Ever Wish You Could Get your Horse to Drink?

Regrets from the road...On a recent trip with a young horse recently, I watched my own horse drink readily and frequently while the youngster wasn't so sure of doing this on the trailer. Oh how I wish I had thought not only to condition drinking on the trailer for the young horse and also regretted having not put it on cue. Thankfully, it was a short trip and I brought salt for his food.

BUT, what a great winter weather activity and one that can be done in small spaces too. 

Considering training your horse to drink on cue???

🪣It can be done through:

• capturing the horse drinking and rewarding with food after they are finished, and eventually adding a cue.
• Or it may be done by shaping the behavior through selective bridging and feeding as the horse get's closer to the water.
• Of course, it can help to have a horse that is already thirsty such as one that has recently consumed salt, has just been worked, or is coming in from the sun on a warm day etc. 
• You might be wondering do I click or bridge while they are drinking? It is going to depend on what your horse responds to best. You might do this the first time or 2, but because it disrupts the drinking process, let them continue drinking on subsequent tries or vary the amount of time before the click or bridge to prevent forming a superstitious behavior. 

Why not do teach your horse to drink on cue as a small space winter activity  (we're doing a lot of these types of activities in the Compassionate Horse Click Membership Community right now - if you do let us know how it goes please?

PS LIVE r+ FOR Practical Horse People CLINIC IN BURGAW NC April 4-6. Learn more here: https://www.compassionatehorseclick.com/clinics-and-events