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Puddles

918 views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  CowboyBob 
#1 ·
I have a horse who will go around any small puddle. Any puddle he can maybe go around...or over…he will. He is perfect for larger bodies of water, it's just he'll go around it if he can.
I have a general idea on fixing this… making going through the puddle easier than not, but if anyone has any suggestions, or has gone through this as well I'd love some advice.
 
#2 ·
almost every horse I have worked with....

sounds like you have a handle on what to do, wrong thing hard, right thing easier.

An old timer told me long ago that horse don't like the puddles because of the reflection, they can't see the bottom so they don't know how deep it is....wonder if he was right?
 
#3 ·
As long as they'll go through larger bodies of water and going around them isn't going to hurtle me off a cliff or into traffic then I really don't make a big deal of it - maybe they see the small puddles more like holes than water because most horses seem to prefer to avoid stepping in them?
I did once ride my bike through a puddle on a canal path and the front wheel pretty much disappeared into it and I went over the handlebars...........
 
#5 ·
I think this is something that would be remedied better through ground work, rather than in the saddle. Master it on the ground, then get back on and work on riding through it.

If he's cool with larger bodies of water though, then I wouldn't make too big of a deal out of it. Sometimes my mare does that, it's weird, but I think there's something to what jaydee mentioned, they might think they're holes!
 
#8 ·
This ^^^^^
Stand at the edge of the shark infested puddle as long as it takes, don't let him turn away from it. Ask for forward, if he tries to turn left, turn him back right, etc. if he backs up, ask for forward back to the edge. He will soon realize that THE PUDDLE is THE FOCUS and he's not allowed to entertain any other ideas. When he finally takes one step and gets even just one foot wet, go soft and relaxed and praise him, maybe give him a nice rub on the neck. Back out, or walk out, re-face the dreaded horse swallowing puddle and ask again. Build from that. Worked for me, and was a trainer's advice as well. It does help to have really good timing to catch his avoidance maneuver before he is well into it and recorrect immediately as it helps convince him that your leadership is worth following and you seem to be able to read his intention and prevent it....wow! what a leader.

Fay
 
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#7 ·
I have a horse who will go around any small puddle. Any puddle he can maybe go around...or over…he will.



This is because he has a rider , who is just a passenger along for the ride and not the one in charge . Horses do things like this , because their rider allowed it to happen. If you dont let a bad habit start, you will not have one to fix.
 
#9 ·
I might be a little different then others. I us to fight little puddles to make the horse walk through them. One day I thought, why fight this little puddle whats the point. I know my horse will go in water when I tell him to, its just this little puddle he steps over or around, big puddle he walk through with out problem. I just gave up, small puddles aren't worth the fight, as long as I don't feel my horse is going way out of the way to miss one I let it go, if they step over a puddle rather then in the puddle so what. Most of the time I have bigger fish to fry then a small puddle. I understand why people fight small puddles, and writing this I am even thinking am I wrong to not fight it, but... I don't know...I think, I think its still not worth the fight... maybe...
Hows that for an answer? :)
 
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