Nobody says you have to start with water to begin
with. We use blue tarps tacked down to the ground, then not tacked down.
Start with leading your horse across, praising each
step. Most will bolt across after they finally take that first step. Thats ok,
when he will calmly go across the tarp with it tacked down so it wont move,ride
over it from all angles.
Then untack the tarp so it and let it shift
and move with him. Walk him across until he is ok with it. Then ride him
across. My daughters horse was crossing a tarp at a demo at an expo and
wrapped the tarp around his ankle for about 10 feet. He never looked down
or broke his trot. Yes he is an arab
Yeah, I know a blue tarp is not water. But it is
amazing how much easier horses who have put the time in crossing tarps do when
first crossing water. You also get to do the most scary work next to the
house where somebody can dial 911. hehe
If water is unavailable, the tarps are used to pass
the verification of water crossing to earn the level stamp for ATHA trail
certification. We do try to cross actual water when we can, even to the point of
digging and filling our own puddles.
