You can take a horse to water but you can't make her go through it ..

[quirky]

So, 6 yr old mare, have owned her since she was just backed .

We have been to the beach (on our own) and she went in the water, reluctantly at first but once in, splashed about and enjoyed herself .

We have a hack where we go through a ford. It is a steep incline to it but the bottom of the ford is a slab of concrete, so quite inviting even when deep and fast. We have been through this twice, first time she went through on her own, second time she stopped, so lead pony came back and we stuck close to him and she followed . She stopped in the middle and stuck her nose in the water ... makes me think she's not too worried about it.

Another hack, this time a stream. Down into the stream, turn, a couple of feet through the water and up the other bank. Would she go in? Nope, no way!! It wasn't deep enough to come above fetlocks and wasn't fast flowing at the time.
Same lead horse as before, he went in and stood in water waiting. No! He came back and we followed close to. No! I booted her. No! I encouraged her with whip. No! I got off and tentatively tried to lead her in without getting jumped on. No! Gave her to other rider to lead through off her horse. No!

So, gave up and went home .

Anybody else have any bright ideas?

 

[tallyho!]

ummm.... no!

Short of bringing the stream TO her.

Maybe she might tomorrow? You can have too much water in one day y'know!! The crocodile might not be there then too...

 

[*hic*]

I took my little AA mare over to an XC course with the rider who helped up break her in and who was going to event her for me. She'd been there previously with my daughter and had walked in and out of water and even hopped up and down steps in and out of it. This time she just wasn't having any. She'd walk in but no way was she jumping in. She stood on the bank, balanced on her back end and gently lowered her front feet down the step, as soon as she felt the water she brought them back out again, time after time. An impressive feat of strength, balance and control but absolutely infuriating.

She wouldn't be led in with him up, she wouldn't be led in without him up and eventually I had to resort to doing a water dance in the middle of the water jump, singing and prancing about whist she looked on amazed. Then I jumped in and out right next to her several times, still singing, and stood in the water splashing it at her. Finally she decided that it looked like fun and jumped in with me. Luckily her rider knows I'm nuts, after that she went in and out quite happily.

I know I looked like a complete idiot but we couldn't let her get away with it, all the forceful tactics didn't work, behaving like an utter nana got the job done, eventually.

So if you can bear to look like a complete idiot take a lunge line with you, get back to the ford and have a good old dance around in it

 

[tallyho!]

I would never have thought of water dancing.... Jems, you're a genius!

I'd go with that quirky!!

 

[Happyhuntress]

mmm sympathies....sounds familiar

Mine has happily galloped thru large puddles out hunting but otherwise detests puddles etc.

did a hunter trial a couple of weeks ago - he teetered round the water, which was nothing more than a big muddy puddle.

Have taken him out on trips to local fords in last 10 days:

first trip, ford was just a sheet of water about 10' wide over concrete road. Second was up to 2 feet deep. went back and forth, back and forth too many times to count (boredom being the ultimate aim).

second trip: two more fords. Took ten minutes to get him in, despite perfect conditions and much pony club kicking and judicious use of the whip (he was not panicking, just saying "no, not me, not today, I don't want to")

Grrr. I guess some just don't `do' water. Well, we'll see......have another HT coming up this weekend

 

[Damnation]

Mine splashes on through, soaking everyone in the process. Its not just a walk, its a pure STOMP!!!!
I find it very amusing

 

[Happyhuntress]

Damnation, you are very lucky!

 

[La Fiaba]

my oldie quite often has to go into water backwards otherwise he has non of it! (he's an ex-showjumper so can't understand why we're not jumping the 30ft river! Obviously it's cos I've got no balls )

 

[Ladylina83]

We can go in the opposite direction from the water pretty quick - be it upwards backwards or just inside out , but not actually IN the water ! she even panics and spins on the spot if another horse actually goes in and splashes about enjoying themselves


.... on the brightside she is not afraid of the hose pipe !

 

[Indigo Moose]

Argh, what a nightmare, I know how much it sucks when a horse won't cross water. When my filly came back from breaking, within the first few weeks I took her down the the local ford and walked her through it for half an hour. I stuffed her face with horse biscuits whenever she stood in the middle quietly, and now, rising five, she leads all her wussy friends through out hacking XD

I'm a big fan of bribery, so as long as your horse isn't nippy/is used to having treats, I definitely recommend it.

 

[Indigo Moose]

I took my little AA mare over to an XC course with the rider who helped up break her in and who was going to event her for me. She'd been there previously with my daughter and had walked in and out of water and even hopped up and down steps in and out of it. This time she just wasn't having any. She'd walk in but no way was she jumping in. She stood on the bank, balanced on her back end and gently lowered her front feet down the step, as soon as she felt the water she brought them back out again, time after time. An impressive feat of strength, balance and control but absolutely infuriating.

She wouldn't be led in with him up, she wouldn't be led in without him up and eventually I had to resort to doing a water dance in the middle of the water jump, singing and prancing about whist she looked on amazed. Then I jumped in and out right next to her several times, still singing, and stood in the water splashing it at her. Finally she decided that it looked like fun and jumped in with me. Luckily her rider knows I'm nuts, after that she went in and out quite happily.

I know I looked like a complete idiot but we couldn't let her get away with it, all the forceful tactics didn't work, behaving like an utter nana got the job done, eventually.

So if you can bear to look like a complete idiot take a lunge line with you, get back to the ford and have a good old dance around in it

I absolutely love this, I'll have to try it out some time XD