How do you move a horse through a gate safely and what are the common mistakes handlers make?

Moving a horse through a gate is one of the most practically important and most poorly executed ground handling tasks, and Clinton Anderson addresses it specifically because gate incidents — horses running through, handlers being squeezed, horses bolting when the gate opens — are among the most common causes of ground handling injuries. Anderson's gate protocol begins with the horse standing quietly while the handler opens the gate. If the horse moves toward the gate or tries to push through while it is being opened, the handler immediately backs the horse several steps and asks it to stand again before touching the gate. This step is not skipped even if it takes ten repetitions — the horse must demonstrate it will wait before the gate is opened. Once the gate is open, Anderson uses his Sending Exercise to direct the horse through the opening rather than leading it through alongside him. The horse goes first, directed by the handler from behind and to the side, while the handler maintains the gate. This keeps the handler's body out of the squeeze zone between the horse and the gate frame, which is where most gate injuries occur. After the horse is through, it is asked to halt and stand while the handler comes through and closes the gate. The horse should not be allowed to walk on or turn away until the gate is latched and the handler has stepped to a safe position. The most common handler mistakes Anderson identifies are: opening the gate while the horse is already pushing into it — which teaches the horse that pushing opens gates — walking through alongside the horse — which puts the handler in the squeeze zone — and allowing the horse to walk off immediately after passing through — which teaches the horse to rush through gates. Each of these mistakes is easy to correct with consistent enforcement of the halt-and-wait rule before and after every gate passage.