Navigating new terrain and natural obstacles is one of the fun parts about hitting the trail with your horse. But if you come to a creek you’ve never crossed before, how do you know whether it’s safe to forge ahead? Do you know how to cross water with a horse? Ideally, your trail companions will be familiar enough with local topography to know what sort of footing lies under the water. Lacking that information, however, you can make an educated water-crossing choice by closely observing several clues:
- Survey the land leading up to the water’s edge. Swampy muck often precedes a dangerous bog beneath the water surface, and a steep or rocky drop-off into the stream usually indicates that unreliable footing lies ahead.
- Look for areas where other animals have entered. Deer, for example, have a knack for finding firm, gentle slopes into the water. But beware of following cattle tracks; cattle wade in wherever they happen to be, churning stream banks into mire as they do. Ride the banks to look for a narrow, firm path down into the water, and avoid wide expanses of mud covered with shallow water, no matter how many hoofprints they might hold.
- Listen to your horse. Heed an extreme reluctance to enter the stream on the part of a usually water-savvy horse. Don’t underestimate equine intuition.
If, even after careful deliberations, your crossing choice puts you on unstable footing midstream, you’ll have to make a split-second decision as to your next move. Most horses want to lunge forward through boggy footing; if you are more than halfway to the opposite bank, you might be wise to let your mount do so before he sinks to his knees. Slippery shale and boulders, on the other hand, are usually best avoided; go back carefully the way you can, and try another crossing. In either case, dismounting will free your horse to take whatever actions he must to get out of his fix. You’ll be wet for the rest of the ride but will remain out of harm’s way as your horse scrambles and lunges.
Related Reading: Riding Safely: Essential Tips for Horseback Riders of All Levels
This article originally ran on EQUUS.
Are you enjoying this content? Sign up for My New Horse’s FREE newsletter to get the latest horse owner info and fun facts delivered straight to your inbox!
