fear of puddles, time to conquer it!

[weesophz]

the question is.. how?

fox hates puddles. he wont go through them point blank. on a hack he will fight and fight to avoid them and i always have to go around them and thats not always easy! if the schools wet he's all over the place, darts to the side, goes off the track and always unbalances himself.

since this week im wanting to just get everything back on track, i want to start getting him over this daft fear. it doesnt matter if its a teeny puddle or a huge one, a shallow one or a deep one, he just will not cooperate.

so, any tips guys? heard of people using tarpaulin, but i dont have any of that handy..

 

[tessybear]

the question is.. how?

fox hates puddles. he wont go through them point blank. on a hack he will fight and fight to avoid them and i always have to go around them and thats not always easy! if the schools wet he's all over the place, darts to the side, goes off the track and always unbalances himself.

since this week im wanting to just get everything back on track, i want to start getting him over this daft fear. it doesnt matter if its a teeny puddle or a huge one, a shallow one or a deep one, he just will not cooperate.

so, any tips guys? heard of people using tarpaulin, but i dont have any of that handy..

Our girl was like this well not as bad but didn't like water, took her to the beach went into the sea problem solved

 

[weesophz]

i really want to take him to the beach, 2 things have always stopped me! mainly transport, the other being that im convinced it would be a nightmare cos he would freak at the waves

 

[ArabianGem78]

Marjorie still thinks crocodiles lurk at the bottom of every puddle. When we 1st moved to Devon and our new hacking which has A LOT of fords, I spent the first few rides hopping off and leading through until she was confidently walking through. Now, although each puddle is treated with great suspicion, she powers through them once she has ascertained no crocs are lurking.

 

[weesophz]

Marjorie still thinks crocodiles lurk at the bottom of every puddle. When we 1st moved to Devon and our new hacking which has A LOT of fords, I spent the first few rides hopping off and leading through until she was confidently walking through. Now, although each puddle is treated with great suspicion, she powers through them once she has ascertained no crocs are lurking.

hes even worse when i try to lead him! pulls back and does these wee mini rears, i defintely have better control when im on him. feel safer too. a wee 5ft person like me has no chance against a stubborn 15.2 tb on his back legs haha

 

[tessybear]

hes even worse when i try to lead him! pulls back and does these wee mini rears, i defintely have better control when im on him. feel safer too. a wee 5ft person like me has no chance against a stubborn 15.2 tb on his back legs haha

Could you get someone on a horse who is happy with puddles to go through them in front of him on a hack and maybe once he sees that horse hasn't been ripped to shreds he may pluck up the courage?

 

[RLS]

I have a arab horsey that really doesn't like water. I used to spend a lot of time getting off to lead him through the water/ puddles/ fords. Think I nearly ended up with trench foot, spent so much time with wet feet! but it did work, he's still not great with water but will go through puddles/ streams/ even a water jump at the JX! (was very pleased with him and myself for that! haha). I often ride at the beach and I have given up on getting him into the waves and sea itself, but can still have a great ride going through the large puddles as the tide goes out.
So, just keep at it, my horse just lacked the confidence, so be firm but don't beat him up over it.

 

[metalmare]

I sympathise with you on this.

I once had an 18 y/o on loan who wouldn't walk through puddles and I remember one ride where a puddle was blocking a gateway and I tried coaxing, pushing on, getting off and leading, everything, for 20 minutes and in the end she started rearing and I had to call it a day and turn back. In her case I felt it would be very difficult to teach the old dog new tricks.

So when I was bringing on a yearling a couple of years ago I ensured that water was a big part of his training... deliberately leading him through puddles, hosing him down, etc. Even with a blank canvas it wasn't easy. I remember a puddle blocked his gateway once and I simply stood on the far side of the puddle, putting very gentle pressure on the halter with a lunge line, for around 30 minutes, until eventually he gave in and jumped it. Then the key is to lead back and forth through the puddle a few times and give lots of praise. I also demonstrated how much fun puddles are by splashing around in them lots. Had I had another horse at hand I would have given him a lead through.

