When there's a nice big mud puddle and you are mounted on a white pony, one thing's for certain: You're about to get pony dunked.
Ponies: We love them, we hate them. They're wonderful one minute, and then they drive us crazy the next. Whatever antics your pony got up to while you were a child, we hope that you've never been "pony dunked."
So, just what is pony dunking? It's the moment when your pony decides that the mud puddle beneath you looks so, so tempting, and that the mud would feel so good on his back. This mud adoration becomes the only thing that he can think about, and even though you're on his back, temptation is sure to win out in the end. Then, you're most certainly going to get wet and dirty.
Just watch the girl in this video below - she definitely gets pony dunked.
While getting dirty and riding horses go hand-in-hand, getting pony dunked really isn't fun. Horses tend to paw at water before they roll in it, so if your horse ever starts to paw while you're riding through water, pull his head up and encourage him to move forward immediately.
As a general rule, don't let your horse stand still while you're in water, or he'll be tempted to roll. You may have to strongly squeeze or even kick your horse in order to get him in motion again, since a horse that is moving can't easily lie down.
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may get pony dunked. If your horse starts to fold his legs in order to lie down or roll, immediately remove your feet from both stirrups. Push yourself up off of and away from your horse - you don't want to get trapped beneath him.
Hopefully you'll never need this advice and will be able to stay dry while navigating water with your horse.
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This article was originally published April 27, 2016.
