Move her butt over

I had the same problem with my mares. I found that sheer brute force did NOT work in getting them to move away from me. In fact generally the harder I tried to push, the harder they pushed back. Luckily I noticed that they were doing this while they were still young, so I started working with them in the slip (tie) stall while I was feeding. Generally they have to move to one side or the other to let me by when I am bringing their feed and/or hay to the trough/manger.

What worked for me was to catch them side stepping to let me by and I would say “OVER” in a firm, but matter of fact way. Everytime they moved out my way I would praise them and pet their necks. Eventually I added pressing a single finger into their hip just behind the middle of the flank with the normal “OVER”. They caught on in just a matter of days that I wanted them to move away when they heard the word “OVER” OR when they felt my index finger pressing into their hip.

Sometimes they will still get confused and move the wrong direction, in other words INTO me instead of AWAY from me when I say over … especially if we are not in the slip stall. At that point I have to remember DO NOT push against them. Generally as soon as they contact me they recognize their error and start to move back away. However, if they don’t I press the index finger straight into the hip & give the over command. Remember to praise when they do yield right of way to you and in no time you should have a well mannered team.

Hope this helps … it is what worked for me.

I think it is also important to make yourself known. Speak to the horse and let them know you are there, and that you don’t appreciate being squished. You don’t have to bark, just speak admonishingly to them.

Many times the horse will step out of your way to be able to look back at you.

Also, I have had good luck with the soft pressure point in the flank, just behind the ribs and in front of the hip. Very little pressure here should get them to step quickly to the side.

If the index finger doesn’t work, use the elbow, pushing not jabbing, in the ribs for the front end. When you get the intended result, move to the lighter touch of the finger and reinforce.

It will also help if you work on this every time you are near your horses, rather than waiting for a misdemeanor to try to correct it.

Carl

I have used similar techniques that are being discussed here with great success. I just wanted to add that you can transition to a verbal command such as “over” or we used to use a kissing sound. A cluck was always a command to move forward, and a kissing noise was asking for a lateral movement, such as moving over on the cross ties, moving sideways to the mounting block, or sidepassing while working a gate while mounted. You can get them to the point that you don’t have to touch them at all. Now that I think about, it the old mare would respond to a small kissing noise with a slight reaction and a longer more aggressive kissing noise with bigger sideways steps until a whoa let her know where to plant her feet. I am sure that there are many variations of verbal commands for moving a horse over, this is the one that we used.

Sounds like you have made some progress, but I’m a bit concerned that you were unsuccessful with pressure. There should be no way that your horse resist pressure in the flank area, between rib and hip.

This is a very soft and sensitive area, and quite commonly used as a pressure point to get a horse to step over. The fact that she pushed back makes me wonder if she won’t do that again, even after you get her to step over with your tapping method.

I think you need to have respect from her when you are next to her. Try to remember that you need to be bigger than her, at least in her mind, and that she has no business pushing against you.

It is important that once you undertake an effort to push her over that you not let her get away with standing still, or worse pushing back. That is why it is important to use the soft part of the flank, using your hand like a blade (several fingers together for extra rigidity), push until she steps over. She will not be able to resist you.

Keep up the good work, Carl

This is one of those cases where less is more. A horse can feel a fly land on its hair. They have highly developed hearing.
It stands to reason that they only need you to ask in those manners and levels.
Before I got my mares they had competed pulling. They get high, really quick. Thats why I was able to get them. They kept running away with the old man and he didn’t have the means to work them through it.
They taught me that the lower and more gentle I asked for something. Anything. The more compliant they were. Always trying to get softer.
I have had great sucess dealing on this level. They know exactly where I am at and actually have started interpreting my body language alone. Something like the movement of my head will cause their movement. Especially the one that tended to get high the easiest.
The other thing that I have become aware of is my position in relationship to what I was asking them to do.
Also mules excell at this level of communication.
I hope this helps