Dismounting

[[146606]]

I feel stupid asking this. The other issues I'd previously posted about have improved a lot but my ability to dismount seems to be getting worse!

I'm 5'4'' (but very torso heavy and legs that belong to someone half my height!) and the horse I usually ride is 16hh but I rode a 15hh ish horse recently and had the same issue. I'm due to start on a 17hh horse in the next while so want to try and sort this before I break my legs ?

Basically, each time I'm dismounting I seem to over balance and either almost fall forward over the horses shoulder or go the other way and as I'm landing on the ground my legs go under the horses stomach.

Does anyone have any tips? I don't feel stiff or sore when I'm about to dismount, I just can't seem to get the balance right. Only time recently I've been OK was when I dismounted quickly without thinking about it as someone was asking me a question (and it was a little 14 ish pony) so I'm definitely over thinking it!

Thanks all ?

Edited to add: I've recently gotten back to riding after years away from it.

 

[[59668]]

I have been riding for like 20 years and still cant dismount gracefully!
I went through a phase of dismounting semi western style. Left foot in stirrup, right leg over, feet together, foot out of stirrup, so you are facing the horses side, take weight on hands on saddle, jump down slowly.

 

[Roxylola]

It sounds like you need to push up from your arms a bit more as you swing over. You should be able to stay relatively upright as you swing your leg over - it's a bit more athletic than people think.
I always used to show first time adults how to get on and off at the start of a lesson. The off is important and easier to demonstrate really

 

[PapaverFollis]

Bend your knees! When I get off the 16.2hh I'm aiming to almost crouch into a super hero landing. Think cat. Fortunately I have a sensible horse who is unphased by my silliness.

 

[[146606]]

Thanks all. I can stick the landing and it's the bending my knees that has saved me from ending up on my backside a few times ? it's the process of getting my legs on the ground that'd the issue. I'll definitely try to push up more with my hands. Thinking about it I think I tend to just lean forward and try to push up from my body on the saddle or something! It just feels a long way to the ground! Luckily the horse I usually ride doesn't care that I'm sliding ungracefully off him while trying to hug the saddle ?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I get off onto a mounting block whenever possible. I even decided that I had better do that when dismounting the first time I sat on the youngster, having, not long before, landed in a heap when dismounting from the 16hh Draft horse, who looked at me with utter disdain. I wasn't sure how the youngster would cope with that but fortunately she took it all in her stride, so to speak.

 

[[146606]]

I think I get nervous as there's always an audience. We dismount outside the arena where all the horses and people gather at the start/end of lessons (I carry a schooling whip so people are forced to socially distance from me ?) I'm on one of the biggest horses so all the kids are watching my every move and then I mess it up while a 10 year old bounces off like rubber! I'm only 32 but being around riding school kids is making me feel at least 90!

 

[shortstuff99]

Could try leaving one foot in the stirrup swing leg over, hover a moment and then hop out stirrup to the ground. Bit of a military way of doing it but does work.

 

[Red-1]

Are you trying to land facing sideways? That is easier to do, but harder to do well, and not as safe.

I always jump off so I land facing forwards, so if the horse moves I can keep walking with them.

You always stay facing forwards, so lean forwards, spring off your right hand on the saddle above the knee block to get your legs over, left hand on the neck, but your front is already on the near side, ready for your feet to join you, ready to walk.

 

[Skib]

Many older people cannot dismount in the normal UK way. I am one of them. For most of us, the difficulty is that our right leg catches on the cantle of the saddle, that brings ones head down and prevents one landing upright on one's feet.
So the first question is whether this is the cause of your problem?

If your leg is able to clear the saddle, the next likelihood is that your head is too far to the left of the horse. As the right leg swings over, your head (the significant weight) should be to the right of the shoulder of the horse. That balance will help you to rotate and become upright to the ground. One needs to be upright as one allows oneself to drop to the ground. Otherwise as you say, your legs and feet will move sideways.

I realise this is the opposite of the advice above. I am not saying that is incorrect. Just describing what I do.

At my very first riding lesson (aged 61) I witnesses an experienced rider in his 80s fall to the cobbles when dismounting. The RI immediately told me she didnt want me ever to fall like that and she taught me the cavalry dismount using the stirrup. This served me well till last winter and now being 80 myself, I returned on a cold day unable to budge from the saddle. This made me realise it was important to loosen up before dismounting and I do this by rising in walk (as for rising trot) on the final walk down the drive to the yard.
I would trot but the yard dont allow trotting on the tarmac.

 

[Widgeon]

Nothing much to add to this but as Roxylola says it is all a bit more athletic than onlookers might think! I keep my legs together as I come down and push slightly off the pommel of the saddle so I'm landing about a foot away from the horses' feet, rather than sliding underneath him. The other thing is to try to do it as quickly as possible (within reason) and all in one movement - the longer you take the harder it gets, and the more likely you are to get stuck half way. I have also had this happen (getting stuck on the cantle), I can't remember if I was at a riding school or trekking centre but I had an audience and it was very embarrassing.

