The following is an excerpt from “Riding Out, Strategies for Training Outside the Arena to Improve Horse Health and Performance” by Ingrid Klimke. Pick up your copy here.
Queen Ingrid! Photo by Tilly Berendt.
All horses need variety in their training. They gain important experience outside the arena, and the different sights and experiences out on the trail help make horses calmer and more balanced. Whether you go for a relaxing ride or do some suppling work on hills, your horse will thank you, and his new-found strength and energy will help him shine in the arena.
An Essential and Refreshing Exercise
Crossing water is an important skill for all horses. Dressage horses need to perform movements obediently, without being distracted or worried by puddles in the arena. A heavy shower can leave a show jumping course underwater, so show jumpers can’t let water bother them, either. And eventers obviously need to be able to jump boldly into water and even canter through it. That’s why I try to incorporate riding through different types of water. In the summer months, it is refreshing for horses and riders, and is often a welcome activity.
Start with a Lead Horse
Take the time to gradually get your horse used to water. The first thing you need to do is make sure the water you are crossing isn’t too deep and the ground conditions are good. Young horses will find it easier to take their first wet steps in a group, behind an experienced lead horse. You will find that most horses enjoy going into water once they get over any initial worries.
When getting a horse used to water for the first time, you need a good lead horse who will go into the water and won’t kick if another horse gets too close. An inexperienced horse might suddenly decide to leap into the water. If that happens, he could end up getting too close to the lead horse, so be sure to maintain a safe distance.
Start by approaching the water at a walk, approximately two horse lengths behind the lead horse. Ideally, your horse should follow the lead horse into the water. If he hesitates, wait a moment and allow him to have a sniff on a long rein. Then ask him to go forward again and follow the lead horse.
Encourage your horse with your voice and leg. As soon as he takes a step in the direction of the water, praise him, and give him a pat to encourage him. An inexperienced horse will probably be able to pull himself together on his second attempt and start to follow the lead horse, albeit hesitantly.
Stand in the middle of the water and give your horse lots of praise. He will have a sniff, and might even dip his muzzle into the water or have a drink. Let your reins slip through your fingers and wait. If your horse tries to paw or splash, ride forward. Holes in the ground caused by pawing are dangerous, and pawing is often a precursor to getting down to roll.
Have the lead horse leave the water and ride on at the walk, and then follow him, one behind the other. If your horse follows willingly and walks behind the lead horse without stopping, have the lead horse return to the water. Ride the inexperienced horse out of the water and then ride back into it—this time on your own while the experienced horse remains standing in the water.
Walk, Then Trot, Then Canter
The next step is to trot into the water behind the experienced horse. Some horses don’t like the spray from the horse in front of them, so you need to be prepared for hesitation or stopping. Then trot through the water without the lead horse. You should post in the trot to take strain off the horse’s back.
Some horses enjoy water crossings right from the outset. You should always make use of this motivation, especially in warm weather, because riding through water not only cools off a horse’s legs, it creates trust that will benefit your relationship both in and out of the arena.
This excerpt from Riding Out was published with permission from Trafalgar Square Books. For more information, or to purchase the book online, go to: https://trafalgarbooks.com/products/riding-out
