Reminds me of a pony I had as a kid. Every time we crossed water I had to have a stick in my hand to beat the crap out of him to keep him from laying down. Didn’t matter the time of year. Summer, Winter, didn’t matter, if it was water he was going to lay down in it. Ah, Memories.
One of my boarders has a mare that will stop at every water crossing – even puddles in the ring! I see those hock start to fold and start screaming kick, KICK, KICK!!! It’s just a matter of time until the mare goes down…it’s in the cards. And yes, weather has little to do with it.
Great video! I aboslutely owned a horse like that. Had to have some one lead him across water because I could not keep in from laying down any other way. But what a fun horse! We swam in Lake Michigan with him any time we could. Also a smaller inland lake. He was a swimming fool and such a lot of fun to ride. the down side came when he laid down in big puddles in March in the ice and snow! Good times!
I have a horse that decided that she was a moose for a summer. She hung out in the middle of the pond all day, submerging her head entirely to graze on pond weeds, while ignoring the two acres of field she was on. She had perfectly round sores all over her legs and belly, and I was investigating all kinds of things… It turns out they were leech bites.
Yep, a mare on a TB Stud Farm I worked at many moons ago was water obsessed – funny in summer, not so fab in winter when she would roll in the big rolling pits they had dug out (one paddock was almost a metre deep, she would completely submerge) and fill the inside of her rug with mud and water! We always had a spare rug with us when we checked them, and changed hers almost daily, then it was the mission to hose out all the mud and try to get it dry again… Sopping wet canvas rugs weigh a TON! Lucky we had a heap of spares in her size, and she was always the last one to get her winter jammies and the first one we de-rugged in spring.
When I was a kid, I was fed two conflicting myths about horses: that they were your wonderful imaginary friend except for real, and that they were brainless hayburners. And the whole time they were out there doing stuff like this.
One of my TB’s dug himself a ‘wallow’ – in my round pen. Happily splashing away. We’re on clay, so it comes back all the time and is in constant use. I tend to throw him in the indoor for turnout as much as possible. 😉
One of my mares (also a TB – it always seems to be the TB’s. What is with that??) takes every opportunity to flop in a puddle. And yes, even in January if there is water/mud she comes in ‘chocolate-covered’.
Other than my 5 TB’s, the only animal on the place that is so water-obsessed is the slightly-less-than-sane Labrador.
Hooves 
Reminds me of a pony I had as a kid. Every time we crossed water I had to have a stick in my hand to beat the crap out of him to keep him from laying down. Didn’t matter the time of year. Summer, Winter, didn’t matter, if it was water he was going to lay down in it. Ah, Memories.
One of my boarders has a mare that will stop at every water crossing – even puddles in the ring! I see those hock start to fold and start screaming kick, KICK, KICK!!! It’s just a matter of time until the mare goes down…it’s in the cards. And yes, weather has little to do with it.
Great video! I aboslutely owned a horse like that. Had to have some one lead him across water because I could not keep in from laying down any other way. But what a fun horse! We swam in Lake Michigan with him any time we could. Also a smaller inland lake. He was a swimming fool and such a lot of fun to ride. the down side came when he laid down in big puddles in March in the ice and snow! Good times!
I love it! A horse that gives itself a bath!! Brilliant!
I’ve a horse that loves to play and lie down in water like that.
Problem is though, he’s an eventer and he has done it “on course” ! 😦
I have a horse that decided that she was a moose for a summer. She hung out in the middle of the pond all day, submerging her head entirely to graze on pond weeds, while ignoring the two acres of field she was on. She had perfectly round sores all over her legs and belly, and I was investigating all kinds of things… It turns out they were leech bites.
Yep, a mare on a TB Stud Farm I worked at many moons ago was water obsessed – funny in summer, not so fab in winter when she would roll in the big rolling pits they had dug out (one paddock was almost a metre deep, she would completely submerge) and fill the inside of her rug with mud and water! We always had a spare rug with us when we checked them, and changed hers almost daily, then it was the mission to hose out all the mud and try to get it dry again… Sopping wet canvas rugs weigh a TON! Lucky we had a heap of spares in her size, and she was always the last one to get her winter jammies and the first one we de-rugged in spring.
When I was a kid, I was fed two conflicting myths about horses: that they were your wonderful imaginary friend except for real, and that they were brainless hayburners. And the whole time they were out there doing stuff like this.
One of my TB’s dug himself a ‘wallow’ – in my round pen. Happily splashing away. We’re on clay, so it comes back all the time and is in constant use. I tend to throw him in the indoor for turnout as much as possible. 😉
One of my mares (also a TB – it always seems to be the TB’s. What is with that??) takes every opportunity to flop in a puddle. And yes, even in January if there is water/mud she comes in ‘chocolate-covered’.
Other than my 5 TB’s, the only animal on the place that is so water-obsessed is the slightly-less-than-sane Labrador.