Dismounting

[splashgirl45]

i dont have huge core strength but managed perfectly well doing the military dismount, i swing R leg over and position next to L leg, , lean slightly forwards while taking weight remove L foot from stirrup and slide slowly down so i dont hit the ground hard . i was going to say slide graciously down but i dont think i do
i found that the trouble with the western dismount is that horse may put head up and catch your leg,, also you slide down pretty quick which is not good if you are not prepared to hit the ground so hard.

 

[Wishfilly]

i dont have huge core strength but managed perfectly well doing the military dismount, i swing r leg over and position next to l leg, , lean slightly forwards while taking weight remove l foot from stirrup and slide slowly down so i dont hit the ground hard . i was going to say slide graciously down but i dont think i do

I'm sure you are gracious! And you probably have more core strength than you think.

Anyway, it's not a hill I'm going to die on, and at least it gives OP some options to try out.

 

[[146606]]

Thanks guys. My next lesson is next week so I'll see how I get on. I would ideally like to stick with a 'standard' dismount because I think 99% of the issue is psychological. My core/upper body isnt fantastic but not awful and I'm quite flexible so there's no reason I shouldn't be able to dismount but I'm just psyching myself out I think (plus doing something stupid with my hands that's narrowing my base of support which might be what's making me feel I'm going to fall forward). Heights don't bother me, it's the sudden stop at the end! I shall report back ?

 

[Keith_Beef]

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.

In that dismount, the rider definitely bends his left knee and puts his right foot to the ground before the left foot.

I've always found it odd that dismounting was never taught where I have ridden... I've no idea if my own way of dismounting is considered strange or eccentric, but nobody, neither instructor nor fellow pupil, has ever commented on it.

 

[alibali]

Interestingly I've just been teaching my young, fit, flexible, long legged daughter to dismount and she was having exactly the same issue as you so had no excuses! It was definitely psychological with her. Finally cracked it by playing a game with her to see how fast she could get off. You might feel a bit too old to have someone shouting "Quick, quick a lion's coming you need to get off" though ?

 

[[146606]]

Interestingly I've just been teaching my young, fit, flexible, long legged daughter to dismount and she was having exactly the same issue as you so had no excuses! It was definitely psychological with her. Finally cracked it by playing a game with her to see how fast she could get off. You might feel a bit too old to have someone shouting "Quick, quick a lion's coming you need to get off" though ?

I think it might work! ?

 

[[146606]]

Oh god, today's lesson was awful.

First time on this horse, 17hh (I'm 5'4'' with tiny legs) . Felt really unsteady in the saddle even at walk. He tends to slam on the brakes so I spent most of my time falling forward onto his neck. Cantered, he bucked. I stayed on but my heart is still racing. I've never experienced a buck before.

Told the instructor I was nervous about dismounting so we finished up a few minutes early so we wouldn't have an audience. Of course there were about 8 people watching. I totally freaked and wouldn't get off. Wasn't allowed to dismount to a mounting block, it's for disabled riders only apparently. Eventually agreed to dismount onto a low wall. It was the slowest, most ungraceful dismount I've ever done in my entire life.

Right now I never want to get on a horse again, ever! So of course I've booked back on the same horse for next week. I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad idea. I don't want to avoid riding him and end up with a fear of big horses but I also don't want to push myself to ride him when I don't feel stable at all on him. Maybe I should ask to ride one of the few smaller horses they have? I feel like an idiot at the moment for panicking so much about getting off ?

 

[Cortez]

Good grief, what are you doing to yourself? A small person on a giant horse is just silly, and even more silly if it's making you feel afraid (I know, I know: lots of shorties love riding tall horses - it was a massive fad when I lived in the States, and you know what? They all looked daft). I'm 5'9" and I wouldn't get on anything over 15.3 these days, simply because it's such a pain in the a*se getting on and off the blooming things.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Oh god, today's lesson was awful.

First time on this horse, 17hh (I'm 5'4'' with tiny legs) . Felt really unsteady in the saddle even at walk. He tends to slam on the brakes so I spent most of my time falling forward onto his neck. Cantered, he bucked. I stayed on but my heart is still racing. I've never experienced a buck before.

