Many horses are fascinated by water. They may want to paw at the water, roll in the shallows or even blow bubbles. You may find that your horse will lead well until it gets to the water’s edge and then crowd between you and the water so that it doesn’t have to go into the water. Most horses don’t fear water. When they hesitate to step into the water, it’s because they aren’t sure of their footing. They can’t see how deep it is, and the bottom could be muddy or rocky. A patient, an intelligent handler can retrain a horse that’s afraid of water.
But what do you think? Are horses good at swimming? The answer is yes; horses can indeed swim. In fact, they are actually very competent swimmers due to their huge lungs, which enable them to float naturally. Horses have a natural instinct to swim when they hit deep water and readily perform a paddle-like action, not too dissimilar to a trotting action.
If you live near the sea, it’s always a great idea to take your horse on a ride near the water, on the beach like in our video. That would be refreshing for the horse as well as for you. Horses can swim in the sea/ocean, and swimming with your horse is one of those things that can be a fantastic experience.
If your horse is afraid of water, it’s not a big problem. It can be very frightening to a horse that doesn’t have much experience with it. You can get your horse used to water by helping it create positive associations with water, desensitizing them to any aspects of water that frighten it, and being patient as you work with it.
As your horse becomes more comfortable with water, you can gradually increase its exposure to it. But no matter what, you need to stay calm because horses can pick up on emotions, and they usually tend to mirror the vibe that they sense.