmic pressure – stop and rub – rhythmic pressure.
Practice it a few times to make sure the horse understands but don’t drill him over and over.
The windscreen wiper
Now move the front end a couple of steps, then the hind end… and rub. The front, then the hind, then stop. Can you see the sideways developing?
Your Carrot Stick motion will start to look like a windscreen wiper as it rhythmically goes from the front end to the hind end and your horse glides away from you sideways.
Take it slow, be gentle but clear, and let your horse know when he’s right.
How often to repeat it
Only do this a few times until your horse understands what you want. Then you have to move on to something else. This is part of your language, it’s not an exercise to drill over and over. As your horse becomes more skilled and confident, you can ask him to go faster and have him at the end of your 12’ or 22’ line.
The best thing is to begin doing Parelli Patterns with your horse and you’ll learn the different ways you can use the Sideways Game and make it interesting and productive for your horse and his development… things like going sideways over a pole or a log really build his confidence and athleticism.
A note about Horsenality:
If your horse is more Right Brain and unconfident, you will need to take it just a step at a time and when he loses confidence just stop and rub his neck or his hip until he relaxes. If you hurry him you’re going to make him afraid and that’s not the idea.
If your horse is more Left Brain and dominant, you might find it harder to move the front end and find that you have to do more there to get it to work at first. Again, don’t rush. Let him think his way through it by stopping and rubbing him with the stick when he gets it right.
If you want to learn what your horse’s Horsenality is, download the Horsenality Profile from parelli.com
What to use
Halter & 12 ft and/or 22ft Line.
(Ropes and Sticks)
A horseman’s halter made of soft, ½ inch yachting braid. You don’t want something thick that he can lean on, nor something that’s too thin and hurts him.
Use a 12’ line at first, then progress to a 22’ line pretty quickly so your horse feels like he has somewhere to go.
Carrot Stick & Savvy String
This is a four foot long stick with a leather loop on one end to which you can attach a 6 ft Savvy String; and it has a handle at the other end.
Once your Sideways Game is established you’ll be able to send him at the end of the line and use the Carrot Stick & String from a distance to drive him sideways.
All Parelli equipment is professional grade.