Told the instructor I was nervous about dismounting so we finished up a few minutes early so we wouldn't have an audience. Of course there were about 8 people watching. I totally freaked and wouldn't get off. Wasn't allowed to dismount to a mounting block, it's for disabled riders only apparently. Eventually agreed to dismount onto a low wall. It was the slowest, most ungraceful dismount I've ever done in my entire life.

Right now I never want to get on a horse again, ever! So of course I've booked back on the same horse for next week. I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad idea. I don't want to avoid riding him and end up with a fear of big horses but I also don't want to push myself to ride him when I don't feel stable at all on him. Maybe I should ask to ride one of the few smaller horses they have? I feel like an idiot at the moment for panicking so much about getting off ?

I get the impression that you have a less than sympathetic instructor...

What's the surface in your school or arena?

I have an idea for building confidence...

Find a set of step-ladders.

Climb up one step, then jump off backwards. Don't turn around before jumping, just jump back from one step up. Allow your knees to flex as you land.
Now climb up two steps and jump off backwards. Now do it again, as many times as you need for it to become easy.
Repeat this, up to four steps. Each time, you'll have to jump a bit further back, to get away from the step ladder, and you'll fall through the air a bit farther and so land with a bit more force.
If at any point your ankles, knees, or anywhere else starts to ache, give it up and try again the next day.

The idea is that you learn that you can allow yourself to fall from that height and be confident that you won't hurt yourself.

You won't learn the action of dismounting, but you'll get rid of any fear of injuring yourself because of the height.

 

[[146606]]

Good grief, what are you doing to yourself? A small person on a giant horse is just silly, and even more silly if it's making you feel afraid (I know, I know: lots of shorties love riding tall horses - it was a massive fad when I lived in the States, and you know what? They all looked daft). I'm 5'9" and I wouldn't get on anything over 15.3 these days, simply because it's such a pain in the a*se getting on and off the blooming things.

It wasn't my choice to ride him. I'm having lessons and the instructor felt he was the most appropriate horse to ride this week. She wanted to move me onto a slightly less lazy horse than I usually ride (he's 16hh). I've no issue with the height while I'm actually riding, it's getting off that makes me panic.

Keith_Beef I might actually try that. I had a bad ankle break a few years ago and have metal in my ankle (instructor is aware) so I think that makes me more fearful, I don't want to land awkwardly on it as my surgeon said if I even sprain it, it's likely to be a surgery job to fix it again...

My instructor is lovely but she tends to laugh things off e.g. When the horse bucked. It's an attempt to make me feel like it wasn't such a big deal I think. Something just didn't feel right today. The saddle felt like it was more padded than the usual one I use but I seemed to be sitting on the pommel the entire time, even when the horse was standing still. Felt really wobbly throughout the lesson. Feeling very deflated now ?

 

[Skib]

In that dismount, the rider definitely bends his left knee and puts his right foot to the ground before the left foot.
.

You may be right. I always called the way I get off the "old lady" dismount. Then I was taught for a time by an ex army officer who told me I was being rude and must call it the Cavalry dismount.
Whatever you call it, it is the way I have been dismounting since my first lesson 19 years ago. The Pony Club handbook suggests it for less physically able children.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

It wasn't my choice to ride him. I'm having lessons and the instructor felt he was the most appropriate horse to ride this week. She wanted to move me onto a slightly less lazy horse than I usually ride (he's 16hh). I've no issue with the height while I'm actually riding, it's getting off that makes me panic.

Keith_Beef I might actually try that. I had a bad ankle break a few years ago and have metal in my ankle (instructor is aware) so I think that makes me more fearful, I don't want to land awkwardly on it as my surgeon said if I even sprain it, it's likely to be a surgery job to fix it again...

My instructor is lovely but she tends to laugh things off e.g. When the horse bucked. It's an attempt to make me feel like it wasn't such a big deal I think. Something just didn't feel right today. The saddle felt like it was more padded than the usual one I use but I seemed to be sitting on the pommel the entire time, even when the horse was standing still. Felt really wobbly throughout the lesson. Feeling very deflated now ?