Obviously all this goes to pot after a jumping lesson or fast hack in which case my aim is to slide down his side while clutching his neck, and hopefully stay more or less upright on landing.

 

[Red-1]

When dismounting from Police horses we always did a military dismount, if you didn't all your equipment got caught up (cuffs, baton, gas, polos, etc).

However, at home I don't do that as it does shift the saddle to one side for most people and puts uneven pressure on the horse. At home I do a normal dismount or, for a bigger horse, dismount onto a block, or the ramp, or the steps...

 

[jnb]

I have taught my baby cob to stand at the mounting block so I can get off - for some reason I get off on to the block on the wrong side (I suppose because I situate the mounting block to get on, then come back in, in the opposite direction and get off?)

When I am away from home I have to psyche myself up (bad back, dodgy left knee and athritic left thumb!) and clutch my cob's breastplate as he has no mane to prevent myself going A over T. Cob rollls his eyes - he's used to my awful dismounting.
Weirdly in an emergency I can get off in the blink of any eye! no falling over! hmmmm

 

[PapaverFollis]

I do think the key is to think as little as possible and just get off in one fluid movement. Obviously a little different if one is guarding wonky joints etc though.

I sometimes click my heals together over the horse's bum as I dismount like they made us do in Pony Club sometimes. Just to see if I still can. ?

 

[[146606]]

Morning everyone,

So when I land, I land facing the horse's side. I don't think I've ever (even when I used to ride years ago) landed facing forward. Something to aim for in the future maybe!

My leg isn't getting stuck on the cantle and when I over balance, it's over the horses right shoulder, not the left. I do think that I might be doing it too slowly. The best dismounts I've done recently are when I've not thought about it and just hopped off. I might need to try and do it a bit faster and see what happens (hopefully there isn't anyone around with a camera to catch the result ?)

Quite a few have mentioned the mikatary style dismount. I'll discuss it with my instructor but I've never seen anyone there dismount like that and I'm not sure if they'd want me to try it but I'll ask! I'll also see about dismounting onto the mounting block. I've no issue with riding a bigger horse until it comes time to get off him ?

 

[Red-1]

Morning everyone,

So when I land, I land facing the horse's side. I don't think I've ever (even when I used to ride years ago) landed facing forward. Something to aim for in the future maybe!

My leg isn't getting stuck on the cantle and when I over balance, it's over the horses right shoulder, not the left. I do think that I might be doing it too slowly. The best dismounts I've done recently are when I've not thought about it and just hopped off. I might need to try and do it a bit faster and see what happens (hopefully there isn't anyone around with a camera to catch the result ?)

Quite a few have mentioned the mikatary style dismount. I'll discuss it with my instructor but I've never seen anyone there dismount like that and I'm not sure if they'd want me to try it but I'll ask! I'll also see about dismounting onto the mounting block. I've no issue with riding a bigger horse until it comes time to get off him ?

This makes sense why you fall. I dismount, as I said, facing forwards. I have had to pretend to dismount in my sitting room LOL> As I dismount, I put y right hand on the neck and left hand on the left knee roll. I bend forwards so my upper weight is supported on my right hand and sort of pendulum forwards to free my leg then up again, using both hands. You can't really fall as your right is on the mane throghout, as you never turn sideways you automatically face forwards on landing.

Turning sideways will tend to spin you backwards. If the horse moves at all, you are a goner.

 

[[146606]]

I don't fall (almost a few times!). I think I'm going to need to watch some YouTube videos of people dismounting facing forwards. I've never seen someone do that. Everyone I've seen dismount ends up facing toward the horse (unless I'm misunderstanding you, apologies if I am).

 

[Wishfilly]

As an alternative to a cavalry dismount, which can sometimes cause its own problems, you could also try dismounting western style, by bringing your leg over the horse's neck, rather than over the cantle. I know you say your leg isn't getting stuck, but I wonder if you are leaning quite far forwards to bring it up over the cantle (perhaps because you lack flexibility in the hips, which a lot of people do have an issue with), and then you are unbalanced on the way down. Dismounting western style is another option to try and see if it works better for you!

The military style dismount can work well for people, but you do need to be able to kick your foot out on the way down, or you can get in real trouble, and this does require a little bit of upper body/core strength, in my experience, so may not work well for everyone. There may be a better way to do it, though!

I also wonder if making a conscious effort to keep your core muscles engaged whilst dismounting may help?

But certainly ask the riding school if they are able to suggest any options or if you can try different ways of dismounting!

 

[[146606]]

I'm definitely leaning very far forward. My hips are quite flexible though so I think it's more out of fear (in my head if I'm leaning forward I feel safer than if I just swing my leg over which is probably not the case at all!). I'll have a chat with the instructor and see what she says. A smaller horse would sort most of the issue I think, it just feels so far to jump down hence why I kind of sliiiiiiiide off ?

