# Crazy Horses



## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

We used to have a 1/4 arab pony. He used to pretend to shy at puddles and often jump them - then he would walk into a creek or the ocean without batting an eyelid 

He will love it once he gets there!


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

What's his history? Has he seen creeks before? New/strange things are scary.

I had a similar problem with my first horse, the first time she encountered a creek (a little tiny one, too, about a foot across). Spent 10-15 minutes trying to ride her across, then my much more experienced friend tried. No luck at all. Then I gave up and hand-walked her across, no problem. Went back & forth a few times, then mounted up, and from then on there was no problem.


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

I agree hand walking might work, if you don't mind getting wet.
My husband's BLM gelding thinks puddles are solely there to kill him I think.
Then we took them camping and had to cross larger water- 10 feet and wider I would say. I don't know his history on water crossings.
My mare was exp. enough at it by that point, so we figured we could let her lead him across. No go. 
It took him about 15 minutes to get him to cross. And this was only after being left behind by 3 other horses. We rode ours through and then parked and waited right in sight. Nope, didn't work. We had to keep going until he couldn't see us. 
He just called and called and danced on the edge of the creek for a while with my husband, while he tried to get him to go. 
Eventually the imaginary dam in his head broke and across he went. Each time with water, including puddles, has gotten better and faster. 
He could still be better, but considering the fact that this is a very stubborn horse, it is improvement. 
Oh, and recently we went to the lake... he very nearly walked right in with no major discussion at all. Actually seemed to be enjoying himself.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

I just read somewhere that things like first-time crossing creeks & similar are problems because the horse thinks it is simply isn't possible. They have to make a mental breakthrough before they believe it. 

I've seen the pattern in enough species to give that explanation some credence. With dogs for instance, when they do something (harmless) for the first time they were really scared of, they go crazy with relief and joy for a bit and then it's hardly ever even an issue again.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

ShirtHotTeez said:


> We used to have a 1/4 arab pony. He used to pretend to shy at puddles and often jump them - then he would walk into a creek or the ocean without batting an eyelid
> 
> He will love it once he gets there!


I have a TWH like that. He loves the "big" water but will just about stand on his head to avoid a dark mud puddle that he thinks is going to open up and eat his leg.

*Most folks don't realize that horses have very poor depth perception.*. That is a lot of reason why horses tend to shy from the dark puddles, yet don't have in issue with big water.

Anyone can Google the subject and get a lot of credible hits. 

The way horses see things in the literal sense, can explain a lot about some of their behaviors. My insulin resistant horse is losing his peripheral vision on one side; I had him checked by the vet because I noticed he was starting to react to familiar surroundings differently and putting his nose to his stall entrance to be sure the slight step-up hadn't grown.

I agree to walk with the horse into the creek. I've done it with more than one horse and it saved a lot of grief. Just don't wear your best riding boots when you plan to go wading


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

walkinthewalk said:


> I have a TWH like that. He loves the "big" water but will just about stand on his head to avoid a dark mud puddle that he thinks is going to open up and eat his leg.


Your stand on his head comment reminds my of my husband's gelding. 
He is a thickly shaped BLM gelding. Not those sleek mustangs they make you think they are catching lol.
Very solid and clunky and cold blooded and SLOOOOOW. 
In reality great things for trail riding. 

But try to get him to go through a 'solid water' puddle (opaque would be the word I guess?).... he busts out his best ballet moves to rival the Bolshoi Ballet Company!!!
I kid you not, he carefully lifted up to standing on his back feet and turned himself, with rider, in mid air, to lower his front feet onto solid non-wet ground several feet away. Back feet never left where they were lol.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Avna said:


> I just read somewhere that things like first-time crossing creeks & similar are problems because the horse thinks it is simply isn't possible. They have to make a mental breakthrough before they believe it.
> 
> I've seen the pattern in enough species to give that explanation some credence. With dogs for instance, when they do something (harmless) for the first time they were really scared of, they go crazy with relief and joy for a bit and then it's hardly ever even an issue again.