I'm sorry to hear you had such a horrible time, that's sad to hear. Have you explained to your instructor exactly why you have this anxiety about dismounting, as you have said here? If someone told me this I would take it very seriously in the sense that you are afraid of genuinely injuring yourself if you get it wrong, rather that the fear being baseless (I'm not an instructor btw). As for saying that dismounting at the block is only for disabled riders, well I'm sorry but that's not on - it can be done, she's just unwilling to let you do it. I would explain to your instructor, if you haven't already, that you feel safer and less likely to injure yourself, therefore less anxious, if you were able to use the block. I do despair at horsey people sometimes, there's often an attitude of "well that's not the way it's done" with no good reason as to why. If it were me and I said all of the above to my instructor and they were still dismissive and unwilling to find a solution to make your experience more positive, and therefore confidence increased, then I would be looking elsewhere.

 

[[146606]]

I did explain about my ankle (I was having issues with the former horse trying to squish my leg against the fence previously and had to explain that my ankle issues were the reason I hated him doing that so much). I think the issue with my instructor is that she is quite new and quite young and when the bosses say not to use the mounting block to dismount, she doesn't want to rock the boat. I was on the verge of tears today, felt like such an idiot because I was so scared of dismounting and had an audience of kids and parents gawping at me. My ankle is just part of it, the majority of the issue is just me being a big scaredy cat and psyching myself out. I might go for a hack (different location) tomorrow as I'm usually on something 15hh or less there and I think waiting a week for my next lesson is going to make me a bundle of nerves. I am moving house soon (just a few weeks) and will be changing to a new riding school then and I am looking forward to that. This school is very much geared up for children, they don't have a huge selection of horses for adults and some of the instructors, mine included, are nice but perhaps not as experienced as I would like. There are a few unsafe practices going on too. Sorry for the essay, this feels like having a therapy session ? long dog walk for me to clear my head I think!

 

[Wishfilly]

It wasn't my choice to ride him. I'm having lessons and the instructor felt he was the most appropriate horse to ride this week. She wanted to move me onto a slightly less lazy horse than I usually ride (he's 16hh). I've no issue with the height while I'm actually riding, it's getting off that makes me panic.

Keith_Beef I might actually try that. I had a bad ankle break a few years ago and have metal in my ankle (instructor is aware) so I think that makes me more fearful, I don't want to land awkwardly on it as my surgeon said if I even sprain it, it's likely to be a surgery job to fix it again...

My instructor is lovely but she tends to laugh things off e.g. When the horse bucked. It's an attempt to make me feel like it wasn't such a big deal I think. Something just didn't feel right today. The saddle felt like it was more padded than the usual one I use but I seemed to be sitting on the pommel the entire time, even when the horse was standing still. Felt really wobbly throughout the lesson. Feeling very deflated now ?

I'm 5'4'' too, and I don't really ride anything above 15.2- I just don't feel effective or comfortable. I struggle to believe that the stables doesn't have anything that's more suitable for you that isn't also massive. Personally, I wouldn't want to ride a 17hh horse whilst learning- I'm not convinced it will teach you much, as you won't be able to get your legs into the right places, and it'll probably be uncomfortable. In my opinion, a 17hh horse is not appropriate for a 5'4'' beginner/novice.

Feeling unsteady, the fact that he slams on the brakes and the fact he bucked are also negative points.

I would ask to ride something forwards going but smaller. I can't believe they don't have that available, and if they don't, I'd be considering whether the stable has enough suitable horses, or if it would be worth trying another?

If you have metal in your ankle, that changes things, and I would insist on being allowed to dismount onto the mounting block. You may not be disabled, but you have a physical need to do so.

 

[[146606]]

I think we might have cross-posted. I'm due to change schools very soon anyway so very much looking forward to that. I think this place is more for kids. There are about 4 horses the adults ride (unless they are very small adults and have more options). They're either huge or hugely lazy (or both!). There's one horse I've asked about (she's about 14.3/15hh) but instructor thinks I might be too tall for her. She's a cobby type and I'm not overweight so I don't think I'd be too big for her! I'm going to ask about her again. I'm booked on the 17hh for next week but like has been said here, if I'm scared it's just silly.

