How to get pony moving through water? Help!

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katie_and_toto

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Would really appriciate some help please! :p Every time I take my pony xc schooling, and we go in the water complex, he manages to get his neck down and starts pawing at the water, so we both get soaked! He's never actually lay down and rolled, but I really can't get him moving again! When we went arena xc the other day, I trotted him into the water, but sure enough he ground to a halt and started pawing, he had to be caught and pulled out by someone on foot :p As I'm so little and he's quite chunky I find it impossible to not be pulled forward when he tries to put his head down and paw at the water, and he ignores voice, leg and if I give him a tap he takes no notice! I'm planning on doing our first ODE or hunter trial soon, but there will be water and I need to be able to keep him moving! He doesn't do this in puddles at home or if the school floods, well he does paw at the water but I can always make him move, so he only does this when out. Any tips?

Thanks for looking :)
 
MrsMozart said:
I know it's not ideal(!) when competing, but what happens if you try and turn him? Do you wear spurs? A wee dig may get his attention!
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When I try and turn, he kinda does turn but then gets starts pawing again. That might be an idea, I was thinking of trying roller spurs anyway because he can be difficult to get out the start box anyway! Thanks for the advice :)
 
All my ponies did this, and Lace likes to stop too if she's just walking, but luckily she doesn't paw and doesn't do it when trotting and cantering.
I found with my ponies that if a loud "walk on" doesn't work then a pony club kick or smack does! Although not ideal they do learn and then you can go back to quiet aids.
Does he do it if he follows another horse?
:)
 
You could get him used to it by walking him through it on foot, with a schooling whip there to back you up! Or get him to follow on from another horse? It sounds like he wants to be a hippo! :D :P Good luck with the hunter trials though! xx
 
Tbh, I'd give him a whallop and tell him to get a shift on with some kicks and growls to back up my point! He is plenty experienced enough to go through water- in our new horse's first ever XC session he was being asked to canter through! I'd go in down the slope at a strong canter and keep kicking pretty hard (or with spurs gentle squeezes) and if he slows give him a slightly harder kick and a smack.

To stop him sticking his head down try bridging your reins across his neck so he physically can't get his head down- he'll just be pulling against himself, not you.
 
From what you've said - he sounds like he's taking the mick and by getting someone to lead him out wouldn't help to get him to rethink the situation.

Personally I'd firmly tell him to move on with some leg aid. If ignored i'd growl as a warning to him - if still ignored he'd get a smack.

That's extreme for me though - i'm not a smack/ kick along rider. I much prefer voice commands.
 
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