Mounting Issues (His Not Mine)

[Slewster05]

I am having some issues with my horse. Of course they are his issues not mine. This is a fairly new horse for me and he was formerly on the track some years ago. The major issue that I am having is that he refuses to stand still while attempting to mount let alone will not stand next to anything. When attempting to mount my 16.2 horse I have to quickly put my foot in, hop several times on the move and vault over. It is definitely not graceful and many times I have gone up one side and down the other. I have tried facing him into a corner which he turns out of. I have tried tying off each rein and he backs when you do this. I mounted the other day from his right and caught him off guard and he actually stood even though it was not graceful. I tried it again the next day and he was much wiser. I would really like to get to the point where I am not doing the running mount with him and could mount from a block or without someone holding. Any help greatly appreciated!!!

[Tony The Pony]

keep this concept in mind, when he moves make it your idea to move. next time he moves make him disengage his hindquarters by lifting your left hand up that you will be holding the reins with and smacking his butt with your right. and wait for him to face you with 2 eyes. once you get that try mounting again, he moves just do the same thing again. He will realize that it is easier for him to stand still and let you get on rather than moving around

[galadriel]

I have an article addressing this issue:
http://lorienstable.com/articles/handling/275-voice-stand_for_mounting/

[Pickles]

I think if I were in your position, with a new horse needing re-education, I would be satisfied with finding a reliable way of getting on quickly, with as little fuss as possible, for the time being. Then once he's more settled and you have more of a bond with him you could work on getting him to stand still, and then progress to getting him up to the mounting block.

Can you have a leg up from a friend, that way you're not putting the pressure on his back that mounting from the ground does?

ps I'm assuming you've checked the obvious like back problems, teeth giving him pain etc, always worth getting things double checked so you know it's just lack of manners rather than a genuine reaction to pain.

[Wobblydeb]

I am having some issues with my horse. Of course they are his issues not mine. This is a fairly new horse for me and he was formerly on the track some years ago. The major issue that I am having is that he refuses to stand still while attempting to mount let alone will not stand next to anything Look at it from his perspective - he's been taught for however many years that somebody gets a knee up onto his back whilst he is stretching his legs ready for a good run ;) So to his mind what he is doing isn't wrong.
I am guessing that when you mounted from the right, he didn't realise what you were doing, not expecting he was about to get ridden. The next day, he had very sensibly figured out people get on from both sides, and so he should be moving along like he's learnt to :p

[Slewster05]

I have had my TB for approximately 8 months now. He was on the track at one point in time and I am thinking that he has some psychological issues with standing next to things since he will not stand next to a fence or gate to open or close it. I also think that from an early age when they went to get up on him at the track someone was there to hold him while the jockey swung up. The odd thing is that if I mount him in the barn he is a perfect gentleman. Also if I mount him after I have ridden him for a while he stands still. I pretty much ride by myself the majority of the time unless the trainer is out there. The vet has been out and checked him head to toe and he just had his teeth floated approximately two months ago. His saddle fits perfectly and if I could get him to stand next to a mounting block then I would not have to worry about weighting the off side.

[lazyobie29kr]

Once you do get on, don't go right away, make him stand there until you tell him to go. My horse had the same issues, but thank god he's pretty short! Once I got tired of mounting a moving horse I always made sure to keep him still for about 10 seconds after I got on, then I let him walk. Good Luck and I hope you find something that works!

[barebackqueen76]

i read in this book that the horse is tryin to make u move therefore being dominant in a way.

so wat u should do is put ** foot in the strirrup n make him move around you n u not move around him.

if this doesnt work try gettin on. when he moves take ** foot out and make him back, move his his both ways and stuff like that. then stand n try again. if he moves again make him move his hips n back up n stuff again. keep doing this till he stands. it may take a while but eventually he'll learn that its easier to stand than to not let u on.

hope it helps

~Rachel

[Tnavas]

I really think you need to work with this horse and teach him to stand alongside a mounting block so that you don't have to hop and swing and pull yourself up.

