How good is your horse going though water?

JoBo

JoBo

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 March 2004
Messages
8,329
Location
Rugby
s11.photobucket.com
How good is your horse going though water?

Just wondering how everyone’s horses are going though water. I’m talking about the kind of thing you find on a XC course.
Did your horse go straight though? If not how long did it take you to get them though?

I’ve been to two different courses now, the first course Bodey went in after about 5 minutes with a lead from another horse. The second course, with a little encouragement he went pretty much straight in, so got lots of treats. I haven’t attempted trotting though yet, that’s the next challenge.
 
Cant answer as I am afraid to tempt fate, safe to say its been slowly slowly catchy monkey
wink.gif
 
He's ok when schooling, usually goes in after a bit of encouragement. We've yet to get to the water on a XC course comp as we're either retired through lack of control or me coming off! He was fine when we did the a pairs at Tweseldown and took the lead through the water so I'm confident he'd be ok when his confidence improves in general
smile.gif
 
Hattie loves water and will walk, trot, canter and jump into water. I found that out from hacking with a friend and going through the river, she walked through fine but on the way back jumped in and splashed me and my friends horse. She loved going in there.

I've not taken Gyp XC schooling yet but he walked and trotted through the big puddle in the school at work today fine.
 
Pickle would happily walk/trot/canter through water mainly because it doesnt exactly splash him a lot he is so HUGE. I think if he was smaller he wouldnt like it, obviously not sure but he is usually such a wimp and thats the one thing he doesnt mind!
 
We have a river at home running between the stables and the field, so all of our ponies tend to be very good with water, if they're not they soon learn
smile.gif
My little coloured would happily dive into water if I asked - she really couldn't care any less about water, she just flings herself into it, any depth, any place...

From experience just practice practice practice... if they do it regularly enough, even just through large puddles, they start understanding that its not scary - the other good thing is to let them play in it (preferably when you're not on top to get splashed!!) - then they really start to get the idea
smile.gif
 
I've never taken Dolly, I think it might be fun though as she is used to jumping water in SJ and might not realise she can put her feet in it.
 
Both mine are fine with it and there were some big puddles today when we decided to lead them both for a walk along the bridle track.
Other half not too pleased though as Mcfly stomped his foot down ( think he was playing lol) as he walked through one of them and soaked him, tee hee.
Caz
 
Mine have not been ridden in water, but in driven XC the water is much deeper than the riding one, usually bout 4 foot, but Pip dives in, from any speed, as do all the others bar Ginga who needs to be encouraged but will still keep up a good working trot.
 
Merlin will go through willingly if he has a lead from another horse, but will think it far too dangerous if he is on his own..... therefore pairs is great for him.

When schooling though, as soon as he knows its safe, he is happy to go through again and again.
 
It took ages to get him through the 1st time and 1 of my friends lead us, then we walked 2 abreast, then went in solo. We stood in the middle of it, walked around, then out so that he got used to being in it. Now he loves it as he has found that he can stamp his feet in it and splash me...
 
I can now get Milly to walk through puddles, that is it!!!!!

Water scares the life out of her!

I did manage to get her front feet in the river at Somerford, but failed to get her near the Ford the other day!
frown.gif


It is something I wan't to work on this year!
grin.gif
 
I don't do XC anymore but I took my mare to a XC intro day - she went into the water no probs getting her out was a nightmare!! She loved splashing around in it and sticking her head in the water
smile.gif
 
First time was disatrous, couldnt get him in at all. Second time he was cantering through it quite quickly. He will now walk/trot through most things, srtill has issues really going through it at pace, and we are still suspicious of drops into water, but that is our project this year
tongue.gif
 
All of mine are fine except for Bramble my NF mare. She will go in and then promptly paw at it and then lie down with you on if you don't give her a whack
shocked.gif
If it's a puddle she will jump right over it. Her foal, Phoenix, hates being wet and puddles and I expect will hate going through water too
smirk.gif
BUT it's a good thing in a way as I'm hoping she'll be a good jumping pony, so we don't want her stepping in it do we
tongue.gif
 
My 4yo strolls traight on through
smile.gif
It's handy though because we're in the new forest so when we hack out we go through streams/fords and big puddles so I guess it's nothing out of the ordinary!
 
Mine are all fine XC but I think having this sort of environment helps. This is my youngster - she can't tell me she's frightened of water when she's happy to do this. First time we took her out for a play on an XC course she was jumping into and out of water
grin.gif


2007_0118_132820-1.jpg

edited to add - that was last year - yesterday the puddles were back
frown.gif
 
If it's on a hack mine will often walk round puddles rather than get his feet wet - unless he's told to! - but will walk, trot and canter or jump into a water jump.....water's far more fun in his eyes if it's part of lots of galloping and jumping!
 
My big fairy of a WB hated water when I first took him XC. Saying that, he hated the XC fences more lol! Now we have moved yards tho, the school has a massive puddle in it most of the time while the weather is like this, so he's rapidly getting used to it
grin.gif
 
Couldnt get my mare to go through puddles when I got her but now she jumps in and out happily. Many hours water schooling.
She starts her first year eventing this year so we will go schooling a couple of times first. We are lucky at this time of year as all our fields flood as we are near a river so I also use that to school in
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top