I think water shyness is hard to overcome - it does help if you have a puddle blocking a gateway as they have to go through, not round, then I think you need to give yourself an hour to get him through and just wait patiently. Use a lunge, wait on the far side, allow him to get bored and try not to make it a big deal. Constant gentle pressure I feel is better than big pulls which will result in him pulling back and bunny rearing in all likelihood. Then when he (probably) leaps it lots of praise and repetition.

Good luck!

 

[pines of rome]

No mine hates puddles, he used to just refuse to go past them, but we can do that now but he still will not go through a big one!
This sums him up!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9PwWq3le9A

 

[weesophz]

Could you get someone on a horse who is happy with puddles to go through them in front of him on a hack and maybe once he sees that horse hasn't been ripped to shreds he may pluck up the courage?

doesnt work haha, this was the first thing i tried! should have put that in the first bit sorry!

 

[RLS]

Could you get someone to walk (on the ground) ahead of you, while you ride? Maybe even with a treat for him? then you would still have better control being on his back (and also the other preson gets their feet wet!! may need a box of choccies to give them after).

 

[weesophz]

No mine hates puddles, he used to just refuse to go past them, but we can do that now but he still will not go through a big one!
This sums him up!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9PwWq3le9A

HAHA omg! this is mine too! love the shakey legs bit hahaha

 

[weesophz]

Could you get someone to walk (on the ground) ahead of you, while you ride? Maybe even with a treat for him? then you would still have better control being on his back (and also the other preson gets their feet wet!! may need a box of choccies to give them after).

we tried this yesterday, sharer was on him, i tried leading, tried coaxing, didnt happen, its mad how scary he finds them cos nothing else phases him!

 

[weesophz]

I sympathise with you on this.

I once had an 18 y/o on loan who wouldn't walk through puddles and I remember one ride where a puddle was blocking a gateway and I tried coaxing, pushing on, getting off and leading, everything, for 20 minutes and in the end she started rearing and I had to call it a day and turn back. In her case I felt it would be very difficult to teach the old dog new tricks.

So when I was bringing on a yearling a couple of years ago I ensured that water was a big part of his training... deliberately leading him through puddles, hosing him down, etc. Even with a blank canvas it wasn't easy. I remember a puddle blocked his gateway once and I simply stood on the far side of the puddle, putting very gentle pressure on the halter with a lunge line, for around 30 minutes, until eventually he gave in and jumped it. Then the key is to lead back and forth through the puddle a few times and give lots of praise. I also demonstrated how much fun puddles are by splashing around in them lots. Had I had another horse at hand I would have given him a lead through.

I think water shyness is hard to overcome - it does help if you have a puddle blocking a gateway as they have to go through, not round, then I think you need to give yourself an hour to get him through and just wait patiently. Use a lunge, wait on the far side, allow him to get bored and try not to make it a big deal. Constant gentle pressure I feel is better than big pulls which will result in him pulling back and bunny rearing in all likelihood. Then when he (probably) leaps it lots of praise and repetition.

Good luck!

i dont have any gate ways unfortunately! infact theres not many places in my yard that water gathers except the school! i got him to go through the worst part of the school leading him, but its not any better when im riding him in there. hes just so much worse on hacks, i dont think it would be wise to be standing on a road for an hour with him haha

 

[Caol Ila]

Have you set him with a water crossing where he has to follow another horse through water that he can't go round (most puddles you can go round)? If they think they're about to be left behind by their mates, they can change their minds about all sorts of things.

 

[weesophz]

Have you set him with a water crossing where he has to follow another horse through water that he can't go round (most puddles you can go round)? If they think they're about to be left behind by their mates, they can change their minds about all sorts of things.

he's happy to do it in the feild with his pals, we have a small bridge over a river into the summer field, when that floods (its often right up foxs legs when it does) he crosses it fine, hes came across it before when ive shouted him, but i think that was cos he was cold and wet so i dont know if he takes the mick with these puddles, but he does seem genuinely scared..

