Have you ever tried to ride your horse through a shallow river? There is a small river by my farm and I was thinking of trying it.

I have never really thought of trying it. I usually ride my horse on a path near my harm. It's a beautiful scenic path, however there is a river near it.

We've ridden our horses through a river many times on trail rides and cross country courses. Most horses are great swimmers and will happily go through a river on their own, its only with a rider they may start having a fear or water. But as long as your horse trusts you and you give them plenty of rein to do their thing you should do fine. Remember to properly care for your tack after a swim though.

I never have personally, having heard a few horror stories from people who did this. The risks are that the horse slips on a rock and gets injured, or that the river isn't as shallow as it might seem and you get in trouble because he or she gets swept down river.

Just be careful and be sure that the river is as it seems.

Obviously noone is going to traverse white water rapids on horseback for casual fun I hope. A good candidate for a swim has a nice even bottom you can see with mostly sand, not clay or rock. Slimy, algae covered stuff also isn't a good place most likely. But taking care to find a safe place to cross or swim isn't too hard. Lots of beaches allow horseback riders and the wet sand is a good place to ride.