Advice on getting pony to stand still while mounting

Hutchie

Hutchie

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Hello I was wondering if anyone could give advice on training a horse to stand still while mounting, I have a young mare and I have to get on from the ground as when I take her to the mounting block she just won't stand still, if anyone has any tips that would be great! Many thanks for reading :)
 
Depends on her personality and quite what she's doing and whether you have a helper or not and whether the mounting block is fixed.
 
Hi,

I agree it does depend on type of horse and what they are doing.

I had this problem with my 4year old mare at any mounting block. I found that repetition of correcting her was the best. So everytime she moved forward away from the block i made her back up to the spot where we started and try to mount again. If she moved sideways i would use my whip, just a light tap to ask her to move back to the starting spot. Hope this makes sense. I also used the work 'STAND' when i was about to mount.

I would have to repeat this around 6 times in one session until she would stand still for me to mount.

Keeping calm and patience worked for me : )

Hope this helps.
xxx
 
The mountain block isn't fixed, it's one of them plastic ones, if I take her to it she stand for a second and then move forward, if I take the mountain block to her again same thing happens, if someone holds her she will stand still, if I'm on my own she'll fidget, move forward and I just kinda settle after a while so I can get on, I mean I can always manage to get on her and stand after a while but I get on from the ground, if she settles then I put the mountain block beside her she seems to get excited again. Hope that makes sense.
 
Hutchie said:
Thanks blondie I will try that :)
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It has taken me almost 3months of repetition to get my girly to stand still at the block now. She still sometimes moves forward but normally only once and then i move her backwards into the starting spot and say STAND and on i get without her moving.

It does feel like you will never get there but my patience paid off.

Hope it works for you too : )
 
Thanks I will try that, I know repetition and patience is the key, it's too easy just to get on and go, but I really need to train her to stand still, so I will try what you suggested and see if it works. Thanks again xxx
 
Mine cracked this in 2 days. Helper stood in front with polo in hand she only got it when stood still and I was on. Soon learnt. I now lean forward and reward her with a polo about one time in 3. Works brilliantly no fuss or stress but she is very motivated by polos!
 
Some things that helped me...
- start with leading around school/wherever block is
- introduce some brief halts and offer praise/treat for standing still
- ‘coincidentally’ make a halt near the block
- make the halts longer & longer

As mentioned above, if horse moves off reposition, calmly, next to block. Only get horse to stand next to block for as long as they are reasonably calm there.

Once it is long enough for you to hop on do so and treat/praise from onboard before moving off.

Try it at various times throughout the session, not just at the beginning so it doesn’t always mean work.
 
Patience, Just bring her up to mounting block, give a carrot or polo,when she stands after a little while bring her up to mounting block go to top step, give a carrot/polo what ever, just ask her to stand after a week or two you will find she will stand next to mounting block and as long as you don't flap about she will stand to be mounted next to mounting block. Just make sure that your girth is tight enough and that your stirrup irons are down at right level, just ask her to stand and then ask her to move off. Nothing makes them fidget more than when you decide to tighten girth or lengthen/shorten leathers.
 
repetition and reward, use to have the same problem, just kept walking up to the mounting block, give a treat to take their mind off you getting on, then get on, stand and then big pats!!. keep doing it about five times a day and then stop giving the treat - took me about two weeks using this method now dont very often have a problem unless its blowing a gale!!
 
Does she stand still when you get off?? Could be worth dismounting onto your block as well as the mounting from it and reiterating the repetition/back up/praise techniques.
 
I had this problem too. I would stand her next to the mounting block, praise her up and give her a polo then get on. I stood in front of her instead of standing on the mounting block, then climbed on it, then got on her. After a few weeks I could lead her up to it while I stood on it and got on. I still give her a polo now when I've got on to praise her but will stop that soon.
 
Blondie1 said:
Hi,

I agree it does depend on type of horse and what they are doing.

