First mount in water

Has anyone here ever used the technique of leading your horse into a lake, and then mounting in the water for the first few rides?

Are there any disadvantages?

Advantages I can see- when you come off, you hit water not arena.

Horse has a much harder time bucking due to the water giving resistance

Disadvantage - you get wet boots!

It seems a bit silly to me and counterproductive - i'm sure if the horse was that sure it wanted to buck, water wouldn't stop it. I would work on ensuring the horse is confident and ready for it's first ride than tricks used to stop it bucking or lessen injury!

Never thought of water being resistant before. Only disadvantage other then getting wet is getting hung up and drowning .

I've heard of cowboys starting their colts in deep deep snow drifts and riding them through that. Kind of the same thought process I would think.

I can see an upside to teaching your horse to be calm enough to mount everywhere - including water and on the trail but I don't really see a benefit to teaching mounting/riding there initially.

I would think it's more dangerous if your horse is already sort of iffy about the water plus you get wet and soppy plus you don't have very good footing to push off of.

I think a soft, sand arena is good enough XD

Isn't it part of horse ownership to hit the dirt every now and then? ;)

I've always heard the old cowboys that break their horses in the water. The thing that always got me. Is if the horse isn't waterloving. Then your practically going to have to drag it out there unless you have a decent bond and partnership. And if you have that then getting in the saddle the first time would be a pretty easy process. You would also end up with a wet saddle and that's not very fun if it's leather!! Trust me on that one!

Ive heard of this being done a lot at beaches.
Honestly an arena/ round yard is a much safer location to start a horse

I thought it was an old Native American technique. They were supposed to be great horsemen, apparantly. Hard to know now what is myth and what was reality about all that.
It worked for Alec in The Black Stallion, lol!

I heard that's what native Americans did to break their colts and fillys. I'm pretty sure it can be very productive and less harm done to you when falling off.
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Don't be so sure. An unbroken horse is unpredictable enough. Water isnt always safe. What would happen if the horse reared up and hit you in the head? And you got knocked out and fall in the water?