Any tips on how to mount whilst out hacking?

[P.Casso]

Good morning everyone. I am bobbing on a bit (age wise) and not as stretchy bendy as in my youth . Also being only 5'4" tall I can only get on my lovely 15hh horse by using a mounting block or whatever is handy. The rides from my stables are fantastic, moorland tracks but I'm bothered about not being able to get back in the saddle if I get off to open gates etc.I've tried one of those stirrup leather extenders, but my legs are still too short to get over horse's back! Do any of you have a miracle solution to my problem? Ido try to spot suitable rocks/soil banks etc but can't always find the right thing when l'm out. I usually ride on my own so getting another rider to open gates isn't an answer.Neither is opening gates without dismounting as my horse won't get close to one following a very unpleasant accident many years ago. P.S. this is my first post on what is a great forum. I read it every day and have learnt a lot from good advice given out from other members. Keep up the good work!

 

[DW Team]

Welcome to the forum.
For me I have the same problem in my 50's and horse is 17.3hh. I am lucky living here in the Fens we have dykes and my boy does not mind getting into them and I can mount from the bank! When i don't have a dyke like you I look for higher ground wall or gates help too.

 

[soulfull]

Hello and welcome
Unfortunately I don't think there are any other answers other than to look for something to assist you. I certainly haven't found anything

I do find if i physically grab hold of my leg and put it in the stirrup I can get it in a higher one lol

 

[Isa7182]

I have the same sort of problem! I'm supposed to be learning how to get on a horse from the ground (although, we always mount off a chair anyway, because my instructor believes it's better for their backs) for when we are on hacks and I fall off or something. The main horse I ride is around 16.2hh, I'm around 5'4 with tight hamstrings and bad hips. I could just get on with alot of help and a really long stirrup leather, plus around 6in of extra height! XD.

All I can say is too stretch more and more, which is what I have to do.

 

[Gloi]

Work at home at getting him to stand next to a gate so you can climb up the gate to get on.

 

[Polos Mum]

Teach your horse to stand quietly next to the gate and unglamarously clamber on from that.

We're in Lincs where most fields aren't fenced so my strategy doesn't work here but if you're getting off to do a gate then you have your mounting block right there in front of you.
I make mine clamber down into a drainage ditch here so I can get on - but still use the fence option if I'm in the school and putting jumps on and off.

With a bit of practice mine will stand nicely while I faf about climbing anything.

It can't be good for their backs to haul myself up so I try and get as high as possible

 

[PollyP99]

Hello!

I too am knocking on in years and cannot get on from the ground, not TBH that I would want to as I don't think it's good for me or horse! So I do as others have advised, I use the gate to get back on, it takes practice but is totally doable and you're nice send high so can just slip your leg over!

 

[rainer]

Are there many gates or just one or two? If there was only one or two could you put something near the gates for you to get back on like something homemade or some big blocks of wood etc something that would blend in and not look out of place maybe and everyone could use them too

 

[P.Casso]

Great replies, thanks. I'll try to find suitable blocks of wood to position near the gates but I'd not be surprised if they went 'walkabout' before long!

 

[GeorgeyGal]

I think you can buy stirrup extensions that you carry with you and use when needed.

 

[mulberrymill]

Im more than knocking on in years and always mount from a block. Few months ago tho, he took me down a ditch and managed to pull off one of my stirrup leathers on scrambling out. As it was fairly new and rather pricey i had to get off to find it. That left me a mile or so from home and nothing in site to use to mount. I absolutely amazed myself by managing (just) to get on from the ground.
Dont think i want to make a habit of it but was chuffed to bits that i managed it. Im only 5 ft 1, and hes a chunky 14.2, which is proportionately quite big enough.

 

[P.Casso]

You were very lucky there mulberrymill, I'm sure I couldn't have done that. It's leg extensions I
need not stirrup extensions!

 

[nix123]

If you can't find anything to climb you could always try this, it works for me.... Lengthen your stirrup to its longest length then once aboard shorten it back to normal length. Simple.

 

[Gloi]

My problem isn't that I can't reach the stirrup to get on but that I have a witherless pony and if I try and mount from the ground the saddle spins round. He is pretty good at standing next to things though, and brilliant at opening gates off.

 

[MyBoyChe]

I either stand him next to the gate or try to find a little bit of ground that slopes, stand him lower than you and you should get enough of a height advantage to swing your leg over!

 

[STRIKER]

The 3 legged stool with hard top for foot, which folds up and a long piece of string attached. So here goes open stool, stand on it and get on, whilst holding string in left hand, when mounted and feet in the irons, pull up stool then fold legs and place stool in a velcro saddle tie so it lies behind your leg or where ever else you might find it comfortable, could go behind your saddle even. If you are only out hacking this as brill piece of equipment. I am 50 yo and 5ft, cob is 15.2 and saddle slips.

 

[happyclappy]

read this thread with interest as i am also unable to mount from the ground and there are few gates/hedges etc usable as mounting aids when out,

the stool sounds ideal but i do not want to carry any extras. the stirrup extensions are not vry good for me but probably great for some.

 

[STRIKER]

Search tri-folding cane seat out of interest, so versatile and can be carried on shoulder like a bag.

 

[Hippona]

If you can't find anything to climb you could always try this, it works for me.... Lengthen your stirrup to its longest length then once aboard shorten it back to normal length. Simple.

Ditto

 

[Hippona]

My problem isn't that I can't reach the stirrup to get on but that I have a witherless pony and if I try and mount from the ground the saddle spins round. He is pretty good at standing next to things though, and brilliant at opening gates off.

