Horse panicking when mounted

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gabriellexxxx

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My 5 year old has a bit of an issue with mounting. Only had him about 2 weeks, and in the first few days, he panicked as i got on and bucked me off, we blamed it on freshness and not being settled.

Since then, he squares up to a mounting block, but as soon as you put your foot in the stirrup, he rushes off, even when there's someone holding him (scaring the helper
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). He hasn't bucked since, but its a right pain trying to get on, and takes me a good few minutes, and have now resorted to getting on off the ground as he walks (or sometimes trots) along. He's a sharp thoroughbred, who is very quick off the leg, so was wondering if maybe i'd kicked him in the ribs by accident or something?!

He's prefectly fine once on, so was wondering if anyone had any ideas on whats up with him or how i can correct this?
 
Have you had everything checked tack, back and teeth??? and did he do this when you tried him???

and was he wearing same tack??? Have you changed anything from previous owners??? food, turnout, workload
 
Back and teeth are fine, saddle seems to fit, but we're going to try a wider one on him just incase its pinching somewhere we couldn't see. But we thought he'd still play up once on if it was his saddle?

The old owners had him in a close contact saddle (not his, one they thought fitted) with a short girth.

At his old owners, he was out 24-7 on no grass, and here hes in over night and on good grazing, and hay, but no hard feeds. He's settled in well, and is schooling well and hacking out, but just doesn't enjoy the mounting process!
 
i'd re-back him tbh. i'd make sure i had a helper and tons of time, and stand there with helper feeding and fussing him while you stand on the mounting block, stroking him, leaning over, pressing down on saddle, etc etc. if it takes half an hour to get him to calmly stand and let you get on, so be it. next time should take less as his confidence grows again.
i wouldn't get on from the ground, imho that's far worse.
 
I'd double check his back. I had one a while ago same age as yours, that was vetted and passed and showed no signs of back trouble, had the same problems as you, but seemed ok when on (tried to kill me several times getting on). I ended up selling him on to some one with more experience thinking it was me, but they had the same problems, so investigated further and turned out he had kissing spine. Not saying thats whats the problem with yours, but a general check doesnt always show any problems.
 
I had the same problem with my horse when I brought him, he didn't buck just plunged forward even with someone holding him, it took 4 people once to hold him and he knocked one of them over!

I sent him to a guy that had been recommended to me for this problem.

He cured it in one week! It's hard to explain on here but you have to turn the horse in a circle around you everytime he moves (even one footstep) his head must be turned in and you must move him around you in a tight circle everytime he moves, then you stand him still and try again and again and again!

If you are on board when he does it you do the same, circle with the head turned in, turn on both reins or you will get dizzy! don't let the horse get away with one cheeky step!

It works, my horse does not move even one step now, it took a week, but if he does it again, start the circles again.

Hope this helps,
 
Have you asked previous owners about this? ie, is this a new habit?

Also, how long has he been out of training? (If he's an Ex-racer?). Racehorses are usually mounted by a leg-up whilst they're moving & maybe he hasn't been used to your conventional method.
 
My gelding got worse last year then was diagnosed with deep seated soft tissue damage.
Although he is now fixed it has still been an issue but he is getting much better.

He wears a massage pad before work, I mount him in the arena - putting horse into a corner. I get on make him stand (even tho he moves off) pat walk around, get off then get on again - when he then stands like a rock. Its just the initial *1st get on* the anticipation it MIGHT hurt. He is def getting better.
I will get on and off 2-4 more times usually at the end of a session.
Im lucky my horse doesnt buck, but he puts in hefty rears and panics if he's held so Im very much on my own.

If its not a pain thing, ie you know all avenues have been addressed then as mentioned above, I would re-back him
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I agree with K that, subject to saddle fit, he might need rebacking, especially as you might not know all his history. I had an arab in to ride away a few years ago, and he had a terrible experience when being backed, so would shoot off as soon as you got your foot in the stirrup. He was pretty odd though, as you could see he 'went into himself' when you prepared to mount (eyes almost glazed over) - it was like he couldn't/wouldn't pay attention to what the rider was about to do as he couldn't cope with it, then you took him by surprise.

I spent a few weeks leaning over him for a bit, patting back and shoulder and insisting he was still 'with me' and paying attention, then gradually progressing to mounting from a block. He gradually learnt that it wasn't scary. I now teach his rider and he is still a bit flighty about being mounted, but much, much better. Good luck.
 
Kerilli- i think it may be an older style as the panels are rather firm. I have a lighter weight gfs gp saddle, which is a bit wider, so can try that.

Legaldancer- it seems to be a new habit, he managed to stand still when i tried him, although some owners have some very clever ways of hiding issues! He's not an ex racer, so is fully used to being mounted.
 
