Horse wont be mounted - advice or experiences!!!

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canteron

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My rising 5 horse has started to panic when being mounted. He was broken-in in Ireland, hacked in England for 6 months and then sold to me. I have had him for 6 months and just be hacking out/lightly schooling and all has gone well ... but

This all started when trying to mount from the ground for the first time as the builders were working near the mounting block. He panniced and ran forward. After a couple of attemps, rather than distrub him, went back to mounting block and all ok.

Next day, tried to mount from mounting block, he panniced and ran forward. Spent a good 15minutes feeding him apples and calming until I could mount him safely (almost like rebacking). All OK.

Today (2 days later) fine to mount and having lesson Unfortunately he tripped in canter, fell on his shoulder and I rolled off. I asked instructor to ride him for me (she is great rider) to ensure that he didn't loose confidence being ridden. However, he started to panic and fun forward when been mounted from block. After 10 minutes or so managed to calm him and mount OK.

Instructor told horrible story about horse she had once had who was shot as it developed a serious issue about being mounted ... my boy is quite sensitive and I really need to deal with this now

What would you do? Don't make an issue of it and just crack on? Go back to basics and reback? Make up games which include leaning over him? Give him a rest and reback?

Oh yes, have saddle fitter coming next week and am trying to get recommended back lady just in case, but I think it is a confidence issue and would appreicate any advice.

Thanks!!
 
My horse had a very similar start to yours I had a friend with a bucket of feed to give him as I mounted till he got used to it, I still cant mount from the ground or a leg up but I can get on I do have to be careful when others get on as he is still sensative and he can bolt easily
 
Is there a chance he could have bruised something or damaged himself in some way on the first day you tried and now he is sensitive in that area?

Try lunging/long reining him for a bit (so as to leave his work on a positive note) and then leave him to chill out for a couple of weeks then don't attempt to mount off the floor at all to begin with. Is there a reason why you desperately want to mount him off the floor right now? It does put a lot of strain on the back.

I really wouldn't make a big deal of it yet as this will highlight it to him more, if you are nervous about getting on him again coz of his moments then he will pick up on it so get someone else on board first.

Definately worth getting his back checked if you haven't already as the spinious processes (think that is what they are called) are very long around the whither region and they are easily damaged as is the surrounding tissue.

If the sharper of my youngsters is having a moment that carries on for more than a few sessions I always giver her a week off and she comes back like a diff animal.
 
My mare had a mounting problem when i bought her, i did the feeding while mounting thing, but the thing that worked for her is always getting on her from the same place (she likes routine) and giving her a treat when i am safely on.

I still dont get on from the ground but can get on her at a bench or something out on a hack.
 
Silverbreeze, good advice. I don't particularly want to mount him from the ground, but the horse seems to have transferred his nervousness of being mounted from the ground to being mounted from the block.

Week or so off seems good idea for both of us!!!
 
I have had my horse for 2 and a half years it properly took about a year from first owning him but i did have a fall getting on that proberly did not help. I have had about 8 preople ride him now and the last 4 or 5 have got on and calmly walked off.

My instructor had me practice getting on and off at the end of a session when he was tired to help improve his confidence. In ireland they often back them by jumping on and cantering off so they may be trying to replicate this.

I used the same block for at least 6 months to keep it all the same (feed was only for a couple of weeks though) i can now mount from anything and can even open a gate on him - something I cxould not have done at first. Make sure if you have a helper that they do not hold the bit but the cheek piece and stands infront as to close the front door in a safe mannor. I also faced the fence not the open school so it was less inviting to run off

Let me know if you would like any more info
 
I wouldn't worry about it to much and certainly wouldn't worry that it would get to the point of PTS!!! He's a young horse and he's just scared himself.

I would not give him time off, but I would go back to basics, break down the 'mounting' activity and work on it in stages. To start just walk him up to the mounting block and if he is willing to go near it reward him. Progress to asking him to stand by the mounting block. If all goes well move to you also standing on the mounting block, the leaning over him, and so on. Each time you are trying to ask for something that is within his comfort zone so that he can offer the behaviour and you can reward him. If things go wrong, as much as safely possible, ignore the bad behaviour, e.g. if he won't stand still, ignore him, don't reward him and ask again. If you can do this little and often and don't make it progressively more difficult each time, sometimes revert back to easier behaviours.

