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A high-level dressage horse effortlessly moving sideways across the arena is a sight to behold. The horse's legs cross and uncross neatly as the rider sits motionless above and the crowd holds it's breath. The side-pass is a beautiful move in the show ring, and also useful for tricks like opening gates on horseback. The well-guarded secret is that any horse can learn how to side-pass, even one without the slightest bit of background in dressage.

The basis for the side-pass is the ability for the horse to move away from leg pressure. If your horse can already do that, you're in great shape. If not, you'll need to start with some simple ground work. Push on your horse's side until he moves away. As soon as he moves away, remove the pressure and give him lots of praise. Repeat this on each side until your horse moves away with a minimal amount of pressure. Make sure to try pushing in different places, too, so try pushing just on the shoulder or just on the haunches. If your horse really resists to pressure, pressing with the blunt 'handle' end of a riding crop may be more effective than your hand. You can practice this every time you're with your horse, push his shoulder over when you refill the water tank, give his rump a shove as you muck out the stall. Then when you're leading him in from the pasture, be sure to stop along the way to move him away from you. Make sure you put work into each side, and use the opportunity of having him haltered to see if he can move his shoulders or haunches without moving forward.

Once your horse is moving away from all sorts of pressure on the ground, try it out while mounted. As you circle around the ring, try pushing your horse into a smaller circle by applying some pressure with your outside leg. You'll find that short kicks are more effective than just laying your leg on him at first, but soon he'll be moving away from your leg with just a little pressure. Once your horse is turning off of leg pressure, try halting him and moving just his shoulder, then just his haunches, keeping a firm but responsive hold of the reins. Often horses will find these moves easier to one side than the other, just like we humans have a tendency to be right- or left-handed. Remember to start small and give praise at the first sign of movement away from pressure. As you get better at cueing your horse and your horse gets better at responding, gradually work up until your horse can move several steps before you release leg pressure. If your horse

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