Water

[Becca]

Right I have never known Bernie to be scared of water but recently lauren has told me he has been dodging puddles (which she then makes him walk through). Then the other day she tried him at the water jump and she said he was doing pathetic little hoppy rears and trying to spin round!!!!!!

Last night she asked if i could go down and help her try sort it, which of course i did (in my white linen trousers and flip flops!!!!!)

He was such a git! I was so suprised! anyway we ended on a good note with him calmly standing at the edge of the water (there are two was in, a slope and a jump in, we were on the slope) then i got lauren to walk him away taking the opposite route to the one he was trying to run out off.

Ideas please? I'm thinking it may be because our water jump is very deep at the moment but i don't know whether to leave it till the water level has dropped a bit or not?

thanks in advance

[aimee]

If he had bever been scared before, and is not in any discomfort if everyother aspect of riding is normal, then I would say that he is just taking the pi*s. So has he never refused with you before? Who is Lauren? Is she a strong rider or do you think she can be a bit of a pushover? Coz horses will pick that up and milk it for all its worth. Silly reasons like its too cold or whatever...I would 100% insist he goes in. Would not leave until he has done it as then he will think that having a little hissy fit will mean he dont get wet and go home! lol
We have this with Jaffa, one week he ploughs through the puddles even dunking his nose in, next week, he stands on tiptoes and tries to shimmy his 17+hh butt onto the fence! lol wimps! good luck!

[racaille]

This might be daft but ... has it been sunny recently? Often the nags don't like water (having been fine before) when they can see reflections on it and this may be why the problem has only recently started. Lauren is doing the right thing to insist Bernie goes through puddles etc.
I had the same problem with Paco during a Trec PTV when he simply refused to go through the water. Eventually he gave in when I gave him no other choice but it did take a good 10 minutes of battling.
I don't know of any quick fix-its - patient training seems to be the only real solution. When I can't find water I sometimes ask Paco to cross a bright blue plastic sheet, which he loathes, but it's all part of the 'you can trust me, I will keep you safe no matter what I ask you to do' thing.
Good luck!

[Becca]

Hey guys ta.

Lauren is my sharer, she is a very gentle rider but never lets him take the piss. He will take the piss if you let him but usually gives in quite easy when made to do something, realises it is far less hard word to just do it haha.
I'm thinking it may be refections, it is very deep at the mo flooding one part of the step so you can see the edge of it under warter, maybe i should leave it till the water drops a bit. Strange though as he has aways been the "do as he's told, not scared of anything" cob

[maximum]

if he has gone into what he expected to be shallow water and its been a bit deep he may have given himself a fright.
he has no way to tell the depth so find some very shallow water and stick to that for a while so he will settle and once the water level has dropped a bit pop him in the water jump.

[brigadier]

Hi Becca

All of the abovesounds good to me. The lady who taught me my youngstock stuff had this approach to water but its not really applicable for you- just typing it out of interest really to generate some comments on methods.
She would ride a young horse in the village where there was a shallow cobbled forge and ride the horse towards it as if there wasnt anything there, she would have a whip turned upside down ready and as soon as the horse balked (if it did) she would ride it srongly forward hitting it behind the girth on both sides. the horse would be so suprised it would spring forward and through the water and out the other side. Then she would ride it calmy forward as if nothing had happened. Her horses NEVER NEVER had a problem after that first time.

The first time I saw this I thought it was cruel but she reasoned they had no time to think about it so it never started a big problem for them, they obeyed the rider straight away and came out the other side safely so they learned to trust the forward aids of the rider.

I have to add she wasnt whip happy- she wasnt cruel- in fact she was fantastic with young horses and produced many horses that went on to international stardom for both jumping and eventing.

I have used the same method when riding through a farm and the horse didnt want to go through the open sided barns with cattle snorting at him. (you could have ridden this horse down the motorway but not in a field of sheep!) and it worked a treat.


What methods do other peole use?

[abi]

theyre usually wary if they cant see the bottom, they dont know if they'll be able to get out again!

go to the beach, if atall you can. the saltwater is meant to be very good for hooves and legs, and because it gradually gets deeper you can go in slowly, and build confidence. i only ever go knee deep just incase it gets sticky sand or suddenly deeper, but find starting out with a cm of water and slowly going deeper really helps build confidence, and having a canter throuhgh a shallow bit will build muscles too! x

[FirenLady]

Fire is very good with water now but didn't much like it when i first got him. If hes having one of his off moments i will sit there with my hands wide and squeeze with my legs. In no urgency but just to let him its the only option, he soon gets the idea. I've walked him through giant puddles up to his knees no problamo.

[Blonde Donkey]

at PC camp me and savvy spent 30mins trying to get in the water lol. just generally being a tit and when she got in she sorta looked at me "ooh it's not too bad" lol muppet mare, get her in water and you can't get her out

[Maes Seren]

Took Gem about 30 secs after having a lead from her buddy to realise that water was cool! She will stand in it, deep water, with it up to her belly, jump into and out of it with loads of confidence (once she realised what she had to do!) but give her a stream or a puddle and youre in bad books!