Scared of puddles

[Fox07]

How do you get a horse that is scared of puddles whilst out on hacks not to be scared of them anymore, is it just a case of making them go through as many as possible until he does it without dodging out the way of them? He doesnt appear to be scared of them in his field!

 

[Capriole]

hello, fox, he's just a big pansy, and arent you supposed to be working

 

[AmyMay]

It's called taking the p*ss......

 

[Fox07]

lol yes but I have been onmy own all day and im goign demented so bought the dog in early for some entertainment before she goes to vets!

and yes he is a big pansy but would like to depansify him!

 

[Capriole]

he's not so much taking the piss as he hasnt been out of his own field for several years and everythings new and scary

 

[cellie]

My horse was petrified of them.Just keep making him walk through lots then eventually he will trot then canter through them.The first time I experienced problem we were in canter on bridlepath we came to a complete full stop he thought he saw crocs .He is ex racer so probably didnt come across so many puddles on the gallops it was a good job I had my heels down or I would have been in head first.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

My TB was just like this - he genuinely was terrified of them. So we started out by only tackling small ones that he could step over so that he learned I wouldn't let him go round. Eventually over time we built up to ones that needed a bit of a step though (oh the horror!) then finally great lake sized ones which showed him what a Big Strong Boy he was (pandering to his ego like crazy!)
Time, patience and never lose your temper.

 

[0ldmare]

My April is really, really bad with water - to give you an idea of how bad she is, my fields have hard standing around the gates. In the winter I will turn her out and she is marooned on the hard standing trying to pluck up courage to get her hooves wet on the (slightly) muddy bits around the gate hardstanding. I can put the other 2 out, go and get changed for work and as I am driving down the drive can see her still trying to get her courage up to tread on the wet. She will walk to the edge, peer at it and then walk to the other side and peer again. I have to walk her through a little paddock to get there and there is NO mud, but she still gives several sharp intakes of breath worrying that it might be a bit squidgy. Bless her she really cant stand it. I rode her on friday and a car splashed her (about a teaspoon full). She leapt all 4 feet in the air about 2 ft off the ground (literally)...

But then again she is a very fastidious horse - she always poos in one corner of her stable only and never ever stands or lies in it. Just the ways she is.

 

[star]

i kind of think it is partly taking the piss - after all they go through them in the field no probs. my new horse is the same - he wants to dodge every puddle and not get his princess feet wet, but if i insist then he will go through and has already improved in the couple of wks i've had him. we're working on deeper water now - he really protests to start with - dancing around, going backwards etc, but if i just keep talking to him and quietly using my legs then eventually he goes in and seems to quite like it when we're in there. gotta get him used to trotting through wet now - every time we come across a squidgy bit in trot he grinds to a halt!

 

[jes_nibley]

I made mine walk through them every day I rode and there was any, even crossing the road - I lived in a very rural area!

Now, if he see's a puddle he will try and cross the road to walk through it - think i may have over done it a bit.

However, we get a flood across a road here and it has a small 'island' running through it, I can't get him through that one for love nor money!! I think that has to do with the reflections from the trees though.