 

[PapaverFollis]

Do you need to go to a playground and jump off some stuff? ? The distance you actually drop when getting off even a big horse is not very far at all. Your feet are much nearer the floor than your head is! ? It sounds silly but I actually have to remind myself of that sometimes. I'm terribly scared of heights but whenever I feel nervous like on a step ladder type height I have to remember that my feet are a fair way away from my eyes.

 

[splashgirl45]

i have hip trouble and am old so i have used the military style dismount for many years and find it much easier , dont think i could do the normal dismount nowadays..

 

[[146606]]

I've such short legs that they feel like they're not far from my eyes ?

 

[cobgoblin]

Im trying to work out what I do, because I don't think about it at the time.

I think.. Reins in left hand, right hand on the pommel. Both feet out of stirrups. Swing right leg over back quickly, which turns me so I face the saddle and slide down.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

I would get off on a mounting block if your horse is sensible. Maybe I should try it. I always feel a bit unbalanced when I dismount, and I find it easier getting off in the school where it's a nice cushy landing. I think it's partly psychological as I know I'm going to land comfortably therefore less likely to balls it up. Don't know if that's relatable to you OP.

Also, I don't quite get the obsession with dismounting to the left hand side (and, actually, doing everything from the left hand side), and calling the right hand side the "wrong" side. If one finds it easier to dismount to the right, then do it, it isn't wrong! Some people have one leg stronger than the other and find swinging their left leg up and over easier, so if that's what they find easier they should be encouraged to do it.

 

[[146606]]

In summary, I'm a big fraidy cat ? I think most of it is psychological but thinking about it, my left hand might be an issue too, I think I've been putting it near my right hand on the pommel instead of keeping a wider base for balance. I'll give the tips a go next week and report back ?

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Dismounting is one of my biggest challenges too ?. In one of my first lessons, the horse had a dressage saddle with a very high cantle. My hips aren’t as flexible as they were and my leg got stuck ?. Thankfully the horse was a saint and just stood there while I sorted myself out ... my lovely instructor showed me how to do the military dismount which works perfectly now (with some practice). I find it easier to do it a bit faster as then the movement flows more and you’re not spending ages with the weight in one stirrup and less likely to mess up getting the left foot out of the stirrup.

It’s very disheartening though to watch my daughter dismount in a nanosecond - she flies her legs up and over the horse as if she’s vaulting and lands as lightly as a cat .... I’m not sure I could ever have done that even without ageing creaky hips ...

 

[Keith_Beef]

This made me realise it was important to loosen up before dismounting and I do this by rising in walk (as for rising trot) on the final walk down the drive to the yard.
I would trot but the yard dont allow trotting on the tarmac.

After a long session, or when the weather is cold, I find that it helps get the flexibility and feel back in my feet to take them out of the stirrups and spend fifteen seconds or so rotating my feet clockwise and then the same time anticlockwise.

When we ride long distances to where we're going to stable the horses overnight before continuing the next day, we will usually dismount a hundred to two hundred meters away from the yard entrance and walk the horses in hand into the yard.

 

[Summit]

I dismount on the right and slide myself down his shoulder

 

[Skib]

The military style dismount can work well for people, but you do need to be able to kick your foot out on the way down, or you can get in real trouble, and this does require a little bit of upper body/core strength, in my experience, so may not work well for everyone. There may be a better way to do it, though!

May be I should have mentioned this. You dont do any thing on the way down. There is a moment when one is stationary facing the horse. It is very important not to bend your left knee during the cavalry dismount. Your right leg swings over to join it and you are standing at attention facing the horse. Then take the weight on your hands resting in the saddle, free both feet together and drop to the ground.
Someone from the cavalry kindly sent me a couple of links.

 

[Wishfilly]

May be I should have mentioned this. You dont do any thing on the way down. There is a moment when one is stationary facing the horse. It is very important not to bend your left knee during the cavalry dismount. Your right leg swings over to join it and you are standing at attention facing the horse. Then take the weight on your hands resting in the saddle, free both feet together and drop to the ground.
Someone from the cavalry kindly sent me a couple of links.

Yes, that's what I mean- you take the weight on your hands (even if just momentarily) in order to free your foot whilst both your legs are on the left side of the horse (this is what I meant by on the way down, although perhaps it's badly worded). This requires a bit of upper body/core strength and a bit of technique to do safely. I'm not saying it's unsafe if you can do it correctly, and in some situations it is the best option. However, I don't think it's the best option for everyone!

Even the pros get it wrong sometimes: https://www.military.com/video/forces/humor/royal-horse-guard-loses-footing/1244416351001

This may not be the case for the OP, but when I worked at a riding school/trekking centre, a lot of the clients who struggled to dismount would struggle to do this as well, because they lack core/upper body strength. However, more could manage a western style dismount safely. Some (mostly older clients or those with disabilities) needed to dismount directly onto a mounting block.