How to Train a Horse to Trot Sideways

Do you want to train your horse to trot sideways?

Horses can be ridden and moved in different directions. The rhythm or cadence and beat of the gaits differ from each other. One of the gaits is the trot. Trot, by definition, is a gait faster than a walk. It is a two-beat gait where diagonally opposite legs strike the ground together. Definitely faster; similar to a jog, the horse will cover a lot more ground. The next gait faster than the trot is the canter.

Before attempting to teach your horse to trot sideways, you must first teach the animal to trot the basic way, forward. Although the gait is already natural to the horse, training is still required so he will get used to the movement with a rider.

Here’s a few horse tips:

1. Make sure that the horse already behaves when you are on the ground. It should be easily led and managed. If you are able to do it easily, it is a clear indicator that you can transition to riding the horse in the saddle and won’t have too much trouble teaching them to move with your legs.

2. Horses move via pressure that you apply. Teach them on the ground first. Once in a saddle teach him to read your signals with your leg and rein cues. Make sure to acknowledge and praise the horse for every correct execution of your instructions.

3. Clicker training and vocal cues can assist your teaching methods. Implement them in your training whenever possible.

4. Praises and the clicks are good motivators but every trainer needs more motivational tools such as treats for rewards. Motivators are things that make your horse understand and achieve success in conditioning faster and easier. The horse will understand that with every favorable result he will be rewarded. And it will be eager to perform again and again.

There are actually two ways to motivate an animal. One is positive reinforcement and the other is negative. Treats, clicks, and praises or rewards are positive ways to reinforce actions. While leg pressure and rein manipulation are considered negative reinforcement. Both are effective with equines.

5. You must focus on the direction and the exact body part you are trying to move. Trotting sideways will of course involve the animal’s legs. Touch it often, and gently giving physical cues that it should move in a certain direction. Be gentle at first and you will begin to determine the horses threshold for instruction.

Also, make it clear to the animal, as much as is possible, that you are trying to make it move with a certain gait in a particular direction.

6. Keep it simple. If the horse responds properly even with just a simple cue, good for you both! Avoid complicating things and train yourself to be easily satisfied. Do not go exactly “by the book” or do things exactly how others have told you. Do not give further cues if the horse already nailed the movement. You will just confuse the animal. Each animal is an individual and should be treated that way.

7. Technically, the cues that you should employ when you want your horse to trot sideways are:

Leg aids
Rein control
Verbal cues
Other Physical contact

All of these should be implemented as long as it is practical. Always monitor the movement of the horse so you get everything right. When applying horse training do not lose patience, your animal will understand in due time.