I would suggest that he is very unhappy about the mounting process. As soon as you put your weight in the stirrup and staart to get on board the saddle pulls over to one side and presses on the off side of the wither. Most uncomfortable for the horse!

I always get on my horses from a mounting block, or the fence or the gate, and only get on from the ground if there is no other possible means. I have too great a respect for my horses back and his comfort.

[LadyFrost]

My pony has the same problem! What I do is I let her stand with me by her side, and sing or talk. Do it all slowly. Remember, it takes a while to do this. It took me a month (I rode her a few times every week)! After he has been standing for a moment, stick your foot in the stirrup. If he walks away say "Whoa" firmly and pull back on the reins. My pony kicks out if I hit her, so I've done this all without. Once standing again, I keep singing and talking. Then I mount up, and pull back if she starts moving again. If you need more clarification, just asking me lol.

[Styric]

My horse sort of has the same problem... my coach says it's more of a 'I wanna go go go go go go' mindset, because it's only the first mount, after that he's an angel and stands rooted to the ground, even if you get off that second and do it again.

[Sezza]

Parelli says: If a horse is moving around when you try to mount, he is not giving you permission to mount! Only when he stands willingly should you get on.

As always, solution is ground work (I think everyone is gonna get sick of me hehe).

Just a thought.

[nirikina]

I had this problem when I exercised someone else's pony a few times a week. It was okay mounting at the start of a ride, but if I got off to move some poles in the school, or open a gate on a hack, he'd swing around and wouldn't let me mount up again. He was only a little pony so mounting ata walk wasn't difficult, but I'd rather get rid of his bad habit.

What I did was back him up a few steps, then ask him to stand and try again. After a few repetitions he got the idea that standing still was easier than going backwards.

[ajhainey]

How is he if someone holds him while you get on? (as at a track)

Does he fidget and try and get away from them (i.e doesn't like being mounted, check for pain etc) or does he stand well (i.e good horse but just never learnt how to be mounted by a lone rider?)

Aj xx

[momofsix]

I also have an ex race horse and she does the same thing. I am very slow mounting anyway, so this is a problem. I have tried some of the things suggested here and I am also doing lots of NH and ground work with her. I think she is getting better, the ground work seems to help.

[Slewster05]

He is a little fidgety when held at the bit by someone when I go to mount. He is decent but not wonderful. I would say that he definitely has his moments. I have tried to get him to stand against things to mount but once I come over to the stirrup to mount he moves away and will not stand next to it for very long. The weird thing is that I can mount him from inside the barn and he stands perfectly calm and still and does not budge but as soon as I get him into the round pen or arena he starts to move off. I would love to be able to mount him from a block because it is not only easier on me but also on him but the little "meat head" refuses. Thanks for everyone's help. I will try a few of these suggestions and let you know how it works. He better start behaving or Santa is going to put him on the naughty list.
:)

[laura jeanne]

I asked about this a while back.

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32820&page=1&pp=20&highlight=stand

My current instructor has us bring the mounting block TO the horse. She says it's not polite to the horse if you bring the horse to the mounting block!!! Weird.

[momofsix]

My instructor has me do the same thing--there is too weird trainers out there apparantly!

[laura jeanne]

I'm glad mine's not the only one then!

[Ehley]

HEY!!!
yeah I had the same problem with my 17.3hh warmblood haha. but what we did was get two 7 feet long boards that were 2 feet high and 1 foot wide. i put them beside each other but had about 2.5 feet in between them so my horse had to walk through them I would get him to walk through the boards and we could not walk over them and i would get someone to go infront of him so he could not go forward..I would also get him to stand there with me on his back for a couple of minutes after getting on his back..If your horse does not like going inbetween stuff get his used to it on whatever by gromming him between them or feeding his favorite treat in between the boards...the idea worked wonders for me and i hope if you try it..its works wonders for you

Hayley :D