Creek Crossing
http://www.horsedir.com/articles/articles/50/1/Creek-Crossing/Page1.html
Ed Thornton
Ed Thornton John Lyons Certified Horse Trainer
http://www.edthornton.com
Thornton Ranch & Learning Center
57980 Cortez Dr.
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
(760) 365-2269 By Ed Thornton
Published on 12/18/2005
How many times have you been riding along a beautiful trail in the mountains and everyone on the ride is on the other side of that "@#$%^&* blankity blank @#$#%$# CREEK" and your horse won't even get close enough to get a good look at it.
Introduction
How many times have you been riding along a beautiful trail in the mountains and everyone on the ride is on the other side of that "@#$%^&* blankity blank @#$#%$# CREEK" and your horse won't even get close enough to get a good look at it.
I have a couple of methods that just might be helpful to you,
1.Teach the horse a specific cue that means Go Forward.
2.Use the "V" exercise.
The following procedure will help you teach the Go Forward cue. This procedure will teach your horse a cue to go forward under ANY situation.
1. First kiss to the horse and if he moves forward, pet him. Do not use your legs yet.
2.When you kiss to him and he does not move, kiss again, and again, then start bumping him with your legs. You will have a tendency to start out bumping him hard. Resist the urge. Think about bumping him at a rate that you can keep up for an hour or more, until he does move. It is important to continue cueing until the horse takes one step forward. When he does, stop bumping and pet him. If the horse does not have a specific leg cue to go forward this process may take several days of concentrated teaching to get the horse to respond correctly every time you cue him. The KISS is actually a pre-cue and the bump with your legs is the GO FORWARD cue. Always start with the simplest, lightest cue and increase the pressure to support it. The horse will get the idea and move his feet when you squeeze or start to bump him.
3. Remember to pet your horse after each time he responds to your cue. This feels good to the horse and will speed up the learning process. When you reward your horse with the pet, use a rub instead of a pat, or slap on the neck. The horse's skin is about 7 times more sensitive than humans.
4.This is all done away from the fearful object and may take several days of repetition, concentrating on this cue alone to get it completely learned by the horse.
I have a couple of methods that just might be helpful to you,
1.Teach the horse a specific cue that means Go Forward.
2.Use the "V" exercise.
The following procedure will help you teach the Go Forward cue. This procedure will teach your horse a cue to go forward under ANY situation.
1. First kiss to the horse and if he moves forward, pet him. Do not use your legs yet.
2.When you kiss to him and he does not move, kiss again, and again, then start bumping him with your legs. You will have a tendency to start out bumping him hard. Resist the urge. Think about bumping him at a rate that you can keep up for an hour or more, until he does move. It is important to continue cueing until the horse takes one step forward. When he does, stop bumping and pet him. If the horse does not have a specific leg cue to go forward this process may take several days of concentrated teaching to get the horse to respond correctly every time you cue him. The KISS is actually a pre-cue and the bump with your legs is the GO FORWARD cue. Always start with the simplest, lightest cue and increase the pressure to support it. The horse will get the idea and move his feet when you squeeze or start to bump him.
3. Remember to pet your horse after each time he responds to your cue. This feels good to the horse and will speed up the learning process. When you reward your horse with the pet, use a rub instead of a pat, or slap on the neck. The horse's skin is about 7 times more sensitive than humans.
4.This is all done away from the fearful object and may take several days of repetition, concentrating on this cue alone to get it completely learned by the horse.