LadyGabi, some of those old Stubbens have panels like "two rolling pins" (as a saddler described them to me.) i had one and used it for years on my saintly horse.
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wouldn't use one now...
i would definitely try the other one, ideally with a prolite underneath. they really are brilliant and make a huge difference.
 
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he's in a narrow stubben close contact atm, looks like it fits him, but will try my medium/wide gp on him to see if that might help.

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I think this might be your problem. I am not a huge fan of Stubben saddles as they often pinch and are over-firm.

Many horses will tolerate a badly fitting saddle once the rider is on board, but will find it too uncomfortable to bear when the rider is mounting as the tree point on the nearside will press down behind the shoulder as you mount, but even out once you are on.
 
Right, will try him this evening in the gfs and don't have a prolite, but have one of those griffin numnah with sheepskin underneath.

And Charlie55, no hes a 15.2hh 5 year old, named Jack.
 
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Mine is a 17hh, Dark Brown 10 year old!

[/ QUOTE ] He is definetly only 5 or maybe 6...

I sold a youngster (unbroken) last Nov that apparently had this problem, i was told by the buyer...

He has since been sold on and on and i cant find him anywhere
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Mine has done this on and off for all the 6 years I have had her. Got the scars to prove it when she got me off on the concrete! I've had everything checked, its her brain thats the problem!! Honestly I have no idea why she does it, she is worse when she is fresh and its windy but apart from that she will be fine for 2 months then a terror for a month. I try always make sure there is someone to hold her when I get on but if not sometimes it takes me up to 15 mins to get on her grrrrr.
 
re: narrow close-contact stubben.
when i bought my mare i had local master saddler out (absolutely brilliant, very experienced, very thorough) and although she's a narrow tb with big wither, and had a narrow close-contact on before, he said he would NEVER fit a horse with a 'narrow' saddle, he'd always use a medium and add prolite or other padding/shims to fill in the gaps if necessary.
i think this may well be a large part of your problem. might take horse a few days to realise the difference though.
i totally agree with Rowreach about old Stubbens with narrow hard panels, fwiw...
 
Gabi - re the saddle fit - you say it looks like it fits.

Has it been checked by a qualified saddle fitter, not just someone at the yard who knows a bit?

It doesn't sound as though you have had a saddle correctly fitted to him.

If this is the case it would be like you trying to walk and run in someone elses shoes a size too big or too small.
 
I had this for a very short time with my 4 year old we solved it this way. Pole by mounting block (parrallel) walk him up to block tell him to stand, practice putting foot in stirrup if he moves get down and back him up in a straight line immediately. Keep doing this over and over pat him if he stands etc. The important thing was to get and keep his attention, now he's five if he doesn't stand square or is inatentive he has to back up and stand until he does listen. We solved it in about three sessions although he doesn't like leg ups as doesn't like the feeling of someone being unbalanced on his back. BTW saddle, back etc were fine.
 
Re saddle fitting: I have only ever had one horse that fitted a narow saddle and I have between 15 and 30 different horses through my yard each year. That horse was VERY unusual. Most are medium or medium-wide.
Has the horse raced? If so, he may be used to having the rider legged up on the move.
 
Right, ridden this evening in a wider saddle (this one actually too wide) and mounted off a leg up. Stood as quiet as a lamb.

Had a look at both saddles, and asked an experienced person about them and we both decided alike the rest of you, its saddle related. Also gave the old owners a call and they said they've never heard of him doing anything like that, and always mounted off a block apart from at competitons.

So looks like the expensive route of a new saddle (really wasn't what i was hoping for, seeing as im a poor student
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)
So does anyone know any good saddlers that would be willing to travel to north herts? (that don't cost a trillion pounds!)
 
I've had a couple in with this problem, the last one was in pain with a sore back from a badly fitted saddle but even once that was fixed he would still bolt off as soon as the foot was in the stirrup as he was expecting it to hurt. I found that getting someone to hold them (with a leadrope attached to the noseband or a headcollar underneath, there is nothing worse than someone swinging out of the reins as you're trying to mount!) and giving them a treat just before you mount and then as soon as you're on. I find their mind is occupied with the treat and then once you're on they learn to stand and look for another one. It takes a while and you may have to take it slowly and start with leaning over etc. but I've found this way works well and soon I can mount by myself and they then turn their head around to get a treat from me once I'm on, or then a pat will even do, although I still keep them sweet with a treat now and then!
 
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Just a quick question. None of these horses are 17hh dark bay/brown 5 year old are they? Murray? x

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Hmm, what was the horse you're talking about called? We've got a 5 year old in that was bought back in Oct/Nov 2008 from Cheshire (I think - got him from my trainer). 17hh dark bay. Has an issue with mounting, but with time and patience it's getting there. Once you're on he's great, but he goes into panic mode with you're going to get on. Saddler coming out to check saddle this week (we haven't had him long).
 
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