Wet and Wild Riding - Page 4

Red Sable, you swim your horses... for training or therapy, is that like an endless pool thing for horses? I do not share the same experience that horses won't go in water willingly, but those I have swum in, were natural bodies of water. Just wondering.

Jenni,
Wow...just watched the victory rounds...that is FREAKISH!! 

WEIRD! Does your horse still walk with a funny gait then, Jen? The place I mentionyed with that really old swayback mare I mentioned in the other thread had a palomio TWH, and he would do the stand sometimes, but he never had a high-stepping gait like that.

Those horses remind me of a puppy wearing booties the way they walk.....

Dawulf, the freakishly high-stepping gait is as a result of the way the horse is shod, and the foot is trimmed, and, unfortunately, in many cases, due to the horse deliberately being sored by caustic substances.

Here's what they do to get that exaggerated stride: http://bridlepath.wordpress.com/2006/09/24/bridlepath-hall-of-shame-the-big-lick-twh-industry/ 


And here's what the natural gait looks like:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D3taAbKStc



 

Back to the wet stuff, I just want to say, if they do dive again, I am sure the horses and the girls will be wearing swim googles in this modern age. That probably would have prevented Sonora's accident to begin with if only she had a pair of Vanquisher II's.

Hi Bee, I have done both, in a pond, and we have a pool which we use much more.  I haven't had one horse yet (out of 30 or more) that has gone into a body of water willingly, 95% of them will not even step in a puddle.  Like was mentioned previously, horses are prey animals and all of their actions are fear based.  Some are more fearful than others, as in any animal, genetics has much to do with it.
As for getting them to swim we force them into the pool, one leading, one pushing, one on the side to make sure they don't scratch themselves up on the edge.  Some go easier than others and some are more trusting of  humans and will go in the first time by following, but never the second time willingly.  All are pulled, pushed or 'encouraged' in other ways (not nasty ways, we try and let them take their time and sniff, play in it etc before giving them a slap on the butt).  What it usually comes down to is, are they more afraid of us or the water?
 After the 4th time, when they realize they can actually swim and are used to the routine, they will walk in usually without much problem.

When people (not horses) write these articles and imply the horses like 'it' or are willing/consenting, that just boggles my mind.  Anyone who trains horses or works with them daily know that there doesn't need to be a bond to get a horse to obey.  That is great if you have one, and if a horse trusts you it is much easier to work with, although they have to have a healthy respect for you or they will run the show, especially a stud!  As one guy who works with me found out  this week.

 

RS, well I guess my horse was highly unusual!

It was difficult to get her through any sort of water without her pawing it all over the place, and wanting to lie down and take a mudbath!

There was a small stream she had to cross to get to the pasture, so I guess that helped get her used to water. The stable staff said she always had to stop and have her daily mudbath nearly every time they turned her out!   (Yeah, mud looks REAAALY good on a fleabitten grey that's nearly white...)

The first horse dive was done willingly and at the horse's initiative.  Doc Carver ran a Wild West show very similar to Buffalo Bill's (if I remember correctly, the two started the original Wild West show together, but seperated after a bitter argument).  One night a bridge started to collapse during a show, and the horse jumped off the bridge into the water below.  Doc Carver was very surprised at the horse's action and took the horse out onto another bridge to see if it would repeat the action willingly, and the horse did.  Only after the horse had demonstrated that he was willing to jump many, many times did the actual horse diving show appear on the scene. 

Only horses that were not afraid and were willing participants were used in the show.  When a horse was bought with the idea of using it in the show, but failed to work out a good home was found for the horse, rather than force it to do something that it was afraid to do.  Some horses were kept as pets for several years before a suitable home was found.

Sonora said in her book that more girls failed than horses, and that most of the horses had a rather ho-hum sort of attitude about the whole thing.  Red Lips, the horse in the video, was a popular mount because he was a very flashy diver.

Sunsilver, did you have her from a foal?

Nope, she was 10 when I 'bought' her. For a dollar, which never actually changed hands...

I just remembered I took her into a lake once, and she willingly went chest deep. I didn't go any farther, because a) I was alone, and was afraid I might not be able to hang on if she started to swim, and  b) I didn't want to get the saddle and saddle pad wet.