Dressage horse won't stand still to mount

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dressage_diva

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I've recently purchased an 8yr old WB for competing at dressage and he's absolutely perfect except he won't stand still for me to mount if I'm on my own and I'm looking for some suggestions!

I've practised some ground work with him and he stands perfectly still in hand as soon as I say stand (he also backs up and moves over). Initially as soon as I stood him next to the mounting block he would swing his quarters away, but I've been patiently rewarding him with food when he stands still. If he moved away I quietly moved him back to where I'd originally put him (I don't make a big deal out of it) and then I say stand. It's now been a couple of weeks and we've made progress, but I feel like we've now got stuck! I can now stand on the top step of the mounting block and he'll stand perfectly still but the moment I take up the reins, or put my hand on the saddle he either reverses or swings away from me. I'm certain it isn't pain related (he's had his back checked and just sailed through a 5* vetting and I'm confident the saddle I just ad fitted is fine). I'm just pure naughtiness - he's using it as a way of avoiding work. After 15-20minutes he usually stands still and I can get on (I refuse to get on if he moves even slightly and am only rewarding him if he is absolutely 100% still). I was warned about this habit he had before I got him a few weeks ago (he was at a dressage yard to sell and they knew of the problem but hadn't tried tackling it). He's a stunning horse to ride and a sweetheart who loves cuddles/kisses in the stables - it's his only annoying habit!

However, having to spend 20 minutes doing this every time before I ride is becoming exhausting! I am mostly at the yard solely on my own, so I need to ensure I can get on him on my own whenever (I also think it's important to know that if you had to get on out hacking you could!). If someone is around and they stand next to him he doesn't think about moving. I was warned about this habit he had before I got him (he was at a dressage yard to sell and they knew of the problem but hadn't tried tackling it).

Any suggestions? Part of me is thinking I should have him on a lunge line and if he moves away when next to the block I should send him away quickly on the lunge so that he doesn't think moving away from the mounting block is an excuse not to work, but I'm not sure if that's the wrong idea!
 
My mare would swing her bum out when I went to mount, luckily our mounting block is quite a large box and I would ask her walk around it while I stood on top, think small lunging circle, she would then choose to stand and let me mount, rather than going round and round, big pat, praise, polo, now if she tries to avoid being mounted it only takes 1 spin of the mounting block before she's standing politely again.
 
I have had a few similar over the years and have tried many things to deal with it, the best has been to get on with help and finish each session with some practice, being relaxed after work usually makes them more cooperative.
The horse I have now was difficult he moved forward as soon as you put your hand near his withers, you could not pick up the reins, luckily his then rider was quick and could quickly mount without holding them as long as I managed to keep him still so she got her left foot in before he went off, we would spend a few minutes most days trying to doing some after work practice but it he still found it hard to let anyone mount until he had been worked. He is now easy to mount alone from almost anywhere but I do have to take care when picking up the reins as if he is held tightly he gets worried and starts to move, I am not as quick as his old rider so he must keep still.

I would be very reluctant to send him away, I don't think it likely he is going to associate moving away, being sent away for moving very positively and you may find he gets far worse, it needs to be dealt with calmly reward for getting it right not punished when he is wrong, it is probably deep seated from having a badly fitting saddle and someone pulling themselves on rather than an excuse to not work.

I would aim to get help and deal with it over a few days in a calm consistent way making each session positive and find what works for him best, like mine he may prefer it if you do not pick up the reins at all but you need to trust him and the helper if you do that.
 
It is definitely easier to sort this out with the help of a handler on the ground but I understand that this won't be so easy for you. All my youngsters are backed the same way and some stand like a rock at the mounting block and others take a lot longer to learn to stand and either swing their bum away or try to walk off. I usually try to have someone on the ground to guide them back into position whilst I am standing on the block (I agree with bp above that it is not a good idea to have them held tightly). Once I am on they get a polo and then can move off. One of mine can still shuffle about but a strongly worded 'stand' does the trick with her.

Having once had a horse who was very tricky to get on (think having to have three people to help!) I also found that working him and then getting on and off a few times was the answer.
 
Thanks for suggestions so far - I haven't tried practising the mounting at the end of a schooling session but will give that a go! I do reward him with a treat once I'm in and he's standing still.

