Question # 316: My horse is afraid of ditches in competition. When schooling I give him time to see ditch and walk around it he will jump right over. But in an event he will stop at a new ditch...
...My question is how do I get him used to ditches he can't see before hand? Some trainers tell me to be more aggressive... but that seems wrong if he's truly scared? (Kristin)
Hi Kristin!
This can be a fairly common problem for horses that start out with a strong fear of whatever their particular "bugaboo" fence is - ditches, water, trakehners, etc. Most, but not all, horses will come around with time, experience, and training. Here are a few things you can try: (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
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