 

[Wishfilly]

I think we might have cross-posted. I'm due to change schools very soon anyway so very much looking forward to that. I think this place is more for kids. There are about 4 horses the adults ride (unless they are very small adults and have more options). They're either huge or hugely lazy (or both!). There's one horse I've asked about (she's about 14.3/15hh) but instructor thinks I might be too tall for her. She's a cobby type and I'm not overweight so I don't think I'd be too big for her! I'm going to ask about her again. I'm booked on the 17hh for next week but like has been said here, if I'm scared it's just silly.

I think we did cross post! Sorry!

A 14.3hh cobby type will be perfect for you! I do have short legs, but I ride 13hh/13.2 ponies relatively regularly and I don't look underhorsed). 14.2 is about my ideal height. Some people do get a bit snobby/weird about adults on ponies, though. I wonder if there is an element of this going on.

I hope you're able to find somewhere with a more suitable range of horses when you move.

 

[Arzada]

I think we might have cross-posted. I'm due to change schools very soon anyway so very much looking forward to that. I think this place is more for kids. There are about 4 horses the adults ride (unless they are very small adults and have more options). They're either huge or hugely lazy (or both!). There's one horse I've asked about (she's about 14.3/15hh) but instructor thinks I might be too tall for her. She's a cobby type and I'm not overweight so I don't think I'd be too big for her! I'm going to ask about her again. I'm booked on the 17hh for next week but like has been said here, if I'm scared it's just silly.

You are most likely younger than I am and a younger me may have decided to try again on the 17hh. That said even a younger me wouldn't want to be 'taught' by the unsympathic again. Now that I'm older I'm kinder to myself so if this was me I wouldn't ride at the school again. There's really no need because you will be leaving soon anyway. In the meantime I'd hack out instead at the other yard. And at some point in the future when you're happier about dismounting you can enjoy the bigger horses again.

 

[[146606]]

I've booked a hack tomorrow, nice relaxing couple of hours (hopefully!). I'm going to contact this riding school and ask to swap to the smaller horse for next week (or at least to swap back to the horse I usually ride) . If they say no, I'm going to cancel the next lessons and wait until I move.

I'm 32 so still young but old enough to not appreciate when things are made more difficult than necessary. Dismounting is such a minor part of riding in the grand scheme of things but I really felt today that I couldn't relax as I was thinking about having to dismount at the end. I'm sure my nerves didn't help the poor horse, he has seemed a bit skittish before I even got on, now that I think back on it. The week before on my usual horse I had a great lesson and the plan was to start jumping again today which I felt was great progress (if perhaps a bit premature as I've only been back in the saddle since July and had ridden less than a handful of times in the 15-20 ish years prior) so today has been a big knock to my confidence as I struggled to balance even in walk.

I have calmed down a bit now, I feel silly being so scared but I've not felt that fear for a long time (last time was probably when I was a kid and my then instructor told me to jump a fence about twice the height of anything I'd attempted before. Horse refused and I promptly fell on my backside ?). I just felt an idiot today and I'm not going to pay £40 a week for that pleasure.

Thanks for all the advice everyone ??

 

[ycbm]

Years of being on very big horses with very cold feet in winter made me learn a slow controlled dismount which would also help your fragile ankle.

I lean forwards, twist my torso, put my left arm bent at the elbow on the right hand side in front of the saddle, take some weight on my right hand on the pommel, then swing my leg over, taking all my weight in my left armpit hooked over the wither and lower myself slowly to the ground.

I've got smaller horses now but I'm a lot older and still find it useful.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Years of being on very big horses with very cold feet in winter made me learn a slow controlled dismount which would also help your fragile ankle.

I lean forwards, twist my torso, put my left arm bent at the elbow on the right hand side in front of the saddle, take some weight on my right hand on the pommel, then swing my leg over, taking all my weight in my left armpit hooked over the wither and lower myself slowly to the ground.

I've got smaller horses now but I'm a lot older and still find it useful.

That is exactly how I get off most of the time, landing only on my left foot as I cannot place my right foot down easily (broken ankle 8 years ago, now chronic arthritis in it). Very occasionally I might slide down Bs shoulder, shes very tolerant now.
OP, I'm 5ft 5, on a 14hh. I wont get on anything over 15.2 these days mainly due to the getting off.....