I also forgot to mention I would prefer not to position him against a wall (either to side or behind him) both because I think that's a bit dangerous and I don't want to end up with a horse that I can only get on if I position him between things!

He's such a polar opposite to my other boy who is grumpy to handle on the ground but will stand like a angel to get on (even out hacking)!
 
It sounds as though you made great progress with the training but stopped just at the point where he was most worried?

So you broke down the process into "Can walk up to mounting block... reward". "Can walk up to mounting block and stand, reward". "Can walk up to mounting block, stand while rider gets on mounting block, reward"... and then just moved to getting on.

You need to keep working on the steps :) So you're now at "can walk up to mounting block, stand while rider gets on block, reward", and your next step would be "can walk up to mounting block, stand, rider on block... reward, pick up rein, replace rein, reward". (Since he's clearly worried by this stage having possibly been poked by a toe or mounted when unbalanced, I would reward more). Next stage would be "can walk up to block, stand, wait while rider mounts block, picks up rein and touches stirrup leather"... then "touches stirrup leather and pulls lightly on stirrup".. then "pulls on stirrup and starts to move toe towards stirrup".

The remaining steps are up to you and the horse. If you get right the way to a specific step and things stop working, go back to the last step and work on it some more. The horse isn't being "naughty", but communicating that they are uncomfortable with what they *believe* is about to happen. If you make the next step both very predictable and something pleasant, you are more likely to have a horse who will cooperate even in noisy and unfamiliar surroundings :)
 
Thanks Brightbay for your reply. Sorry I hadn't been clear enough in my initial post. I've been trying to do those stages you recommended, ie. picking up reins and putting them down and then rewarding but that is the stage in getting stuck with and I don't seem to be able to get past (i can eventually after 20mins but we don't seem to make progress each session that's always the bit we get suck at).

Perhaps I just need to be more patient and not expect so much progress so quickly and accept that it may take a couple of weeks at this stage before we make progress? Up to this point he's been so quick and I've seen an obvious progression each session!
 
Haven’t read all of the replies so sorry if I’m repeating but I rode one that did this and as soon as he took a step backwards or sideways when I went to mount I would make him go around the mountain block (so circle it) about 3 times. Then I’d try again, when he did it again, again, I’d make him go around and around it about 3-4 times. He then let me get on. He only ever did this again once, the next day and it took once going around it a few times before he just gave up and stood there.

He soon learnt that standing still for me to get on was easier than if he moved and was made to go around and around the mountain block 4 times.
 
Agree with Bright Bay.

I would defo avoid 'sending him away' at the block, as you are likely to end up with him anticipating you and just scooting away every time you get anywhere near mounting and then have even more of a problem (as tempting as it must be to growl after trying to get on for 20 mins! :-)

Remember horses do not work by the clock and he has no care about you needing to get on in x minutes as you have to ride then do other stuff/work/chores/ whatever. Most problems need to be tackled when you have no need to be on the clock yourself, or you will feel pressured and the stress level rises as the minutes tick by.
 
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I would use a small moveable mounting block so that you can continue standing on it whilst making him walk around it.

If he doesn't stand make him circle the mounting block, then foot in and out of the stirrup etc, etc. Just walk him on every time that he doesn't stand - they soon get bored with doing all the work :)
 
I used jump blocks to form a barrier other side of mounting block to stop stepping sideways, get him used to walking through it then standing then do as you have done step by step. As he can only move backwards not sideways you should be able to ask for forward without getting off block. Also stand on block to groom etc to get him used to it. As soon as on a polo helps with standing still. Once standing stock still with blocks remove them, you won't always need them. Took me months to get from 30 mins to 30 secs to get on (with youngster) , you will get there x
 
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Either move the mounting block towards him every time he moves, or move him back to it. If he lifts and replaces a foot, put him back. Don't accept anything except stock still behaviour. As soon as he moves put him back every single time. Won't take him long at all to get it. At the moment you're rewarding him by not getting on when he moves.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Either move the mounting block towards him every time he moves, or move him back to it. If he lifts and replaces a foot, put him back. Don't accept anything except stock still behaviour. As soon as he moves put him back every single time. Won't take him long at all to get it. At the moment you're rewarding him by not getting on when he moves.
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Thanks Ffion, I have been moving him back towards block every time, even if he literally just shuffles slightly. I've been insisting that if he moves, he returns back to where I put him (I'd rather do that than move after him). Whilst doing this I haven't been saying anything, but just calmly moving him back (he even anticipates it now and as soon as i move round to the shoulder on the other side he moves back towards the block!)
 
