Ideas to train mini to side pass

[kdhminis]

I need some training ideas on how to train one of my mini's to side pass for halter obstacle class. What ways have worked best for all of you that show. This will be my first show (in 3 weeks!) and will be my mini's first show. She is one year old. I would have liked to have shown her in a regular halter class instead - but the show I am going to is 2 days long - but I can only attend the first day due to a graduation on the second day. So the only class available for her to show in on the first day is halter obstacle! What ways have you used to train your mini's to side pass, backup, etc. Thanks!

 

[user 3234]

I am curious to see replys on this also.

 

[minimule]

I can only tell you what I did that worked for me.

Find a barrier, like a fence or building. Walk up to the "wall" facing it with the mini. The way I did it was to come up with a cue, like saying "side" or "Pass". I held out my hand along her side and asked her to "pass" and slowly moved toward her. If she didn't move she just got a little nudge on the shoulder to encourage her to move. With the wall in front they can't move forward so any movement has to be to the side. When she did what I wanted I praised and petted or gave her a treat. My girl was really smart and learned what I wanted in a couple of days. You slowly get them moving and then started stepping in front of them and become the barrier.

 

[Mominis]

I would start by teaching the horse to turn on the forehand so that they can get used to the idea of you controlling the sideways movement of their body. Just stand at the horse's side, facing the shoulder and take the hand closest to the hindquarters, tap them on the hip, and say 'swing.' If the horse gives you even one step, stop and walk her around for a minute and then go back to it. In a few short days, you will be able to get 180-360 turns on the fore.

Once that is done, get the horse turning on the haunch. Stand in the same position as above, but this time tap the point of the shoulder and make a 'kissing' sound. Again, one step should earn a reward. This takes a little longer to teach than the turn on the haunch. So, be patient.

Once you can turn on the fore and turn on the haunch, the horse is used to you controlling the movenets of both the front and hind ends. Now, stand in the same position that you've been working in, but the pressure this time goes at the girth area. Keep the head and neck in line with each other and ask the horse to step sideways while saying 'side'. This usually will happen, in the beginning, by asking for and getting one step of a turn on the fore (the hindquarters step to the side) and one step of a turn on the haunch (the forehand step to the side). It's not super smooth at first, but the horse will soon realize what you are asking and start moving both ends at the same time with your cue of 'side'.

Hope that helps.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Can a yearling learn to do this very well??

 

[targetsmom]

No reason that I know of that a yearling can't do this. We show Pinto where there is no lower age limit for trail classes and we have successfully competed with at least 2 yearlings - one of them our stallion Buckshot. We also started with turns on the forehand and haunches before we tried sidepassing. And I found it MUCH easier to teach this to minis than it was for my riding horse!

 

[Sandee]

Can a yearling learn to do this very well??

Definitely! And I found that Minimules way works best.

My filly/mare learned and competed in obstacle as a yearling and had her HOF by the the end of her third year. To me it was sort of like kids learn faster than adults (or could be I just got a really smart little girl).

 

[kdhminis]

Thanks everyone. There is so much knowledge on this forum for us new show people - and you all are so generous to share your knowledge with us! I'm going to try the wall this evening when I work with her!!

 

[kdhminis]

I tried your ideas about facing wall to teach side pass - it works very well. We got further along this evening in training - than we have for several weeks!!! I am going to work with her for 30 minutes each evening and a couple of times each day on the weekends. Maybe we will be better prepared for our first class - yeah!!! Thanks again!

 

[Sandee]

I tried your ideas about facing wall to teach side pass - it works very well. We got further along this evening in training - than we have for several weeks!!! I am going to work with her for 30 minutes each evening and a couple of times each day on the weekends. Maybe we will be better prepared for our first class - yeah!!! Thanks again!

You may find that 30 minutes is too long for a yearling. You only want to work as long as you have their attention. If they lose focus or seem tired, you won't advance your training much. I found that with the really young ones 15 to 20 minutes is about as long as they will "learn". You have to judge this according to your own horse but just keep it in mind.

 

[nbark]

I tried your ideas about facing wall to teach side pass - it works very well. We got further along this evening in training - than we have for several weeks!!! I am going to work with her for 30 minutes each evening and a couple of times each day on the weekends. Maybe we will be better prepared for our first class - yeah!!! Thanks again!

You may find that 30 minutes is too long for a yearling. You only want to work as long as you have their attention. If they lose focus or seem tired, you won't advance your training much. I found that with the really young ones 15 to 20 minutes is about as long as they will "learn". You have to judge this according to your own horse but just keep it in mind.

Side passing is actually quite easy to teach a mini. I start by putting a PVC pole, with colored electrical tape on it in funky patterns (you never know what they will throw at you) on the ground and stand the mini with her belly over the pole. Then I stand beside her and gently push the back end with one hand, the body with my body and hold her head looking forward. She/he will cross over....tell them how good they are and have a treat in your pocket...every time you do this and they move away from you, stop and give them a treat....then go the other way. The mini will pick this up in about 6 or 7 days...I use Altoid spearmints for a training aide..and they work like a charm. Now all I do is point in the direction I want them to go and they sidepass each way....Minis just seem to be smarter than big horses and "get it".....real quick.... I only take about 5-6 minutes each time I do this....You don't want to sour them...

 

[kdhminis]

Yes I worked with her about 15 minutes this evening - she is doing well. Second day - I am still pushing her some - but about every 3rd side step she does on her own already. Once I get this down I'll then work on backing up - and I think I'll do it sort of the same way - next to a wall at first.