mount, but just swing your leg only halfway over his back,
then dismount. Praise your horse when he stands still. Do
this several times. You may need to repeat this lesson over
several days or weeks until he understands that mounting
does not mean moving forward.
When he shows he is willing to stand perfectly still for the
“half” mount, swing your leg over his back. As you do,
transfer your right hand from the cantle to the saddle’s
pommel to help you balance. Then sit down on his back,
but do it as softly as possible. Mounting this way, without
pulling the saddle across his back, will encourage him to
stand still.
After you and your horse have mastered mounting with the
block, you still have some homework to do. Use the mounting
block to help you build up strength in your arms and
legs to allow you to mount from the ground. Most mounting
blocks have two steps. Practice mounting from the
highest step, graduate to the lowest step as your strength
improves, until you can mount from the ground. Continue
using the same mounting spot to reinforce your horse’s
understanding to stand once you graduate to getting on
from the ground.
Any issues we have
with mounting can
set the tone for the
rest of our ride.
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also move, anticipating that you will be mounting and he
will need to balance himself. If he moves, calmly reposition
him and repeat this step. Take time for this step and do not
proceed until he is relaxed.
Practice this mounting procedure using the block while
teaching the horse that mounting does not mean move
forward. Position him in the mounting spot and ask him to
“whoa” by putting slight tension on the reins. Place the
reins over his neck being
careful to maintain the same
amount of tension in each
rein. Riders have the ten-
dency to pull on the left rein
while mounting, causing their
horse to circle toward them.
This makes getting on even
more difficult.
To prevent pulling on the reins, keep your hands in front of
the saddle. If the horse wants to move as you attempt to
mount, avoid walking him in a circle to get back into position.
This will only reinforce that mounting means it is okay
to move forward. Instead, stop him and back him up the
to block or reposition the block next to him.
Once your horse in is position, step up on the block and
gather up the reins by sliding your left hand on the horse,
starting at the buckle and moving up on the horse’s neck.
Still holding the reins, move your left hand so it is grasping
the front of the saddle as you place your right hand on the
saddle’s cantle. Put your left foot in the stirrup and start to
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