water evasion/sorta

[sweety@nni.com]

<laughing> Now I know I don't have the only mare in the world that does
this. She used to hate water, we got over that, now we get in water and she
stands. Puts nose down, drinks. Sloshes water around in neat circles with
nose. Paws water. Stands. Rider says "Let's go". Horse says "Now wait! I'm
still thirsty" Nose goes back down, but no swallowing occurs. Licks water.
Sticks whole head in water up to eyeballs and sloshes more circles. Paws
water all over. Soaks rider. Stands. "Rider says, "Lets go" while trying not
to laugh too hard. Horse acts like she's dying of thirst and drops her head
back into water. Sloshes/immerses face/ paws/licks water. Amusement value
starts to dissipate and rider insists it's time to go while mare looks
wistfully back at the water...

Seriously now, she'll move out when I ask her to - it's no problem and
really very amusing - we even draw a crowd when we ride through a local
business complex that has a really neat pond to ride through. Other than a
young filly I once had, who made a disaster zone out of the water tubs from
playing incessantly in them, this mare is the most playful in water I have
ever seen. I believe that one should allow the horses this small amount of
fun, so long as they don't use it as extensive evasion - she moves out when
I say WALK like I mean it, and that's sufficient.

At 10:20 AM 1/19/99 -0800, you wrote:
>Just like our horses do! Yours are just foolin' around. They KNOW you
>want them to stop at water and probably even know you want them to
>drink. so they stick their noses in, KNOWING that you'd never ask them
>to move on while drinking! It becomes a little game, and you get to
>know your own horses idiosyncracies - if we're smarter than them, we
>recognize the dif between foolin' around and drinking and ask them to
>move on if the answer is foolin' around. When it comes to a real
>endurance ride, or a very long training ride, pretty soon those horses
>will be seeking out water to slurp down rather than (or maybe as well
>as...) fool around in it.
>
>Either way, water is associated with pleasure and resting. This is a
>good thing, and something those water evading horses will learn soon
>enough.
>Mia
>
>
>
>John J Lykes <SEEINGSPOTS@prodigy.net> wrote:
>>
>> Have been reading the water evasion topic with some interest. 
>Fortunately,
>> I do not have a problem with Buddy crossing  or going through water.
> He
>> loves it.  When I overturn the water tank to give it a good
>scrubbing out ,
>> he'll watch me with his little horse eyes, and when he thinks I'm not
>> looking will go and roll and roll in it, and follow with a good roll
>in the
>> dirt afterwards , and then run and buck..  Quite the happy little
>piglet.
>> He makes me so proud.
>> 
>> However, what is fun and games at home is not on the trail.  I want
>him to
>> drink when we come to water, and he'll put his nose down, play with
>it with
>> his lips, or maybe drink.  Then, the pawing starts and I know its
>time to
>> move the little devil on before he goes down to roll.  Still, when
>with
>> other horses, I like to make sure they get a chance to drink, else
>just a
>> little pawing can muck it up for the others.
>> 
>> Any suggestions ?  I guess I should be happy that he likes water
>instead of
>> being afraid, but ..........
>> 
>> Gay and Buddy
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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