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[RC] training to cross water - Paul Bendzunas

When I first got my mare she it took 1/2 hr to get her to cross a 4" deep ditch with a trickle of water running in it.The people who sold her to me told me of her phobia and how they filled a ditch with water and tried to force her over it but she would jump it. An old cowboy freind (about to turn 88) said "ride her in the rain". The next time a rain was coming up I saddled her up and had an animated ride but she went forward with some trepidation. After a few sessions she just accepted the fact that water was all around and the only way to keep moving was to go through it. A side result is I have a horse that when it starts to rain gets real serious and will trot or canter through a field of mud and muck as the wind wips branches around and thunder cracks around us.
She still avoids puddles when it's not raining. It does makes sense to a horse as they have very poor depth perseption and cant tell if a puddle is 1" deep or goes to the gates of hell.(have you ever steped into an inocent looking puddle and sunk to the top of you're boot?)




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