Can you get on your horse from the ground? and is it important?

Please give your reasons

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There is no way on this earth that I could get on my boy from the ground - I'm just too old and not stretchy or springy enough - although to be truthful I always had a lot of problem doing this as a youngster. I have tried but I have to put the stirrup down so far I can't reach over the saddle with my leg
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Hes only 16.2 and I am 5ft 8 so I'm not overhorsed

Is it essential - no, not if I don't mind a long walk home if I have to get off (thankfully not happened on my horse yet - has on someone else's)
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Strangely enough in our area there just doesn't seem to be a handy supply of logs, beer crates, ditches and stone walls to mount off. So it was a bloomin good job I could get on from the ground the day a bunch of chavs decided to go shooting in the woods and thought my mare would make a handy target.
 
I'm disabled, so have to get on from a height, I agree with everyone about it being much better anyway to mount from a block, and if I did come off whilst out, then I'd have to find something ''big'' to get on from.
 
yes you should be able to mount from the ground in case of emergency or plain handyness! My old one I dont as his back is tired enough from his jumping career, even the lunatics stand still to be mounted tho, its important, will also stand for mounting block.
 
I have no spring at all. If I have to get on from the ground out hacking, I make the stirrup as long as possible, get on and then shorten it again. I usually manage to find a tree stump, gate or bank though. I never ever get on from the ground back at the stable though as I've been told its really bad for the horses back and the saddle.
 
I could mount from the ground if I HAD to but never do, why do people say you need to because you have to get off to open gates etc on a hack, why not use the gate to get back on?
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Dont tend too but i can if i want too e.g open gate, drop whip etc!

I couldnt get on before when i first had my horse, i thought he was too big ( im 5'5 hes 16.1hh) but in actuall fact i was too round!!
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i lost 2 stone now i can spring up fairly quickly!!
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I can but only do if there is no other option. I would always try to get someone to give me a leg up or hold the other stirrup down if possible.

I think its handy to be able to if you are away from home, but most of the time there is something you can get on from.

I don't think you are overhorsed if you can't get on off the ground - that depends on your ability as a rider.
 
I can easily get on from the ground because my pony is only 13.3 hh. My previous two horses were both 16.2 hh and I was finding it very hard to get on at all. Getting off was also a problem as it was a long way to the ground and it was making my back problems worse. I made a conscious decision to get a pony to cut down on my physio bills!
 
i can get on Elz from the ground - but i try not to. i have always been told that it is very bad for your horse's back to get on unaided; even if i have to get off to open a gate, i will nearly always find something to scramble on so that im not heaving myself up from the floor. i personally wouldnt say that not being able to get on from the ground means you're overhorses - at the end of the day, most people would be able to get on (even very messily) in an emergency by droppping one stirrup as far as it will go.

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Have never and will never get on my horse from the ground. He's 16.2 and Im 5ft3 and too old to be hauling myself up. rare for me to have to get off when hacking as I open and close gates while still on him. If I do have to get off then I can usualy find something to use as a step close by.
 
I can get up from the ground, I am very short and my horse is about 16HH, I am nearly always leading and riding when out and had to jump off today to open a heavy gate to let new pony in when a large lorry came down the lane. I didn't notice my horse staggering under me!
 
Yes I can mount from the ground - I always do.

No I don't care whether people can mount from the ground or not; makes no difference to me. If they can't and they have to dismount for some reason and find there is nothing to stand on to remount...then they will have a long walk home!

No I don't think they are overhorsed if they can't get on from the ground - I just think they can't get on from the ground LOL!!
 
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it is very very bad for the horse's back and for the saddle to get on from the ground, unless you can vault on with no pulling at the saddle sideways at all. i NEVER get on from the ground any more... mounting block, leg up, or walk until i find something to climb onto!

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Same here.
 
I could get on the pony from the ground if I really had to but have never yet failed to find something higher to stand on, even if it is just a kerb, to give me a bit of a lift. I would always choose to use a block or something of similar height. I have no chance at all of getting on the bigger one though without something quite high to stand on.
 
I answered No, No and No. I actually have no idea if I can still get on from the ground as it's years since I've tried so probably not. I even use a mountng block to get on a 14.2 I ride. I have always found something to use even out hacking and I expect my horses to stand quietly next to whatever I put them by so it's never been an issue for me.
 
Could last time I tried, but that was about 14years ago!!!
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Hell even out hacking there is normally something that can be used as a mounting block, you just have to be inventive and have a horse who will stand where it is told!!
 
I can't really with George, him being 16.3, me 5'5" and since I broke my left anke last year it's hopeless. I always use a mounting block or log to save his back, his saddle and my pride! However I did try once, just for emergency knowledge and I managed to scramble on with a long stirrup!
 
I can get on anything if I lengthen the stirrup far enough
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, and it is useful if something happens and there is nowhere to get on from. On a moor, for example.
On saying that, I think it pulls the horse's back about too much, I always use a mounting block at home or find something elsewhere if possible. Every horse I've ever had has learned to shuffle sideways and stand still every time I say 'gate' at them. Even if it's a skip bucket, lorry steps, fence or a car bumper........
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ive got a dodgy knee and prefer to use a block anyway as it saves damaging my saddle and gees back (and my knee), technically i can get on from the ground now i have a stubben string girth and a non slip pad, before that i wouldnt even have attempted it
 
I can't, and Chex is only 14.1
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. To be fair though, his saddle will slip. If I have to get off to open a gate, then I use the gate as a mounting block - easy
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. I wouldn't think someone that couldn't get on from the ground was overhorsed lol
 
I think if you really really needed to and don;t have a medical reason behind it anyone can get on from anything from the ground.

I'm 5ft 1 and have a now retired 17hh boy I never got on from the ground if I could help it but on the odd ocassion I needed to I managed it.

I mean realisticly even inf flat east anglia you can usually find a bit of a dip to stand them in or a bit for a step for you to mount from ever if it's just horse on the road and you on the verge.

The lengthening the stirrups/leg up thingy never worked for me as when I got them long enough for my foot to go in I then wasn;t high enough up to swing my ickkle leg over.

New hcaps 15hh much easier I guess but I haven't got on him from the ground yet either. Much more pleasnat for them if you only do it when you have to .
 
I have got on Axey once from the ground, I wouldn't want to do it again, imagine what it does to your saddle?!!

If I ever have to get off while out hacking he's brilliant at standing next to gates and things while I climb back on
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