Afraid of Mud - Western Riding - Western Riding - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 7/22/2012 1:28:07 PM

Surprisingly the horse is not the one afraid of the mud, it is me. Sahara is more than happy to go through mud and gait and way. XD Walking and trotting and cantering even galloping (straight)for me is ok and depends on how muddy it is but usually if slippery I like to take things slow. I am just afraid of the horse slipping. How do you guys ride in mud? If the horse is running fast how do you stop without slipping and sliding or do you do like me and avoid running in slippery mud completely?

hunterseat

Posted : 7/22/2012 7:52:28 PM

I always worry about the horse falling when we go fast. HOWEVER I think (just my opinion) or rather I suspect a horse knows very well how to negotiate slippery terrain without wiping out. I say that because both Zag AND Dani have wiped out in front of my eyes. Scary, really, to have such a large animal slip and fall over. But after those times I never saw it again. I think young horses need to learn. Also, ones that haven't spent years under saddle probably learn to adjust and move safely. Assuming those horses are thinkers? I'm not sure.

Cintillate

Posted : 7/24/2012 5:51:03 AM

Yes it is scary! Sahara has slid and slipped on her own once but not again since then, over a year ago. Maybe she has when I'm not around...less embarrassing? haha. Hidalgo on the other hand falls multiple times and once with me on him, because of mud. And we were not even going faster than walk.[ ':o'

] Hidalgo much older and grew up in same pasture yet his coordination skills are pretty bad haha.

danastark

Posted : 7/24/2012 3:44:34 PM

Seems like some horses are really careful and others aren't! Jewel hadn't ever been out of a round pen when we got her and put her in the pasture and she went down numerous times negotiating turns in the mud..... Shaylea said she slipped and went down in the manure pile last week! Sigh.....

Being low desert, we never have that much mud but I will trot Cody through large puddles as long as the mud isn't too deep and sticky.

I guess if my horse was galloping, I'd slow them down in increments to avoid a sliding stop/fall?

Cintillate

Posted : 7/25/2012 8:07:01 AM

Haha poor jewel. That would have been a sight to watch. Sahara sometimes goes into gallop on her own in mud. Like a lunatic. I'd use one rein stop but afraid to cause her to turn and slip so I just say "ho" and lean back or sit like a sack of potatoes to make it uncomfortable for her and she slows down eventually. Still nerve racking for me. Hidalgo not the type to gallop off. Unless life depends on it...even then probably slow starter.

studeclunker

Posted : 8/17/2012 1:31:58 AM

Mudd???? In the Philippines? I thought it was nothing but sandy beaches, palm trees, and, and, like, coconuts, and stuff there! Oh... oh, never mind. That's, like, Southern California.... right?

LOL, sorry just couldn't help it!

Yeah, I had an A-rab who HATED mud! Rocky wasn't afraid of it in the least. He hated it with a purple passion! It finally got to where no matter what I would do he wouldn't even put one little edge of his delicate lil' ol' footsie in the gook. Therefore, he lived in it for three months. I grew up doing ceramics and knew where to get the&nbsp ';p'

owdered slip in bags. So in the mix it went making his stall even gooeyer than it was before! Gave him a really bad case of thrush. But it was worth it. He'd still snap his teeth, pin his ears and flag his tail, but Rocky would go through any mud hole I pointed him into.