Crossing a Creek

By Charles Wilhelm

When teaching a horse to go over any obstacle, including a creek, there are certain things that the horse must already understand and we must have control of the horse.  When we begin to teach a horse to go over any type of obstacle, we begin on the ground.  The horse must first know how to lunge and give to pressure.  On the ground and in the saddle, we must be able to control the hind quarters, the shoulders and the nose.  We begin with a simple object on the ground, like a pole. 

Begin with a 12′ or 14′ line, depending on how comfortable you are with the equipment.  On the line, teach the horse to go forward, stop his feet and change directions.  Then you need to introduce a simple obstacle.  A pole is usually not a major or threatening object.  Some horses may have issues with a pole but it is usually a very nonthreatening object.  Begin to lunge the horse several feet away from the pole and as you move the horse around you, he will pass between you and the pole, maybe 10′ away.  Stop the horse at the furthest point from the pole and pause.  Let the horse look at the pole and then send the horse the other way.  This is discussed in both of my books, Starting Baby Jaz and Building Your Dream Horse.  I also describe this exercise in Ground Manners and Leading, a DVD that is currently available.

Once you have your horse comfortable passing between you and the pole, ask him to take a step over the pole.  When you ask, you have to step toward the object pushing the shoulder away from you with just enough pressure that your horse will move into the object.  The horse can choose to go over the object or in between you and the object but he can’t be allowed to go around it.  You have to block the horse from going around the pole.  The other criterion is that your horse must not be allowed to stop and change direction away from the pole.

In this exercise, we are working to change the horse’s reaction.  Most horses that do not want to go over an object will try to stop and back or bolt away.  In this exercise, the horse is allowed to go between you and the object and he is allowed to go over the object but he is not allowed to stop and reverse on his own.  If he does, you must stop him immediately with whatever amount of pressure is necessary and send him back forward again.  If you have to step back away from the pole at the same time and open up a door for the horse to go between you and the pole, that’s fine.  What you do not want to do is lose the forward cue.  Once you have done this exercise several times, you should find that your horse is much more willing to go over the pole.  He may rush or jump the pole in the beginning but once he is comfortable going over the pole at a walk, then you can build the exercise.

Put down two poles and then roll out a tarp the long way, to about 8′ long and folded to 1′ wide.  Lay the poles on the tarp so that it does not move.  Now ask the horse to go over this obstacle and keep working in the same way as with one pole.  Eventually you will be able to open up the tarp to 2′ wide by 8′ long and complete the exercise.  The length of the tarp is also important because you don’t want to make it easy for the horse to go around the end of it.  You also may want to do this exercise where there is an arena wall or fence to keep the horse from going around the outside of the object.  You do not want the horse to pull through the shoulder and drag you.  Once the horse will go willingly over the tarp, keep opening the tarp wider.  Once you have mastered this exercise on the ground, move into the saddle.  Do the same exercise going forward with good control of the hips.  If the horse jumps at the object and trots off, you need to be able to pick up the inside rein, block with the outside rein and move the hips over.  If the horse is moving at a canter or a lope, depending on your disciple, you need to circle him down slowing to a trot and then move his hips over.  This breaks the speed and is a way of discouraging him from bolting.  Then you take him back across the tarp again.  You continue to do this and start building the horse’s confidence and soon the tarp is 8′ long and 12′ wide. 

When you are doing this exercise in the saddle, you need to be aware that a horse can go in six different directions, right, left, up, down, forward and back.  A problem may occur when you ask the horse to go forward.  If the horse is very apprehensive about going forward, he will likely try to back up.  You can use spurs or a stick and drive him forward but you must wait until the horse has stopped backing.  You must also keep his nose directed straight.  The horse is not allowed to turn around and the moment the horse stops, ask him to go forward.  If you have done your pre-work well before you got to the tarp, you have taught the horse to go forward on the ground and in the saddle, you should be successful.  If you have a problem with your horse going over objects and his shoulder is bleeding out, in other words you are asking the horse to go straight and he is going right, his nose may be going straight but his shoulder is going right, you need to work on shoulder control.  It comes down to this, if you have good control of the shoulders and a good forward cue, you can teach the horse to go over any object, including a creek.

Once you get out on the trail and up to the creek, remember the horse can go six different directions and you need to block him from going right or left.  If he backs up, wait until he stops and then drive him forward.  Any time you drive him forward, once he takes a step forward, take your leg off him.  Here is another thing that can happen; your horse may want to jump the creek.  The rule is the smaller the creek the bigger the jump.  If your horse jumps and wants to trot on past the creek once he is over, don’t try to pull him up short.  Let the horse travel10 or 15 feet, then pick up one rein, turn him around and move a hip over.  Pause and send him back over the creek again.  If he jumps again, let him jump.  Keep doing this just like you did with the ground work exercise until he walks through it.  Once he walks through it, then you can pick up one rein, move his hip over or move his shoulder over and get him to stand in the creek.  If he exhibits any anxiety, don’t force him to stay there.  Let him get out of the creek and then take him back through again.  Go back and forth until finally he doesn’t care anymore.  Any time a horse has issues with an object and we force him to accept it without building his confidence, we are putting more fuel to fire.

To summarize, these are the principles to keep in mind.  You need a good, solid forward cue and you need to practice this before you get in the saddle.  Another thing to remember is to control the shoulders.  If you have control of the shoulders, you’re going to have success.   If your horse wants to go around the object because it is small, and you don’t have control of the shoulder, you are going to create an opening and you will not be successful.  You have to close those doors. 

Charles Wilhelm