I had this problem with my 4year old mare at any mounting block. I found that repetition of correcting her was the best. So everytime she moved forward away from the block i made her back up to the spot where we started and try to mount again. If she moved sideways i would use my whip, just a light tap to ask her to move back to the starting spot. Hope this makes sense. I also used the work 'STAND' when i was about to mount.

I would have to repeat this around 6 times in one session until she would stand still for me to mount.

Keeping calm and patience worked for me : )

Hope this helps.
xxx
Click to expand...

RiderLizzie said:
Does she stand still when you get off?? Could be worth dismounting onto your block as well as the mounting from it and reiterating the repetition/back up/praise techniques.
Click to expand...

This, all of it helped me. Mine was a git for going back one step, so I put him one step too far ahead. Then he swung his quarters out or went forward. After practise, he mostly stands. So practise, practise, practise.
 
Hi there, does your horse know what stand means in general, I am currently teaching my 2 yr old what stand is, ie i ask for stand and then I walk to the end of the leadrope, if he moves he gets pushed back and asked to stand again, when he does he gets a massive fuss, if yours hasn't got stand totally sussed then I would go back to teaching basic manners in hand XX
 
As well as all of the above why not take a block into your stable to stand on while you brush her? Also you could try putting the block close enough to a fence or wall that she has to face while you mount.
 
Oh I feel your pain, I went through a similar problem and it's so frustrating, especially as I don't get to the yard till 7pm and really need to be able to just quit on and go.

Mine would stand at the block if I led him up on the off side and parked him, but as soon as I moved around to get on, he'd back up. If I led him to the block in the traditional manner, he would swing his quarters away. I did hours of calm (and if I'm honest, sometimes not!) repetition, one night just walking around and around for over and hour and it was dark. I knew he was taking the p when I realised that he'd stand stock still if somebody stood near him while I mounted.

In the end I took a schooling whip and when he moved his quarters away, I took it in my left hand and just wiggled it next to his off side, it was enoug for him to move back around and he then stood still. As soon as he realised he couldn't get away from me he gave up. After weeks and weeks, once I found the key, it took me two days and now he stands stick still, never moves a hair!

Stick with it and try different things, you will find the key and then there will be no stopping you!
 
It's taken my youngster a few months to do this he's slightly cold backed anyway which hasn't helped- he was very difficult to get to stand near the mounting block but repetition is the key it finally clicked in he's head one day :)
 
My pony has just started doing this now, its such a pain. Hes exactly the same though, you put a foot in the stirrup and he walks off, or before you get the far, he moves away from the block.

Its a real baby problem.

My friend has just had the same prob with her youngster, and the polos trick has really worked.... or Likit, do these little round licky treats, molassed things, very small that I will probably try instead of polos.
 
Hi Everyone, I just read your replies and they all sound brill, I will try all of these ideas, it's great to know people have overcome the issue.

My mare is ok when I put the tack on she's very calm and falls asleep while I'm grooming her etc, once she's tacked up she'll happily go back to sleep and then when I untie her and lead her to the mountain block she doesn't stand still she gets excited.

I will try all the techniques mentioned above and see how I get on.

Big thanks to all of you :) xxx
 
Following on from this post, just wanted to say I tried a couple of the suggestions, I groomed her whilst standing on the mounting block (very amusing) people looked at me and were thinking eh? as she is only 14.2 and I'm tall so looked strange lol! After I tacked up I led her to the mounting block (as my friend had just used it so it was the other side of the yard) then gave her treats once she stood beside the mounting block and she stood there very quietly, gave her a couple more then I was able to get on, this is the first time I was able to get on from the mounting block with no one holding her, so I'm very happy, I will keep practising that :)
 
Surreydeb said:
Mine cracked this in 2 days. Helper stood in front with polo in hand she only got it when stood still and I was on. Soon learnt. I now lean forward and reward her with a polo about one time in 3. Works brilliantly no fuss or stress but she is very motivated by polos!
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What a great idea and like the fact she dosent get a polo everytime though how disappointed she must be!
 
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