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Discussion on Gelding WILL NOT CROSS WATER | |
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Posted on Thursday, Feb 21, 2002 - 1:20 pm: Help! I have a wonderful 4 year old Rocky Mountain gelding that is a true joy to trail ride except he will not cross water, no matter how small or large. He will literally launch himself over the smallest stream, posing a hazard not only for his rider, but himself. He is not bad for baths, and as a foal often played in a small pond in his pasture. Any suggestions? |
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Posted on Thursday, Feb 21, 2002 - 1:54 pm: Hi!My husband has a Rocky Mountain gelding also. He will 6 years old soon. We started him on trails last summer, and - same thing. Would not cross water, not even the tiniest ditch. This one grew up on a ranch - could not imagine why the fear of water. He also will not tolerate a bath with the hose! Anyway, I took him to a Parelli clinic, with an instructor I knew well. So, we did the Parelli thing - from the ground, with the carrot stick at the withers. However, finally I had to throw the 12 ft rope to the instructor, who was in the pond with his horse - after about 10 minutes of keeping him focused (all the other horses were having a great time in the water), he finally stepped in. However, the instructor's horse was an experienced roping horse - this would only work with an experienced horse. We re-inforced the lesson a few more times - always with a "water savvy" horse leading the way. For the rest of the summer he was much better. Now - after a long dry winter, I may have to re-do the water lesson. Sometimes I have him balking at even a small ditch. Then I do the John Lyons thing - pick a spot and keep the horse pointed to that spot. Finally, he seems to shrug his shoulders and step over the ditch. He does not jump, which is good. My mare always jumped ditches, if they were narrow enough. Therefore, it is better to try the water training with a larger body of water - they will not be tempted to leap into it, since they know they cannot get across. I hope this helps a bit - I know the frustration of being on a nice trail ride and dreading getting to a stream. Every body of water will have its own challenges - horses like it better when it is clear water and not too deep. Small, murky dark puddles seem to be the worst!!! Lilo |
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Posted on Thursday, Feb 21, 2002 - 2:18 pm: Part of the problem with horses crossing water is that they don't have good depth perception. My experience has always been, don't make what they want to do a big deal. In other words focus on a solution. If your horse doesn't want to cross water, don't just keep asking him to go forward, take him away from the water and get him busy- do some rollbacks and spins and back up and turn around. If you get him busy thinking about what you want and not about what he wants when you take him back to the water he may be thinking to himself- what is she/he going to ask me to do next? That way he is not focused on the scary water anymore, he is focused on what you want him to do. Keep him busy until he is focused enough on you that the water doesn't matter anymore.Hope this helps, Jennifer |
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Posted on Thursday, Feb 21, 2002 - 3:48 pm: Hi, Paula,We have had this discussion before on this site. One person found it easier to back her horse through water. I have found that it works to combine both Liselotte's and Jennifer's suggestions -- face your horse to a large bit of water (I have a trail road nearby that floods every spring so that about 100 feet of it is covered with water up to knee depth) and don't give your horse a chance to turn away unless you ASK him to turn. Whether you decide to put your horse on a circle or keep him facing the water just keep asking for forward and praise him when he obeys. You know, your horse IS obeying your cue to go forward when he is jumping the water. If your horse is good about obeying your forward cue in other situations, he will want to obey your cue in this instance also. It is important to allow the horse the freedom to put his head down to examine the water and even paw it if he asks to do so. Be really light on the reins so he doesn't feel trapped. I have noticed that a couple of my horses like to test the water first to see if there really is ground underneath it. Sometimes they will even sip it a little. I think we have said before, and I know I have heard John Lyons say it, that if you are on a six mile trail ride but your horse won't cross the puddle a 1/4 mile from your barn, then make that puddle your trail ride for that day. Be patient, kind, firm and wait it out. The horse CAN cross the water, and if you can instill confidence in him, he will do it for you. If you don't have any very large puddles or ponds that you can use for training, then your horse is probably going to want to keep jumping across the small puddles and streams. You can block his jump if you are really focused. Just before your horse jumps, his body will tell you the jump is coming. At that point, I would immediately ask for a bend and forward several times, making him work on a circle.(Alternate directions so he doesn't get all his practice on one side.) This refocusses the horse on the fact that you are controlling where and how he can move, and if you are consistent in catching him before he jumps, he will finally figure out that jumping isn't going to work, and that whenever he thinks of jumping he is going to have to do more work than he would do if he just walked through the water. Remember that the water isn't the issue, so be careful not to focus on the water yourself. Praise him "to Kingdom come" when he finally does walk through, and if you can come home the same way, it will provide extra practice. Don't be dismayed if you have to reteach the lesson on the way home or if you have to reteach the lesson the next few times you ride. The teaching times will become shorter and shorter each time. Both you and your horse will grow closer as you work to resolve these kinds of communications glitches. Holly |
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Posted on Thursday, Feb 21, 2002 - 7:17 pm: When he is turned out, my boy will head for water and wade and roll.Under saddle, it's a whole 'nother question. NO NO mama - there's alligators in that puddle! If there's water along the fence in the arena, I can definately keep his head, shoulders, and saddle aligned straight thru the puddle, but those hoofs go straight sideways out from under me and tip toe around the water! (At least that's what it feels like.) Not much help, I'm afraid. I have such a laugh at him, that I haven't really tried to train it out of him. |
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Posted on Thursday, Feb 21, 2002 - 9:09 pm: Just a safety reminder, if your technique is to try to walk your horse on a lead back and forth across a puddle for water training, be extra careful. The horse can decide to jump that puddle and jump right on top of you! I saw it happen with a friend who was trying to urge their horse across a puddle - facing the horse on the other side of the water and tugging. Horse responded to tug with a leap across, right into friend. Thank goodness she was quick enough to jump mostly out of the way, but did get bumped enough to fall in the puddle herself. |
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Posted on Friday, Feb 22, 2002 - 2:18 pm: What Linda said is very important. I did not describe the Parelli method very well - essentially you are at the side of the horse, tapping on the withers with a stiff crop. Any forward movement, stop the tapping as a reward. Then, start again and try for some more forward movement. However, because the horse is next to you, he cannot jump on top of you. My mare did that to me once - it is not fun!!!Once, with that Rocky Mountain gelding, during another clinic, we came to a running stream. All the horses went in, except mine. They waited in the stream for me, while I got off and did the driving game (the Parelli halter comes with a 12' rope, which is helpful). Anyway, I finally got him into the water, then climbed on, and rode him through. The point I am trying to make is - even if he finally gets comfortable with one situation, he may balk again at an unfamiliar crossing. Good luck!! Lilo |
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Posted on Friday, Feb 22, 2002 - 2:27 pm: Will he cross if you're with other horses, and they continue down the trail on the other side of this scary body of water? Maybe his herd instinct will kick in and the fear of being left behind will overpower the fear of getting his feet wet. |
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Posted on Sunday, Feb 24, 2002 - 3:23 pm: On Melissa's hint: Sometimes it works, sometimes it backfires. With my mare, who absolutely hated water, when my husband rode ahead and possibly out of sight, she became absolutely unmanageable. A lot of trainers do not recommend this method.However, the last time my husband was on the gelding and he balked at a small crossing, he made me ride ahead and the gelding jumped the creek. So, it can work, but it is somewhat risky. I try to remember John Lyons' admonition: the rider must be safe, the horse must be safe, and the horse should be calmer after the lesson than before. That last part is the most difficult. Lilo |
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