Posted 2006-11-24 9:19 PM (#51870 - in reply to #51865) Subject: RE: mounting
Member
Posts: 23
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Although Farmbabe is right and there isn't enough info, I too have problems mounting my horse from the ground - she essentially takes off on me. Others haven't had the problem but something with the way I do it causes her problems. I noticed that once I started using a stool/small step/log etc to mount, she doesn't run off until I'm ready for her to. Take a look at what you're doing and then, if necessary, adjust.
Posted 2006-11-25 4:47 PM (#51894 - in reply to #51865) Subject: RE: mounting
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489 Location: CA
Yes, the stool/mounting block idea should help. Also, check out a couple other things...See if you accidentally jab him in the side(up by his elbow) when you're doing the initial "push off" from the ground, especially if you use pointed toe boots. Another thought I have is whether your cinch/girth is tight enough. Sometimes people try to help their horse by not girthing up too tight, but when they mount, the loose girth makes the saddle slip and pull, which can be really uncomfortable to a sensitive horse. One more idea...My gelding always walked off when I mounted, just a step or two, but it bugged the bejeebies out of me. I started giving him "treats" once I was in the saddle and he suddenly decided it was better not to move away from his treat source! Read the recent posts about treats. They work sometimes, but they can work against you if you're not careful. Good luck and let us know how things go!
Posted 2006-11-25 11:37 PM (#51900 - in reply to #51865) Subject: RE: mounting
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385 Location: washington
It could be that the saddle is hurt his back when you mount up... lots of folks use a mounting block, especially on tall horses, because it puts less torque on their back when you mount up. I never use a mounting block, but my my horse is 14.2 and has never been a problem for me to get off and on quickly. I do a lot of backcountry riding, and there are no mounting blocks out there.
Posted 2006-11-26 2:31 PM (#51921 - in reply to #51865) Subject: RE: mounting
Member
Posts: 31
Thanks for all of the advice. This is a horse that I purchased in about a month ago, the owner did advise me that I would have to have someone to hold him while I get on. I want to break this habit because I trailride and sometimes don't have enough time to wait for someone to assist with mounting. Once I get on him, he's great just wondering if I could get some advice.
Posted 2006-11-26 2:52 PM (#51923 - in reply to #51865) Subject: RE: mounting
Veteran
Posts: 209 Location: pensacola, fl
My mare use to RUN off while I was trying to mount, but I started using a mounting block and she is much better. She will still try to walk off every now and then, my trainer told me that if I haven't thrown my leg over yet that I should step back down and make her spin in circles. If I have thrown my leg over that as soon as I am in the saddle to make her spin circles. He said that she will eventually figure out that when she walks off it causes her extra work.
Hope this helps!!
I know what you mean about having someone hold your horse while you get on, I like to ride a lot more often than my friends and I don't always have someone to hold her for me.
Posted 2006-11-26 4:28 PM (#51930 - in reply to #51865) Subject: RE: mounting
Regular
Posts: 94 Location: Minnesota
Be sure to check your saddle fit. My horse would not stand nicely for mounting when his saddle fit him poorly. Then it became "learned behavior" (habit) when I got my new saddle he still moved off because he anticipated that it would be uncomfortable.
Posted 2006-11-26 4:45 PM (#51932 - in reply to #51865) Subject: RE: mounting
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
Teach the horse to allow you to mount in an area where it is comfortable. Like near the barn. Some place where it's not eager to leave.
Teach the horse to mount with out fellow riders getting on their horses and causing your horse to worry about be left behind.
Prepare the horse for your mount. Square up his feet, turn his head slightly toward you, collect the reins. Grab a handfull of mane in your left hand and the off side of the saddle skirt with your right hand. Holding the horn and cantle tend to twist the saddle on the horse. Pull your right hand into the horse as you lift yourself up. Lift your body straight up close to the horse's body. Don't swing way out and cause the horse to loose his balance. Carefully swing your leg over the horse. Don't kick him in the butt. Gently lower your weight into the saddle. Too often folks swing their leg over and DROP into the saddle seat. Make the horse stand after you have mounted. Don't let him move off UNTIL you give him the cue to go.
Too often people don't prepare the horse and with bad mounting proceedures knock the horse out of balnace and cause him to take that first step to maintain his balance. Once the horse learns they can move during the mount, it's an easy assumption to keep moving to keep up with the herd or be the first to head down the trail.
Don't complete the mount unless he stands still. It doesn't take too many tries for the horse to learn you won't finish the mount if he moves. The opposite is also true. It doesn't take many times of allowing the horse to move off and they will get worse each time. As a father I often would help all my daughter get mounted, they of course didn't have the control to make their horses stand still, and often would be moving off on the trail while I tried to mount. My horse quickly learned that I would mount and head off after the rest of gang. My horse started moving off before I got into the saddle. I had to go back to basic and teach him to stand again.
Ken McNab had a show on mounting on RFD-TV several week ago. In his show he taught a horse to move over to a mounting aid on queue. I suspect this would help a lot as you have the horse's attention, you have asked him to move at your command to specific location on queue. The horse is listening and respectfull before you ever put your toe in the stirup. In his lesson he was teaching the horse to move close to a mounting aid like a stump, rock, fence rails, mounting block. You may want to try and watch that segment.
Posted 2006-11-28 5:26 AM (#51987 - in reply to #51865) Subject: RE: mounting
Elite Veteran
Posts: 954 Location: Hagerstown, MD
Put him in the roundpen for a while. Try to mount and when he moves off, let him. Send him around the pen 3 times in each direction. When he figures out it's more work to move off than stand still, he's going to stand still. Another aid that I have used on a couple of my horses is "clicker training." It really works, but not with the same results on all horses. I rescued a horse that had a lot of bad habits and clicker training gave both of us an aid to help him understand what I wanted and take some of the confusion out of training. Happy trails.
Posted 2006-11-28 7:07 PM (#52017 - in reply to #52011) Subject: RE: mounting
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
There was a book written several years ago about a method used to train animals. An in the case of that book how to train horses. The author used a small device that made a loud CLICK sound when ever the horse did the right thing.
They would start of having the horse do a simple task and Clicking and giving a small food treat (like a pellet) each time the horse did the simple task. As they progressed they reduced and eliminated the food and just used the clicker to tell the horse they had done the right thing.
The horses soon learned that when they hear the click they are doing what the trainer wants. The same concept as releasing the pressure when the horse does what you ask. But it's much more precise.
mounting
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