Post edited 8:58 am – April 5, 2010 by qmhkathe

A dead sided horse is a horse that does not listen to the lower leg.  If there is constant pressure on the side of a horse with the calf the horse will stop responding to a slight pressure and could quit listening to the leg all together.  A person needs to have a soft leg and not grip with the calf or be constantly banging the horse with their lower leg or spur.  Keeping a tight lower leg or always using the spur can dull a horse to the pressure of the lower leg. Use the lower leg for communication to ask them to move forward then release, or to ask for lateral movement then release.  When a horse is soft to the lower leg they move forward or laterally easily because they are soft and listening.  When they are listening there is no struggle about communication with your leg.  If the horse is dull to the leg there is a possibility he is dull in other areas of working with him too.   Yes there are things that can be done, by using the leg effectively a horse can become very responsive to the leg.  You might need to get some help from an instructor who has worked with Natural Horsemanship techniques.  You might also consider attending a  Buck Brannaman Clinic or another clinician who has worked with Buck.