 

[[146606]]

It's good to hear that others aren't fans of getting off giant horses either ? I do think there is sometimes the attitude amongst horsey folk that if you're nervous of anything, you must be useless. I never had problems bouncing off a horse when I first learned to ride and was happiest on the bigger horses (I haven't grown much since I was about 12 so the big horses then, I would probably still consider big now ?). Now the idea of effectively throwing myself off something is very scary! It's very much psychological, I don't get any pain in my ankle when I dismount (that is certain to change as it gets colder though), it's just the fear of it because I endured some horrific pain and multiple surgeries with it. For a couple of years after I injured it, I couldn't even touch my ankle without feeling faint as it was so sensitive. A fear of falling and hurting anything was bound to stick with me as a result.

A fun fact to give you all a giggle, I actually broke it by falling in the door of the staff room (there was a step down) on my first day... Working in a hospital ?

 

[Northern Hare]

Hi OP! In your lesson, I’m guessing that the dismount is something that you’re only practicing once per lesson. However if you were having a problem with the trot/canter transition, for example, then you’d practice that several times in your lesson.... Mounting and dismounting is really just another element of learning to ride just the same as your transitions, paces etc.

So, would it be possible for you to book a half hour private lesson? Then you could use that to really get to grips with dismounting - say 5+ times in the half hour session, interspersed with your other lesson activities. You could maybe trial different ways to dismount and find the best for you, making sure you don’t tweak your ankle. ?

 

[[146606]]

I've been having one hour private lessons so in theory that should be possible. However, my lessons are in the outdoor arena which doesn't have a mounting block. The mounting block is in the indoor arena where everyone mounts then everyone dismounts on the concrete just outside (so always an audience) so it's really not ideal.

 

[Northern Hare]

I've been having one hour private lessons so in theory that should be possible. However, my lessons are in the outdoor arena which doesn't have a mounting block. The mounting block is in the indoor arena where everyone mounts then everyone dismounts on the concrete just outside (so always an audience) so it's really not ideal.

Ok, just thinking of ways around this, do you have an IKEA near you? They do a great wooden stool (Bekvam) that is handy as a mounting block. If you had something similar, you could take that with you and use that to mount in the outdoor school so you can practice dismounting in the school onto the school surface, rather than on onto the concrete yard? (NB. I’m not suggesting you dismount onto the wooden stool - I don’t think it would be suitable for you to dismount onto.)

Ps. I don’t suppose to live near Newcastle do you? If so, I could lend you a Bekvam stool or a purpose built three-step mounting block suitable for dismounting onto ?

 

[[146606]]

Thanks but no I'm quite a distance away. I'm moving riding schools in a few weeks as I'm moving house so hopefully they will have a more suitable set up. There are about 6 riding schools within a short distance of my new house so I'll be spoiled for choice ?

 

[Red-1]

I am glad you plan to cancel the next lesson with the unsympathetic instructor, it is what I would do. Enjoy some nice hacking on a sensible sized horse until you move. Moving is stressful enough.

 

[Rumtytum]

No advice about dismounting but it’s great that you’ll have a choice of riding schools after your house move (and good luck with that!). I don’t think your current instructor and school are right for you at all. I have private lessons too, the yard is wonderful and I’m very happy there, good job as it’s the only one in the area ?.

 

[[146606]]

Just a little update. Had a wonderful, relaxing 2 hour hack earlier. Some cantering but mainly trot and walk. Lovely mare that was probably just shy of 15hh. Took a deep breath and dismounted in one swift movement ?

 

[Spotherisk]

That sounds great, well done and I hope you had a big grin on your face at the end!

 

[yhanni]

I think you should just stay riding at the hacking place until you move and avoid the other 'riding school' completely. It doesn't sound suitable and is expensive for what you seem to get. There are some fabulous places around with some wonderfully motivating, inspirational instructors who would take your anxieties seriously and not rush you into doing anything you're not comfortable with. Perhaps when you have moved, you could ask for recommendations on here & hopefully find somewhere that would fit the bill.