Standing at the mounting block

[Peanut]

My 5 year old stands like a rock at the mounting block (or fence or where ever I'm getting on from) until she feels my weight in the stirrup and then walks on.

There isn't always someone around to hold her for me. Is it best to back her up every time she does this, or circle round to try again? Or is there something else I should be doing to solve this?

Any suggestions?

[SJ wanabe]

Circle her back round to the mounting block and make sure that you talk to her as you are putting your foot in the stirrup and do everything very slowly. :) A good thing to practice is just lying over the saddle just to get her used to standing still with weight on her back. Hope this helps!:)

[lachlanandmarcu]

Try putting the mounting block in a corner so you can 'block' as they get used to not walking off. NB horses being horses you might end up with the 'swinging quarters round' problem then....which my girl has learned this week :-)))

[notpoodle]

mine used to both not go to the mounting block and then not stand when i got on. very annoying it was, too, since there was no good reason for her to do it, really :o

in the end i went down the bribing route ie. we arrive at the block, she is in position (ok, this still takes a bit of pushing and shoving on my part because she seems to think I am Batman and just get my cape out and fly the distance between her and the block!), she gets a treat (at this point she's already bobbing her head for a treat because she knows darned well how she earnt it). i then get on, if she remained standing still, another treat .... you might need a helper holding your horse at first, so they get the idea and make the link between 'immobile' and 'yum!'

good luck :)

Julia
x

[coss]

can you balance whilst your horse moves off?

when i mount my mare she tends to walk as yours does, i balance my weight in the mounting process and ask her to halt, once she is still i mount properly and off we go. that works for me.

[Blair Witch]

I'm having the same problem, only a bit worse. I tell my horse to stop and put my mounting block in place. As soon as I step up on it he tries to walk off. When I try to lead him back to it, he plants his feet and refuses to follow me. He's fine when I mount from the ground, but I want to use the block because he's 16hh and my aussie stirrups are short. Should I just keep moving him back to the block?

[KateWooten]

Mounting, like trailer loading, gets a bit neglected as a training exercise. Also, like trailer loading, if he does it all perfectly the end result for the horse is not a big reward. typically, if he trailer loads well, he gets a long journey and a tiring day ! Same with mounting, he gets ridden ... more work.

So take some time out just to do mounting. Go ahead and teach him a cue for 'step back towards me' so that you he can't make you step down from the block to re-position him. Hone up your cues for move left, move right, move forward, move back, so that getting him into position is less of a chore.

Now, for the actual mounting ... it's no more difficult than any other training exercise as long as you treat it as that, and not as a thing to be got through so that you can get on with the ride. Practice it on a day that you don't want to ride ! Just like you practice trailer loading on any day that you don't have to be at the show in an hour. Leave him on a loose rein, give him the chance to move off at any point, and reward him for moving off by lots of work ! if you're really hot on your cues from the mounting block, then your 'more work' can be directed from there - forward and back, or away and towards ... or get off the block and run him in little circles around you, or backing up vigorously is quite a good one. And end up by the block again. Always give him the chance to stand. Drape the reins, don't hold him. When you do get a little progress .... reward that try. It may not be a stand still until your whole butt is in the saddle - it may be that the first time he stands for you just while your toe is in the stirrup - perhaps that is progress ? Then accept that as your starting point and reward him. Get off, pet him, give him a treat, get off the block, sit on it, and go stare at the sunset together for a minute.

Then do it all again.

Once you've got your start point, it's pretty quick progress. ALWAYS reward his try. Don't push for too much at once. You've got years possibly of him understanding that as soon as you let them get on, you get more work. It takes a little bit of patience to 're-program' that thought process. Take as long as it takes - don't expect perfection on day 1. But don't accept walking off either. Just be consistent. Walking off results in more work, standing still results in rider getting off, petting, a break, a treat etc.

[Joyscarer]

There's a couple of things that I do that I don't think has been mentioned although I admit to only skim reading the thread :o


1. I always catch my horses eye so she knows I am about to climb aboard and can be ready. :)

2. Make sure your horse has its feet planted to be able to take your weight when you mount. A horse will move its feet when you try to mount if it hasn't already readied itself for your weight.

[Wally]

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/sprimble/Iacs-on-his-box.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/sprimble/andy-circus-pony-5.jpg



Ohhhh, standing at the mounting block, not on it !

Sorry!

:D :D :D

Think I got it wrong again!

[cazrider]

Great shots Wally.:D

Reminded me of my lovely first coloured cob, Apache. The first time I rode him at our yard, I took him to the mounting block, climbed up on it, and asked him to come around next to it. He stood there and looked at me in a funny way, so I asked him again. He gave me a look that clearly said "well I think you're mad, but if you're sure that's really what you want I'll give it a go" then put one hoof on the block and went to climb up behind me.:eek: What a lovely boy he was.:) I still miss him.

Peanut, I'd second Notpoodle. It worked for me. If you have someone with you who can hold her while you get on. Cue lots of praise while she's standing there, and a treat from you on top. It was only a short time before he worked out the connection between standing still and the treat.