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[RC] Teaching a horse to drink?? - Suzanne BoydHi, You didn't mention if there was any natural water on the trail or not. If there was, did she show any interest in drinking there? I'm currently starting 2 endurance horses. The gelding is a waterhog and will drink out of anything he can get his lips in, so I'm just lucky there. The mare is a different story. She started out HATING water crossings. I once spent 4 hours(no lie) getting her across a little creek. Then for a while, she'd rush across all water. Last year I began making her stop at all water crossings. Sometimes I spent 1/2 hour at each crossing(and we have a lot of them!) I wanted her to relax and learn to drink. Sometimes it got boring. I talked on the cell phone. We ate granola bars and carrots. If it was hot I got off and went for a swim. FINALLY, she took a freakin' drink!! WHAT A GRAND DAY THAT WAS!!! She's still not drinking as much as I'd like, but she has learned to look forward to the water crossings because she knows she will get to relax and take a break. If I ask her to move on before she's ready, she will even lower her head and play in the water because she knows that will buy her 5 more minutes. (I swear, she does this!) As far as getting a horse to drink out of a bucket at camp,,,,I don't know,,,,anyone have any ideas on that? I'd like to start this mare on a slow 50 in May, but she will have to show me a little more inclination to take care of herself before then. Suzanne ============================================================ REAL endurance is reading the LD vs. Endurance thread/debate every 3 months!!! ~ Heidi Sowards ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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