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Re: [RC] Teaching a horse to drink?? - heidiif you can get a horse to eat hay, they will probably drink within 30 minutes. The dry forage will stimulate their thirst by that time. So much of "teaching" a horse to drink is simply a matter of time, miles, and common sense. And too many folks are in too big a hurry--to get on down the trail, to get the horse more competitive, whatever. You have to walk before you can run. Yes, paying attention to what the horse EATS is the first step. Never try to whittle your time down unless and until your horse is a voracious eater. Camp out if you have to. Go to lots of rides and go slow. Spend extra time at checks. Do whatever you have to do to convince your horse to EAT. (And have hay that tastes good!) That's the first step. (And personally, I hate riding horses that don't "come from the factory" with the instinct of a Hoover vacuum cleaner--it is THE most basic endurance skill, IMO. And it helps if the horse is RAISED on a free forage diet, to help him have a well-developed hind gut and a habit of eating all the time.) Next step--never ride past water without stopping. He will eventually link water with stopping, and that's a beginning. Ride with a voracious drinker. Your horse will feel left out if he doesn't try it. Horses are wonderful at "monkey see, monkey do." And yes, ride in the heat! He will get thirsty sooner! No, DON'T e-lyte on training rides--at least not in the beginning! You aren't gonna be out there long enough to kill him--let him get a little bit miserable if he doesn't drink. He'll think better of passing up the water you offer next time. Save the e-lytes for fine-tuning AFTER he's learned the basic skills. If you give him props every time to start with, he will never get as skilled at self-preservation as if you work with him to develop the skills as far as he is capable first. I know, there's all the stuff about triggering the thirst mechanism--but if he has a gutful of hay and he gets thirsty a few times, and if he has a brain, he will figure it out, too. (And if he doesn't, you can have him--I don't wanna ride him.) Don't expect miracles at your first endurance ride. Ride accordingly! You are gonna take three years to build this horse--and this is part of it! Hang out longer at the checks, even if the timer is hollering your number to go out. If your horse hasn't done his basics, hang out until he does. This is part of his learning curve. If you have to get off and spend 10 minutes "having a picnic" by a water set, do it! That's part of the learning curve too. When he DOES drink, tell him he's wonderful! Praise works wonders. Heidi ============================================================ REAL endurance is dressing for 20 degrees in the AM and by noon its 85 degrees! ~ Heidi Sowards ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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