***-mounting

[midnightmare]

Hi,
I can mount ok (even though i get a bit nervouse when i have to mount from a distance lol.)
anyway, in my group everyone can lift their leg straight over the horse and hop off, well, everyone except me!
When i Dismount i get my leg caught on the saddle and i slide off the saddle and land badly.
is there any way I can imporve my dismount? like lifting my leg or something lol

[show-ponies]

try dismounting more quickly flicking your legs over the hind quarters putting most of your pressure on your hands. Also when you reach the ground bend your knees so there is no pressure.

[midnightmare]

That's what I try to do but I can't lift my legs high enough :o

[xloopylozzax]

do you do games like scissors and round the world? scissors especially gets you to lift your legs high enough (over the saddle)
just take both feet out of the saddle then swing your legs, lean forward with weight on your hands, turn slightly, and bend your knees for landing.

[~*sugarlump*~]

what do you mean mounting from a distance?

lean forward as much as you canand really swing your leg up and spring down:)
i agree that games such as scissors and round the world would help a fair bit.

[midnightmare]

no we don't do stuff like that :( i tried once lol, we have saddles attached to wooden frames we can sit on whilst we watch otehrs but I fell off :o

I guess it's not mounting from a distance as such lol, but i am used to having the mounting step quite close to the horse's side, but as i didn't manage to lift my led high enough last time my instructor moved the step about half a metre away from teh horse and i had to practily jump onto the horse lol :D

[Gemsluvshorsesx]

Im afraid it all comes down to practice - i struggled for ages at first (even Fell off the horse dismounting - RI thought it was quite funny; i did not.) but after lots of practice you do get the hang of it. It involves finding the right way to push your leg up and over the back of the horse without kicking them in the process, then remembering to land lol! Oh and keeping control of the horse whilst your at it :P
Just stick in there, its pretty much like trotting - abit of practice and itll just click.

[alanalovesfinn]

maybe you cant lift your legs high enough because you're not leaning forward enough? :)

[un1corn]

Grab a handful of mane, lean as far forward as possible but dont swing your leg up with the focus of getting your foot over - focus on your knee.

If you focus on your foot your knee will hit the saddle, but if you focus on getting your knee over the saddle your foot will most definatley be higher than your knee.

If I think about getting my foot over I kick the horse in the butt and slither off sideways, if I think about getting my knee over then my foot is no longer a problem.

Unless of course your knee bends both ways?!?! LOL

Donna x

[PonyGirlAsh]

I don't think I can even describe how I dismount!! It's just natural now, and after some practice, it will become natural for you!

Funny story though - the first day at a new barn I was taking lessons at, I rode in a saddle that had safety stirrups (the ones with the hooks that have bands attached so they fly off if you fall and get your foot caught). Anyway, I didn't really think anything of it, til I went to dismount and caught my jods in the hook...right in the crotch! So I had a giant tear in the front of my jods (luckily I was wearing scary big pants) and I had to walk around like that until I untacked and ran into my car!! :eek:

Probably NOT the story you wanted to hear if you are having problems, but it just goes to show, sometimes even those of us who have done it hundreds of times still have problems!! :o

[LMS]

It's like a pendulum action, yes think about clearing the knee over the cantle while keeping your leg straight, and as mentioned the more "omph" in your swing, the more your aptto have a fluid motion. Also think of pivoting over the twist (narrowest part of the saddle).

I teach my riders to do it in segments; leaning forward & over to the off side/swinging, pivoting & clearing the leg over the cantle/resting across the saddle (your belly)/then slowly slide down.

As you get better, you will go faster, which in turn will make it easier.

Depending on the horse & rider, at first, I will let the rider keep their foot in the near stirrup as they rotate & clear the cantle. Once cleared & well balanced over the saddle (hands in the centre of the saddle with arms propping you up), take foot out of stirrup, hop down or lie across saddle & slide down.

[Jay_Horse]

I find if you do it quick, and sort of put some of your weight in your hands, you should be able to. I can see what you mean about the saddles though! It's kinda bad emma standing there watching you struggle. That's what i did on my first lesson hehe :)

[midnightmare]

Thanks everyone XxX
Jay- our instructor makes us dismount in a mexican wave so it usually end sup in everyone sliding off their horses in very weird positions lol :o

[LaurenEff]

Umm id say just try and focusing on lifting your legs REALLY high.

[Jay_Horse]

lol, oh well :)
If only we could practise.....lol

[midnightmare]

lol, we can use Fred to practice :D
it didn't seem to take aslong to hit the ground as it usually does today lol

[Sexy Sietske]

I tend to over swing :rolleyes: lean forward, huge swing, try and land on both feet but left foot has swung around almost under the horses neck, right leg taken by suprise and collapses...the result, a ball of laughter at the hooves of some extremely patient horses :o

[Packhorse12]

Try this:
Place your right hand a tiny way down the front of the saddle towards the knee roll, other hand holding the reins and mane.

(both fee out of the stirrups of course)

Now swing forward slightly over to the left of the of the horses neck head down over his mane if you see what I mean. This allows a bit more swing upwards of the right leg. I suggest keeping the leg straight and yes think of the knee, not the foot.

You need to do a really big swing with your whole body really, not just the leg. then hold the mane with left hand and side of saddle with right hand as you land and remember to bend your knees on landing. Hope that helps a bit. Practise on the back of the setee !!!