Try putting your left hand on his withers and right hand as far over the saddle ad you can.

 

[Elsbells]

I'm 5'4" 53 years old and my mare is a prancey prancey 16h selle Francis who has absolutely no patience with my mounting at all!!

After falling off miles from home I insisted she stand next to the only gate I could find, which unfortunately was an old, rotten and rickety version of just about hanging on and about to fall off its hinges gate.

We must of looked quite a sight as I precariously wobbled about on it and she constantly moved and turned around all over the place, but I percivered and despite dropping to the floor several times and holding her whole head in my lap I managed to leap(use the term loosely) onto her!

I whooped and screamed slapping her back as she passaged away and shaking her head and we trotted away in joint triumph! It took us 40 minutes to complete and I was sweating like a drunk pig but ohhhh, it felt so good. I can jump on and off gates like a circus act now and only occasionally I go flop!

What I'm trying to say is.........just do it, it's the only way to travel.

 

[Gloi]

Try putting your left hand on his withers and right hand as far over the saddle ad you can.

I can do that if I stand on something but haven't got it sussed from the ground.

 

[Summer pudding]

Im more than knocking on in years and always mount from a block. Few months ago tho, he took me down a ditch and managed to pull off one of my stirrup leathers on scrambling out. As it was fairly new and rather pricey i had to get off to find it. That left me a mile or so from home and nothing in site to use to mount. I absolutely amazed myself by managing (just) to get on from the ground.
Dont think i want to make a habit of it but was chuffed to bits that i managed it. Im only 5 ft 1, and hes a chunky 14.2, which is proportionately quite big enough.

Welcome, please post more as you have come up with an interesting subject. Like above I'm older, 5' and couldn't get back on so had to walk home - my naughty 14.2 mare wouldn't stand still and I was a bit dazed from a fall. What about the stirrup extenders - I know they have been mentioned already, but has anyone had any success? I imagine there isn't an easy answer although I did read about a stretching 'op for the vertically challenged! ho hum old and short is not a good combo sometimes (or do I mean all the time?).

 

[PollyP99]

Welcome, please post more as you have come up with an interesting subject. Like above I'm older, 5' and couldn't get back on so had to walk home - my naughty 14.2 mare wouldn't stand still and I was a bit dazed from a fall. What about the stirrup extenders - I know they have been mentioned already, but has anyone had any success? I imagine there isn't an easy answer although I did read about a stretching 'op for the vertically challenged! ho hum old and short is not a good combo sometimes (or do I mean all the time?).

Lol, seems there's a heap of us old duffers who are short arsed! We should start a support group!

Ps I've done the walk of shame back to the yard when unable to remount a prancing 14,3,. Perhaps that could be the clubs access rules, only those who have can join

 

[Nessa4]

I have exactly the same problems and cannot use thelong stirrup/extender method because I then cannot get my leg over (ooo-er Mrs!!).I don't ride at the moment because my lad isn't backed but will be sometime in the future - perhaps I could teach him to kneel down like a camel!!!! My last horse was brilliant and would stand next to anything to let me get on - in fact on one occasion I had got off to walk for a bit (my hips had locked and it hurt), he walkd with me for a while, and after the third set of walkers had asked if he'd bucked me off he marched to a bench and refused to go past until I'd got back on!! I do not doubt I shall be doing the walk of shame, so can I join your support group?!

 

[Greylegs]

Hello and welcome. I'm afraid I got over this one (60 but not too vertically challenged at 5ft7) by swapping my prancy 16.2 for a 14.2 highland who stands like a rock while I clamber back on ... Bless him! Not the ideal solution though.

We need someone to invent a portable, collapsible mounting block ... Maybe something which can be carried in a small backpack. But then the problem would be how to retrieve it once you're back on board. Hey ho .... More wine needed while I think it through a bit more .... !

 

[TTK]

Umm, just get a properly fitted western saddle, you can ride English in it but it won't slip if you mount from anywhere. Forget gadgets & strategies, get a rider friendly saddle.

 

[deb_l222]

I'm watching this thread with interest as I've always been resigned to walking home if I ever had to get off / fell off while out and about - luckily it's never happened yet........

I'm 5'7" but my trusty steed is 18hh so don't have a prayer from the floor!! Would maybe have to clamber onto someone's garden wall.

 

[DJ]

I shall be watching with interest too. My lad is 15hh, and i`m 5`3" (and 1/4) and my saddle slips too if I try and mount from the ground. There are a couple of strategic points I can clamber on from, and to be fair he is usually very good for me and will stand like a rock when I mount ... I have one of the "eezzeee mounts" (stirrup extender) and it doesn`t work, as i`m then too low to throw my leg over lol .... my idea was get a smaller pony ... he`s 13hh and I can vault on him

 

[PollyP99]

I have exactly the same problems and cannot use thelong stirrup/extender method because I then cannot get my leg over (ooo-er Mrs!!).I don't ride at the moment because my lad isn't backed but will be sometime in the future - perhaps I could teach him to kneel down like a camel!!!! My last horse was brilliant and would stand next to anything to let me get on - in fact on one occasion I had got off to walk for a bit (my hips had locked and it hurt), he walkd with me for a while, and after the third set of walkers had asked if he'd bucked me off he marched to a bench and refused to go past until I'd got back on!! I do not doubt I shall be doing the walk of shame, so can I join your support group?!

You're in! Welcome