 

[Pinkvboots]

My arab hated them would just plant himself so I used to get off and lead him so then he would run through soaking me, his 8 now and will go through anything it just takes time, I used to go in the school find a puddle and get him to stand in it just for a few seconds at a time, using treats can work too just keep at it he will get used to them.

 

[First Time Mum]

create a large puddle and put his feed bucket the other side he will quickly learn that the puddle isnt going to kill him

 

[First Time Mum]

create a large puddle and put his feed bucket the other side he will quickly learn that the puddle isnt going to kill him

Sorry just seen some of the other posts this probably wont work. We are lucky in that we have an exceptionally muddy wet lane behind us so everything goes water training on the long lines down here - do you have any thing similar you could use.

 

[weesophz]

FTM not really im afraid. there a road i can take him down where a huge puddle always is (its where most of the problems occur..) but again it is a road and cars and cyclists are always going down there so i dont think it would be suitable

 

[wallykissmas]

Mine hated puddles , water, hoses etc but with time he has realised he has no choice-he is six and knows it all......The puddle breaker was down a farm track with hedges either side, the puddle went right across and a nice calm horse behind us but not too close.

From simply keeping my leg on , he did spin but brought him back to the same position, reins nice and wide, a few tiny rears but didn't put too much pressure on him to make him freak, he eventually went through with lots of praise and every puddle we could find for the rest of the hack he now turns to sticking his nose into every puddle we find and stomping his hooves splashing all up my legs and often into my face.

However I think being splashed is the lesser of two evils

 

[Suechoccy]

Come and live in a river valley, where floods mean many bridleways and tracks are totally underwater for half or all of their length.

brings a whole new meaning to the word "puddle".

Once you live in such a place and your ned realises that every single ride, sometimes every time he leaves his field, will involve a good length of hoof-snorkelling, they soon get to accept it as normal.

 

[chazza44]

This is interesting. Mine hates them as he only came over from Spain in June.

He is getting better (weather has forced this) but it's a battle every time. Our best hacking is over a ford (no chance) which is annoying.

Once the gate to his field flooded during the day and he wouldn't go through it. Luckily I had a carrot in my pocket and I waggled it in front of him and funnily enough he forgot about his water phobia. Am considering a carrot on a stick method to get through the ford come summer......

 

[weesophz]

Come and live in a river valley, where floods mean many bridleways and tracks are totally underwater for half or all of their length.

brings a whole new meaning to the word "puddle".

Once you live in such a place and your ned realises that every single ride, sometimes every time he leaves his field, will involve a good length of hoof-snorkelling, they soon get to accept it as normal.

i wish i could!

 

[mandwhy]

I think it is often because they can't see the bottom, I have had two horses like this, the first one worse than the next (a TB, he was also not at all happy when I started raining even though he lived out!) First one I took out with a pony who happily sploshed through them and he was almost cured by the end of the hack! Second one I take out in hand a lot and walk through them myself first, sometimes you have to think about the type of puddle! If its on a dirt track do you really *know* its not 3ft deep? And if its on tarmac it probably isn't. When we hacked yesterday we led the hack and she went through them no problem and her confidence in general seems way up.

Maybe put his food in the middle of a giant puddle?!

 

[Miss L Toe]

I had one, who would hardly pass a water trough, so deep was his fear, what i did was pour a bucket of water outside his stable every day till he got over that problem a bit, but even after a year or so he was always unpredictable prefering to jump over and not walk thru a puddle

 

[kirstyl]

How is your rein back? My horse would plant at puddles amongst other things and my aim was to keep him moving what ever direction. I found I could reverse into water pretty well, then I would stay in water and walk around a bit to try to acclimatise him. Good luck!

 

[HorsesHavingFun]

Haven't really got any advice to add but I wanted to share something someone once told me: A horse often doesn't just see 'a puddle', but he sees the reflection of the moving clouds and trees in it, making it more scary and potentially dangerous in his eyes.

Just thought that was interesting as I've never thought of it that way

 

[ribbons]

Maybe give Robert Samson a ring, see if he will lend you axle, lol.