Can you, from zone 3, ask your horse to glide sideways for at least 20' without a fence just by touching "the hair"? 

Can you ride your horse sideways without a fence for at least 20' with your arms folded (no reins)?  This month's "Can You?" coincides nicely with a question from Christina in New York.  Here is what she writes:  

"My horse and I are playing with sideways - we can do all sorts of sideways on the ground when she is moving away from me (over barrels, over poles) and are starting to be able to do a little sideways without a barrier.  I would like to start to teach her to do a sideways towards me and I have no idea how to go about it.  Also, in the saddle we can't get a single step sideways - all she does is back up until I have to release and that is making her think that she's doing the right thing.  I am trying to support my request for sideways with my carrot stick, but that just makes her defensive."

The advice I gave Christina was to develop her horse's Porcupine Game going sideways on the ground before trying again to teach this from his back. Most of us give Game #2 short shrift; playing it can indeed be a bit like watching paint dry! It's often the game we enjoy least. Yet, assuming your horse's confidence is in place, riding depends on. . . a good Porcupine Game! Riding with safety, fun, confidence, ease, and excellence depends on your horse turning loose to the  light feel of your seat, leg, and hands.

As Pat says, "the better your horse goes backwards, right and left, the better he does everything else." Yielding to steady pressure is something we have to teach horses because it goes against their prey animal instincts. A responsive, light, soft horse is a joy to be with, handle, and ride. The more communication we have with his various body parts, the better. That's why all four of the Levels contain increasingly sophisticated versions of the Porcupine Game. Can you lead your horse by her lip? By his ear? By his tail? Can you lead her backwards by her hocks? Sideways by her mane? Can you ask for backwards and get a response in the proper position (not just feet moving)? 

Emotionally braced and head too high

Ahh. . .that's better

I also suggested to Christina that she set aside teaching "sideways toward" until she has these very nice Sideways Games: a gliding Porcupine Game sideways, the Sideways Game (which is a driving game) at distance and speed,  and riding sideways smoothly and easily. Before Level 4, the main purpose for teaching sideways toward is to be able to ask your horse help you get on by lining himself up with the fence or mounting block. Doing more than that with sideways towards early on in your development can cause all sorts of problems and difficulties.

It's relatively easy to cause horses to move their feet with various driving games because they respond naturally to rhythmic pressure. You can use what is natural in this case to support what you need to teach:  support Porcupine Game with Driving Game, use rhythm to support "follow a feel." Once your horse has the idea, however, do learn to win the Porcupine Game by developing positive reflexes to your touch (combined with your energy and intention). You want your horse to move over easily to the side just with fingers at phase one or a light phase two.

(Think of how easily and smoothly you can push a toy boat in water or roll a ball across a hardwood floor.) You'll create this sensitivity just as you have for every other form of communication: energy, intention, a long phase 1, quickly through phases 2 and 3 to an effective phase 4. Become aware of how often you ask your horse to follow a feel just in the course of feeding, leading, handling, riding out.  Every time you pick up that rope and take the slack out, you are playing the Porcupine Game; when mounted, every time you lift up your core (your energy) and "smile with all four cheeks" you are playing the Porcupine Game, every time you lift a rein and move it off center you are asking your horse to follow a feel.

And remember, if your horse moves without you actually touching her, or moves in anticipation of your touch,  that's not the Porcupine Game because there is no "feel" to follow! Rub your horse to a stop, gain his confidence and help him relax, then ask for movement with "touch the hair." You should be able to put your hands in position to prepare for sideways, for example, and have nothing happen as long as your energy is low and your intention is turned off.

My body is relaxed, my focus is slightly down, my energy is low, my intention is "off".

Keeping your hands in place,  raise your energy (literally stand up taller and lift your belly-button), turn on your intention and see what happens

Here, my life/body is "up", my focus is long and forward, my energy is up and my intention is turned on.

If she moves sideways at all, release! And smile. :) If he doesn't move, then continue with your energy and intention while increasing your phases until, if necessary, you are "touching" bone.

A critically important version of the Porcupine Game, which we first learn right away in Level 1, will be the subject of next month's "Can You?" and will help address a question from a student about the virtues (or not) of riding in a bit. Stay tuned!