how can i get the idiotic little sh*t in the water? long sorry

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moodymares

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a bit of background......

i have had my heavy for 7 years and is been a rough few years but i have finally sussed him!!! we can hack, school, jump 2'9 in the sj feild with little fuss now (3 months ago i was scared riding him down the lane) but get in the xc field and he is a different horse i have worked with him a lot down there and we have gone from being able to ride around happilly in walk trot and canter untill i put him to jump then he would leap and tank and generally prat around to being able to jump the small ones and 9 times out of ten retain a sensible head!!
However the water is causing us major problems! in the past he has been known to love water from crossing streams to riding up them and he has even been in the water at Badminton on a fun ride. He has taken the lead past my old pony who would not go in infront.
However yesterday we tried the water for the first time and he would not go in. We tried all ways but no joys after an hour we gave up.
today i went down and managed to get him to step in but only once wont go back in.

i have tried:
trotting up to it - he literally just slams on the breaks and spins/ runs backwards
walking up to it - same response as trotting
doing lots of transitions fine but he still stops
riding up and down to and from it closer each time - again spins and runs backwards
riding circles
having my brother encouraging him from the ground and trying to walk through in front of him!
in the end i resulted to spining very tightly on left rein round and round then driving him forwards and he found him self in the water before he knew it. however when we tried to go in again nothing would work. i gave him loads of praise whilst he was in the water and we just splashed around for a bit the jumped out.
i have spent god knows how long just stood by it allowing him to sniff it but as soon as i ask him to move forward he runs back/spins round/threatens to rear and tank.
he gets himself soo worked up and its just no fun i really want to be able to do it as we have come so far every other way.

i cannot cary a stick on xc as he is scared of them and it makes his anxiety worse and he just gets more wound up and stupid.
so does anyone know how i can get the silly little muppet in?

thanks all
 
moodymares said:
a bit of background......


However the water is causing us major problems! in the past he has been known to love water from crossing streams to riding up them and he has even been in the water at Badminton on a fun ride. He has taken the lead past my old pony who would not go in infront.

so does anyone know how i can get the silly little muppet in?

thanks all
Click to expand...
Trug buckets float!

Treats in a feed bucket and play stretch & reach.
 
If he has been in water happily before then what is there different about this bit of water? Is it deeper, a drop in, or is the ground different, a soft sandy ground can make them feel very insecure as they tend to sink a bit.

I'd try to find a spot where the water gradually gets deeper, with good footing underneath. A lead horse would be a good idea and just ask for a foot in at first and gradually build up to getting deeper.

Keeping calm and not getting stressed about it yourself will help, along with patience and perseverence, good luck!
 
if he trusts you i'd be leading him in - that's how i got my mare into the sea... other than that - i'd never let him turn away - walk up slowly - any resistance stop for a bit but never let him turn away - aloow him to calm down then ask again for him to go forward - priase when he does go forward - even if only a short half stride - could take longer but you may find he accepts that better than more forceful methods
make sure the access is as nice as piossible too
 
I'd second posie_honey, try leading him through it, use treats/food if you have to. Once he's going in happily with you leading, then try riding him in :) good luck.
 
Personally I would just stop a second and take a deep breathe!

Treats etc I think are pointless to a waste of time and add to the flaffing around approach.

I would forget him going into the water for a moment. Get off him and break your aims down. Use a headcollar leadrope/halter or whatever and make sure you can move his feet around side to side and watch him body language.

My possible first opinion would be walk up the water and allow him to relax for a moment first - Let him sniff whatever for a little while and remain relaxed. Then, ask him to go into the water with you, if he refuses get him moving his feet (look at his stance, if he has his back legs wider than his front legs this means he is about to refuse/rear/pull back or whatever from this stance he will not move forwards) so move his feet so this changes, once he is in a ready to move stance wiggle his head side to side to make it annoying and the only way is forwards. Once he has his feet/foot into the water stop and let him relax. Then proceed again and so on and so forth. Then once you can splash and walk in an out (loads of times) ride him in there one step at a time. Basically just break it down and try not to start some sort of fight - win or lose situation as tempers and emotions will fly. Just keep calm and very consistant.


Goodluck.x
 
My TB wouldn't go in or near the water when I got him, and I sussed it by putting my wellies on and leading him round it and eventually through it. At first I would walk through the water's edge, but he would be on the dry, then I gently managed to pursuade him to put a toe in and we went along the edge several times, and each time I'd encourage him in a bit deeper. Within a couple of days he was walking right through the middle of the lake with me leading him through and loving it. Then the next day I rode him through and he was brilliant, and has been fine ever since.

My horse wouldnt go through at first because he was actually frightened of it and he'd never been asked to go through anything like that before, which is why I never smacked him or got worked up. If he didnt want to go through at first we just stood still, or I walked in the water with him on the dry and I gently encoraged him step by step untill he realised it wasnt scary, but it was actually really good fun.

I know your horse has done it before, but maybe a break would do him good, and then gently pursuade him to go back in to remind him that it's actually all OK.
 
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