Dismount - I am an idiot....

T

TheShark

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 July 2009
Messages
1,259
Location
Bucks
Visit site
Ummmmm, this is THE DUMBEST QUESTION anyone has ever asked....

But I have developed a bit of a thing about dismounting and got it into my head that I'm going to get my leg stuck on the cantle and fall off (I have done this once ages ago, but I was getting of the widest horse in the universe so I am excused).

That wasn't the incident that has sparked the worry. I've been concerned since I started riding again this Jan after a fall last year in which I broke my arm/shoulder. I think I'm worried about leaning forward on to the pommel and hurting the injured arm (even though it's strong now). I'm also worried i'll get my leg stuck, or kick the horse as I get off.

Anyone got any tips for me? A boot up the bum will also be welcome as I can appreciate that this is utterly ridiculous.

PS - I have been trying to limber up to see if that helps....

Sian :)
 
Stretch before you ride :)

Lean forward a tad. Hold onto bottom of mane or neckstrap. Give your leg a good swing :D

Getting off Friend's Big Cob is always interesting after I've been riding the Dizz - he's quite a bit wider! :eek::rolleyes::D
 
Thank you Mrs Mozart. I have been practising the leg swing at home but people seem to find it amusing!

The wide ones are the worse. I need a slide.
 
Ride a short distance before you dismount with no stirrups, and wriggle your feet, twist your ankles, bring your knees up a bit then shoot them down (obviously depending on the horse!). Also, if it's easier for you, dismount on the wrong side. I cannot for the life of me mount from the wrong side (even from a block) but I find it a lot easier to dismount to the right. Whatever you do, don't swing your leg over the neck and jump off that way - I stopped doing that after someone I knew did it, and met the ground wrongly, she somehow managed to break her back!
 
Spot-therisk! That is scary. I'll def not do that again! Thank you for the helpful advice, I think I've stiffened up. Limbering is the way forward!

Mrs M - if I used a mounting block to dismount I'd very likely fall off the damn block! ha ha
 
Lol, that's not a good plan :D

So long as you're not wearing anything scratchy, lean into the saddle as you slide down. When you're feeling fit and flexing well, a nice little leap backwards (without over-balancing!) is good :D :D
 
Do what we used to do when we were kids - lift yourself over the cantle and slide off over his bum! No leg swinging involved at all!













I am joking
(although we DID used to do this back in the day!)
 
If your horseRS lets you then swing your right leg over their neck, and then you're sat sideways on the horse and just slide down.

You have to make sure the horse doesn't shoot it's head up! But it's much easier.

Some RS don't like this method as for a very short period of time you get a lot of weight in one part of the saddle - but it's no different to how you'd sit for a round the world or something.

This is my way of dismounting when I've been on a really long ride and my legs have stiffened up
 
Trolt said:
If your horseRS lets you then swing your right leg over their neck, and then you're sat sideways on the horse and just slide down.
Click to expand...


This can be very dangerous - if the horse spooks sideways or forwards, then you will crash onto the ground. I think someone further up the thread mentioned that they knew someone who broke their back doing this.

However, I would add that occasionally my left hip seizes up and I do dismount like this. But I try not to generally.
 
Being a bit old and stiff now I found I was becoming a bit hesitant dismounting, so now I just count 1,2,3 then go for it, just try not to think about it too much! (I also bend my knees on landing to soften the impact).
 
I agree with the 'not thinking about it' comment, if I think about it I get myself in abit of a tiz! I have a permanant bruise on my inner right thigh where I always seem to catch the cantle :rolleyes:

I had a bareback potter the other day and luckily OH was there as I dismounted, having no saddle to slither off meant I slid down at 100mph and was 'caught' before I fell on my arse!
xx
 
I once had a really pants lesson. Couldn't do a thing right. It was at the point where as I was dismounting I thought "Well at least I can do THIS right!" - and promptly fell flat on my ar$r, buising my cocyxx(sp?!)...

My instructor had a look of total disbelief :eek::rolleyes:

To make matters worse, I couldn't do a decent rising trot not sit to a canter for weeks!
 
After I broke my ankle I had a specially high mounting block built (my horse is 16.3) and always get off onto that at home - I can step onto it. If I have to get off somewhere else I find that holding the offside stirrup leather means that I can lower myself gently without risking moving the saddle.
 
I know exactly how you feel, i developed a dismounting fear after having a fall which damaged a muscle in my leg.
its got to the stage that as and when i do ride, i spent the entire ride (in walk) worrying about how im going to dismount.
i was too nervous/scared to lean forward as i felt unstable and unable to swing my leg up and over the cantle, had bruises on inner thigh from catching leg n cantle and getting stuck

ive decided that im going to tackle this for once and for all and have been practicing on a friends horse and have managed to dismount by keeping my left foot in stirrup and stepping down on to mounting block .
it helps that my friends horse doesnt move a muscle while im faffing around on his back :-)

i do stretches before i mount and before i dismount i drop my feet from stirrups for a while and swing my right leg back and forwards to loosen it up and ive also been practising pilates for equestrians exercises which seem to be helping and ive invested in a neck strap :)

xxxx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top