Going in the brook! (or not as is the case!!)

[Drummers mum]

Basicaly, instead of going out the main gate we have a back way off our land through a brook but I can't get Drummer through it for love nor money!

It is quite a steep bank down but the brook is very shallow and not very wide.

I tried again yesterday and he would walk half way down, then just reverse, no stopping him! We repeated this 10 times before I gave up! I even tried going down in my wellies but he looked at me as if to say "having fun! I'll just wait up here 'til you're all done" :p :rolleyes:

The really annoyong thing is that Charlotte said when he was in Dartmoor he would wade through the river Dart which is huge!! and he loves puddles!

[Showjumper]

lol I can just imagine him watching you! :D Could you get someone to give you a lead into it?

[Naturally]

A different creek, set up, lay of land etc can make all the difference, but after a while with more exposure he should be able to handle any crossing.

Firstly, try sending him over on line, (i.e. ride up, get off and ask him from the ground) and do it long enough until he gets confident with it. Each time he crosses ask him to turn and face the direction he came from. He just needs to know there aren't any croc's in there!

When you are riding over it, be sure that you are NOT looking at the water. Focus on something WAY in the distance and don't take your eyes off it. Ask him with passive persistence and the minute he tries..even only a step, release the pressure of asking him to move forward. Then ask again. Just remember to accept the slightest try and reward his efforts.

Look at it as a fun exercise and it will pay rewards.

[cvb]

DM

The first summer Fi was in Sweden, when I was still hacking out :rolleyes: , my sister and I rode over the farm to go see an ODE that was on nearby land. There is a river running through the field the event was on so we were waiting til the event was finishing to go have a play while we could ;)

Anyway - on the route was one of those wooden bridges over a small burn. I hadn't been over it before, and Fi decided to LEAP - luckily in the western saddle or I'd have been dumped.

Then off to play in the water :D

For some reason both beasties decided they couldn't possibly go in. From previous experience I knew I could reverse Fi into places she wouldn't go into forwards :rolleyes: so we found the shallowest way in and I reversed in, and big sis's highland duely followed (forwards).

I only use reversing when it is safe and no other tactic is possible. I found this out in Sweden one snowy day - some of the snow had melted and made a little stream across the track. It showed up black in the snow. It was all of 30cm wide, but Fi refused to go over. So I hopped off and led her over multiple times til she was calmly walking to and fro. Got back on - and she once again refused. Well by this time I knew she'd go over it - so I did 180 turn and we backed over (so we were the far side from home ;) ) and then tried again. It worked.

I think if you used this too much they might learn to stand up as a counter to it. They also can't see where their feet are going so you have to earn their trust by ensuring its safe...

Subsequent to this I took Fi down to the bridge on line and halter and worked her over the bridge, and then actually across the burn as well :eek: and she got relaxed about both. There's another burn I've played in as well - it has steeper sides and is quite narrow so I tend to end up IN the burn ahead of her before she'll have a go (I don't want her just leaping for the other side, as thats not the "lesson"...).

I still have to do my "parelli loading" and work on her going ahead of me into things - this would be my next stage (but access to the burns is limited by cattle and crops :) )

[Drummers mum]

lol I can just imagine him watching you! :D Could you get someone to give you a lead into it?
Tried that! :(

I also think that he might sense that I'm not quite convinced about the whole thing as I am worried he will take a flying leap like Fi!

I did think about taking a bucket with me and bribing him in, then at least phsyologicaly(sp) I will know he can do it so will be more confident myself!?

Oh, and I've tried from both sides and going home makes no difference!

[cvb]

I also think that he might sense that I'm not quite convinced about the whole thing as I am worried he will take a flying leap like Fi!

Yes - my mum's Fell pony tends to try and jump in your arms, rather than give you any space, so I'm quite wary of this as well.

I also think the horses decide that the piece of ground you are on is clearly sound, so a good spot to aim for :rolleyes:

With Fi what I did with the burn crossing was stand well to one side and ask for "circle game" (from the parelli 7 games) i.e. I was directing her across me. In this case it helps to have a long enough line, and be quite good at handling it ;) Once she'd done it once, I could move in closer as the leaps got smaller and more confident and controlled.

Ideally you'd want to be able to send them ahead - but we're not at that level yet...

[momofsix]

Sounds like the back gate at the property we board at. It's a lot faster to get to the trails that way, and no main roads but cute little Sauvie balks at the brook every time. The only way we can get her to do it is to follow her pasture buddy Abby across. I have thought about approaching it in circles, but there is a gate we have to go out first, so we can't. I would love some ideas.

[MadWoman]

I had a similar proble to this with Harriet when I first got her. If I tried to push her on into a stream she would run backwards and panic. I got round it by riding her towards the stream until she stopped, then just keeping a very gentle pressure on her - enough so she new she should go forward, but not enough to make her feel pressured. We stood like that for 10 to 15 minutes, then she just walked ahead and straight through the water, and has been fine about water anywhere ever since.

She likes to make her own decisions and will not be pressured into anything, and once she has decided something is safe it is always safe, if you follow.

So in other words, just try being very very patient and he might just surprise you.

[Jessey]

He He I think we have all played this game at some point :D

With Bo I find too much pressure just makes him panic (like your experiance MadWoman) so with him I just sit and wait and don't let him do anything else other than look or go where I want to be, this can take some time but he gets the idea in the end :p

[Naturally]

Nice response MadWoman, and yes, patience without opinion (i.e. don't sit there getting frustrated thinking you are being patient) should pay big dividends. Also focus WAY to the other side, not looking down at the water (that's the horses responsibility)

[Drummers mum]

I will have another go one day this week and let you know how I get on! :rolleyes: