Trail Series – Preparing for Water Crossings

Before Going Near Water

In nature, your horse would become accustomed to water early in life. However, domestication reduces their natural experiences with water.  If you plan to ride trails with your horse, you must begin water desensitization training early. You can encounter puddles, ponds, rivers, and streams along the trail. Altogether, water can be scary for horses with little experience. The reflection and unknown can make them wary. Moving water can be even worse. 

Before you begin training with water (or riding trails, for that matter), you must complete other, basic training. Your horse must respond to commands and respect boundaries. You need to prepare yourself for this training as well. Practice patience and test them on other obstacles before approaching water. Tarps, bridges, and short obstacles are all excellent choices.

Desensitizing Your Horse to Water

It may seem small, but a puddle is a good first start for your horse. Your horse cannot tell if the puddle is an inch deep or a foot deep. Without training, your horse will prefer to step around the puddle instead of in it.

With your first introductions, you will want to keep the environment comfortable and as controlled as possible. Choose an area where they are already comfortable, like your stable or arena.

Initially, stay on the ground and lead your horse. Use blockers to prevent your horse from avoiding the water. Take it slow. Your horse may have bad experiences with water from his past. When your horse is comfortable with these small crossings, graduate them to the next step.

For your first puddles, avoid anything that is too soggy. A sinking hoof may scare your horse. Even if your horse will not step in or walk through the puddle, he can play with the water with his hoof.

Ride in Shallow Water

The next step in your training is to mount your horse and ride through the water. You want to approach the water slowly and stop when you approach the water’s edge. Allow your horse to explore and be comfortable before pressing forward.

Once you feel your horse is calm, press forward into the water. Remain patient. If your horse does not want to walk in the water, keep him facing the water.

Continue to press forward until your horse steps into the water. The most important thing in this step is to keep your horse comfortable in the water. Undoing a fear is much harder than showing patience through the process.

Getting Comfortable in Deep Water

With the shallow water crossed, begin to explore deeper bodies of water. Above all, you want to make your horse comfortable in the water. You can train and play games to increase comfort.

Overall, safe and low-stress exposure is the most important thing. Your horse needs to trust you. Never ask your horse to do something unsafe or out of their comfort zone. Once your relationship is strong, you can hit the trail with the confidence you can face anything.