meesha said:
I used jump blocks to form a barrier other side of mounting block to stop stepping sideways, get him used to walking through it then standing then do as you have done step by step. As he can only move backwards not sideways you should be able to ask for forward without getting off block. Also stand on block to groom etc to get him used to it. As soon as on a polo helps with standing still. Once standing stock still with blocks remove them, you won't always need them. Took me months to get from 30 mins to 30 secs to get on (with youngster) , you will get there x
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Thanks, I'd prefer not to use jumping blocks as I don't want him to then only behave when I have him 'cornered' as ideally I'd like to be able to get on him from anywhere that I have a portable mounting block (my other boy I mount on the yard so I can hack or go into the school, but with this new boy I've been doing it in the school as I feel it is safer than him being silly on concrete).

Hadn't thought about incorporating the mounting block when grooming him, but that's a great idea!
 
I bought one with this party trick. A cob mare who is extremely clever and now I have channelled her intelligence into being a nice horse I love her.

Looking back I remembered she was held when I tried her, someone at her head and another holding the stirrup. I bought her knowing she had quirks but didn't find out about the mounting until I got her home ! Not only did she swing her backside away she curled her neck round as she did it and bit my knee. Charmed I was not !

I did put her between a wall and the mounting block and this did work, in fact she gave up immediately but when I tried her without the wall she was back to tricks again. I built the block up until it was level with the irons and I stepped onto the horse rather than having to climb up the side of her. This worked, no idea why other than maybe she did not like me hauling myself up her side or pulling the back of the saddle over.

She is brilliant now and will stand alongside gates or in a ditch for me to get on. She is a common cob though not a sensitive dressage horse.
 
I'm sure I've seen Kelly Marks use an interesting technique to solve the problem, I think using two long lines to teach the horse to move his bum towards her... I'll see if can find a video!
 
OP I am having the same problem with my new WB so you are not alone!

My trainer told me to position the mounting block so his bum in the corner of the school so if he swings away he's blocked by the fence and if he steps back he can't because of the fence.

This is working for me
 
Search on youtube for Richard Maxwell video at East Anglian game fair. He helps with a horse that wont stand to mount by teaching it to move towards a tapping schooling whip. Made a lot of sense.
 
I bought a horse that would shoot backwards as soon as my right foot was in the stirrup. I tackled it with clicker training breaking down the movements as suggested in an earlier post. It took very few sessions to sort it but I did need a second person to help with the training. Unfortunately although I sorted this problem he proved unsuitable and I sold him on, as soon as he changed homes the shooting backwards started again. I think a lot of horses will revert to a previous behaviour when changing homes as when I tried him initially, he stood like a lamb!
 
When I hit a block at one of my stages of mounting (as you have) I did immediately send madam away to work when she moved. However, I had my reins on clips so I could pop them off very quickly and immediately sent her far away for a hard canter. I don't really do proper natural horsemanship but have used enough of it with her that she knows being launched straight away from me fast means I am not happy, and also knows that I will keep sending her to canter laps of the school until she lets me do whatever it was I was trying to do. This got us past out dodgy step (standing with any pressure on the stirrup) and until our recent relapse she had stood still to mount for about a year. I

I didnt find just walking round the block on small circles helps though. That is what I tried first as it's obviously quicker than running her, but she just took it as a sign that she could walk off whenever she wanted as long as she kept moving. It may work for others who have different basics in place though.
 
A few thoughts.Have a mounting block that is an inch or two (50 mm) below the stirrup ,then you dont need to touch the saddle to mount.If he stands still to the command of stand then dont pick up the reins when mounting, continue repeating the command to prevent him moving on. When riding come to a halt ,give the command to stand and drop the reins, pick the reins up while saying stand and repeat this until he stops moving off when you pick the reins up.
 
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