Now, Go to the Creek
As you are walking along you see the creek 100' or so feet ahead. As the horse gets closer he will stop where he becomes uncomfortable. It is important to let him stand looking at the creek from there. After he has stood quietly for a minute or two and you think he will go forward, cue him. If he moves closer to the creek, stroke his neck gently and praise him. Here, the horse is still somewhat comfortable and will move closer toward the creek without too much fear. This is where the go forward cue is used. The horse will finally get up to the edge of the creek. When he does, pick a 4" inch spot near the edge of your side of the creek where you want him to cross. Concentrate on that spot and have the horse look at it. It is crucial that the horse's nose is pointed at the same spot no matter what his body is doing. He may start moving to the left and to the right or pawing at the ground. Remember, when he moves, stop bumping his sides, but use the reins to keep his nose pointing at that spot. When he puts his head down to get a closer look and sniff the ground, let him. Don't shorten up on the reins and discourage this reaction by bumping his mouth with the bit, he is thinking about going forward. This may take a while but if you stay consistent and concentrate on that spot, the horse will eventually get over his fear of the object and step into, or over it. BE PREPARED FOR THE JUMP, especially if it is a small creek that is easily jumped. If he does jump it, let him go a few feet down the trail and turn him around and go back to the creek and cross it again. He will probably jump it again. If he does, do the same, turn him and return to the creek and cross it again. This time he won't jump it quite so far. Return again and again until he walks through it quietly. Then you can walk him into the water and turn him up or downstream and stop in it and let him play, drink or stand quietly. Now you can go and catch up with your friends.
The following procedure will give you another method to conquer the dreaded frightening object , even a creek. The objective is to give the horse many opportunities to look at the UGLY thing with both eyes so he can get familiar with it and learn that it won't eat him.
The "V" Exercise:
If you have the space available, have the horse walk in a "V" pattern, using 20 to 30 feet of travel and 8 to 30 feet wide. Simply ride the horse at a walk toward the object. The horse will stop where he becomes uncomfortable. This will be where you will turn him and walk away from the object in a "V" pattern 10, 20, or 30 feet and stop and turn him around and go straight back at it again. At the spot where he stopped before turn him away and go about the same distance. Turn him around and repeat a dozen times. By this time the horse has looked at the object 24 or more times, with both eyes. Now as you are walking toward the spot this time let him go a little closer. Only a step or two and turn him away again. If he did not seem to get upset with the closer approach try it again. This time he might go right up to it and sniff it, taste it or flat ignore it. If the object is a creek he might not step into it. But he will be closer to it now, and you can pick out a spot to cross and follow the previous procedure. However, if 24 times is not enough times, try again at 50 then 100 and so on. Eventually he will look at it enough times to get comfortable with it.
If you don't have any room to make a V pattern, then you can just turn the horse around on the trail to the right and walk a distance away and turn him around again and head back to the spot and turn to the left and walk away again. Follow the same procedure as above.
Happy Trails and remember to STAY BETWEEN YOUR HORSES EARS.
The following procedure will give you another method to conquer the dreaded frightening object , even a creek. The objective is to give the horse many opportunities to look at the UGLY thing with both eyes so he can get familiar with it and learn that it won't eat him.
The "V" Exercise:
If you have the space available, have the horse walk in a "V" pattern, using 20 to 30 feet of travel and 8 to 30 feet wide. Simply ride the horse at a walk toward the object. The horse will stop where he becomes uncomfortable. This will be where you will turn him and walk away from the object in a "V" pattern 10, 20, or 30 feet and stop and turn him around and go straight back at it again. At the spot where he stopped before turn him away and go about the same distance. Turn him around and repeat a dozen times. By this time the horse has looked at the object 24 or more times, with both eyes. Now as you are walking toward the spot this time let him go a little closer. Only a step or two and turn him away again. If he did not seem to get upset with the closer approach try it again. This time he might go right up to it and sniff it, taste it or flat ignore it. If the object is a creek he might not step into it. But he will be closer to it now, and you can pick out a spot to cross and follow the previous procedure. However, if 24 times is not enough times, try again at 50 then 100 and so on. Eventually he will look at it enough times to get comfortable with it.
If you don't have any room to make a V pattern, then you can just turn the horse around on the trail to the right and walk a distance away and turn him around again and head back to the spot and turn to the left and walk away again. Follow the same procedure as above.
Happy Trails and remember to STAY BETWEEN YOUR HORSES EARS.