My horse had this very same reaction when I decided I would teach him to back into his stall this summer (I was out of commission with a broken ankle and had a period where I could do groundwork but not ride ;-)) He would back very well down the aisle, turn on his hindquarters until lined up with the door, and then refuse to back into the stall. I'm 99% sure it's because from where he was standing he couldn't see the opening directly behind him, just the solid walls on either side. Once he made that mental breakthrough that I wasn't asking him to back into a solid wall he got very enthusiastic about it (food was always waiting for him in the stall) and a couple times he didn't think he needed me to line him up... and then he did back into a wall :lol: Now he's an old pro at it 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MomH (Sep 27, 2015)

Personally, I don't bother with puddles. A lot of the places where we ride, 4 wheelers and dirt bikes also ride. The puddles are usually very muddy and you can't see if there is anything in them that could injure the horse or even to tell how deep they are.

Now creeks, streams, another story all together. I give the horse a chance to process the information and gently encourage it to proceed while staying relaxed in the saddle. Also, I'll let the more seasoned horse take the lead to demonstrate that it's not a problem.
This weekend, the water wasn't the issue, but those weird looking long things sticking out of the water (canoes & kayaks), she was sure were going to jump up at any moment!


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

MomH said:


> Personally, I don't bother with puddles. A lot of the places where we ride, 4 wheelers and dirt bikes also ride. The puddles are usually very muddy and you can't see if there is anything in them that could injure the horse or even to tell how deep they are.
> 
> Now creeks, streams, another story all together. I give the horse a chance to process the information and gently encourage it to proceed while staying relaxed in the saddle. Also, I'll let the more seasoned horse take the lead to demonstrate that it's not a problem.
> This weekend, the water wasn't the issue, but those weird looking long things sticking out of the water (canoes & kayaks), she was sure were going to jump up at any moment!


This is so true! The few that we do mess with, I know for a fact are either shallow enough to not matter, or if they are deeper, they are evenly so with no big rocks inside. 
And I don't even bother with puddles than can be stepped over. I truly think my mare would think me crazy if I ask her into a tiny puddle when there is plenty of clear ground to step on instead. (I learned this ages ago, no reason to force such a dumb thing when *every* time we have *needed* to cross water or big puddles, she has done it without fight or complaint.)


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## imagaitin (Apr 27, 2012)

I had a friend with the same problem. He dug a temporary "trough" across the horse's paddock, turned on the hose and filled is as a "creek". The trough was between where the horse normally "hung out" (near his waterer and wind shed) and his feed bin, so the horse had to cross the water to eat.

The project was ready after the horse ate, so when completed, all the horse had to do was stand there; he wasn't forced to do anything. So there he was alone.... quiet. *At his own pace* and very slowly, he started exploring the water. After a short while, he recognized it wasn't anything to be afraid of, crossed it on his own, and had his meal as a reward! After a few days, the water was a "non-issue". 

I know many of us don't have the room or facility to do such a thing, but in this case, it worked well. And the horse did it on his own.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

I had a mare who refused to cross ditches with water in them. An old cowboy told me to find a ditch with lots of grass on the other side and not too much grass on the home side, bring a lungeline, a book, and a lunch. I sat and read my book while the mare ate all the sparse grass on her side of the ditch. When she began eyeing the lush grass on the other side, I crossed the ditch on foot, still holding the lungeline, and after a while, she crossed after me to get the nice grass. Like other people have done, we did the crossing about 6 times, back and forth, and she was fine after that for the rest of her life. It took about 5 hours, but it was a nice quiet time with my horse, no stress. 

It also works with friendly horses, to cross the water and stand (or sit) quietly on the other side facing away from the horse, ignoring them. If the horse is friendly, they don't like being ignored and they will finally cross. It takes some time--sometimes several hours, but it works.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I had a horse once that was terrified of water, he had other issues as well, but was really afraid of the water. When we had rain I would take him out to a puddle and it was a battle to get him to step in, I finally got off and backed him into the puddle then lead him out, then finally I could lead him through puddles, then I was able to ride him through them with no trouble. Down to the river we went, I had to back him into it as well and when we got to the middle I would get on and ride him out, after a couple of times of this he got his confidence and would step right into the river quite willingly. I took my time with this and didn't get after him too much because I think he had a real fear here and I didn't know his background.

With other things I could tell he was used to getting away with something and I would get after him about these as he was doing them because he had gotten away with bad behaviour at those times.


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