Good luck!
 
my horse didn't like being mounted, it was his one and only fault... when i went to get on (gathered reins, reached for stirrup) he'd run backwards. he was worst to mount from mounting block.

i thought the key was teaching him to stand still. so, without mounting etc, i used to lead him round, and make him 'stand' when i said so (voice commands). when he stood still, i'd pat him, and keep saying stand. after he'd been stood still for about 10 seconds, he'd get half a carrot.

i did this for a while, until he happily stood dead still for ages.
then i did it next to the mounting block, for a while.
then i carried on, but gathered the reins, and pretended i wanted to mount (he tried to take a step back, but not running like before) so i perservered and did the same thing again and again... until i could get him to stand dead still whilst i mounted.

then he started trying to run backwards as soon as i was on, so i did the same whilst mounted. taught him to stand still, and rewarded him when he'd stood still for a while.

it seems to be working... touch wood... as i can now mount from block by myself, and he only sometimes steps back now.

patience is the key (once you've eliminated back problems etc)... xx
 
[ QUOTE ]
my horse didn't like being mounted, it was his one and only fault... when i went to get on (gathered reins, reached for stirrup) he'd run backwards. he was worst to mount from mounting block.

i thought the key was teaching him to stand still. so, without mounting etc, i used to lead him round, and make him 'stand' when i said so (voice commands). when he stood still, i'd pat him, and keep saying stand. after he'd been stood still for about 10 seconds, he'd get half a carrot.

i did this for a while, until he happily stood dead still for ages.
then i did it next to the mounting block, for a while.
then i carried on, but gathered the reins, and pretended i wanted to mount (he tried to take a step back, but not running like before) so i perservered and did the same thing again and again... until i could get him to stand dead still whilst i mounted.

then he started trying to run backwards as soon as i was on, so i did the same whilst mounted. taught him to stand still, and rewarded him when he'd stood still for a while.

it seems to be working... touch wood... as i can now mount from block by myself, and he only sometimes steps back now.

patience is the key (once you've eliminated back problems etc)... xx

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto all the above my horse was exactly the same but after months of just leading round getting on and off in different places then rewarding when he stood, he is now an angel and stands rock still.
smile.gif
) He was a nightmare!!

he is also from Ireland and was very nervous, possibly roughly treated
frown.gif
((
 
Lots of food for thought. I think the general message is don;t despare and patient persistence is the key. But thanks for taking the time to give me your thoughts and methods, really great.
 
2 years and we are finally nearing the end of our boys mounting issues, again we use the same place and never get on from the ground.
We give him a treat everytime
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't worry about it to much and certainly wouldn't worry that it would get to the point of PTS!!! He's a young horse and he's just scared himself.

I would not give him time off, but I would go back to basics, break down the 'mounting' activity and work on it in stages. To start just walk him up to the mounting block and if he is willing to go near it reward him. Progress to asking him to stand by the mounting block. If all goes well move to you also standing on the mounting block, the leaning over him, and so on. Each time you are trying to ask for something that is within his comfort zone so that he can offer the behaviour and you can reward him. If things go wrong, as much as safely possible, ignore the bad behaviour, e.g. if he won't stand still, ignore him, don't reward him and ask again. If you can do this little and often and don't make it progressively more difficult each time, sometimes revert back to easier behaviours.

Good luck!

[/ QUOTE ]

In agreement plus try and have someone with you so as you progress they can hold him while you lean over him or get on.
smile.gif


Your instructor should be giving you confidence and advising you how to get over this situation not be talking about horses being PTS for a similar thing
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Hi Canteron,

We are having similar problems with our rescue pony at the moment so I'm finding you post quite interesting. We are starting him from scratch, his is more of a nerves issue from when the rider gets taller than him, we are taking things very slow.
Don't want to hijack your post but it will be use to me also
smile.gif
 
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