Issues getting on- please help!

hnmisty

hnmisty

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Afternoon, chaps and chapettes :)

Does anyone have any wise words of wisdom they'd be willing to part with?

I got Barry in May. The first time I got on him after I'd brought him to my yard, I tried to use a jump block as a mounting block (no mounting block in the arena). He kept slowly swinging his bum out, so I couldn't get on. I ended up getting on from the ground, which I really don't want to do, as he's 16.1 hh and I am 5'1". The next time, someone held him for me and I got on fine.

He slowly got worse at me getting on, until I actually couldn't get on from the mounting block even with someone holding him. The last time I got on, it took one person holding him and one to give me a leg up. I probably rode him about 10 times in this period.

Something was obviously not right, so I stopped riding him until I could have the saddle fitter out. She came out on Thurs and re-flocked his saddle, it was sitting too low on his withers. I got the back man out on Friday, who prodded and poked, said his issues were probably caused by the saddle, to not ride until today, and that I would then have to convince Baz the getting on isn't going to hurt.

I got on today, again, in the end I had to get on from the ground, even though I had a friend holding him, I couldn't use a block to get on.

He's fine once I'm on board (and was before he had his saddle etc done).

He's an 8y/o ex P2P TB, very chilled out, his viewpoint on life seems to be that if it requires effort, it's not worth bothering with.

As I said, he's had his saddle re-flocked and his back done, and I've had his teeth done as well.

When I tried him out, he was fine to get on from the mounting block. He'd been ridden in a different saddle there, but I did also try him out in the one he was sold with, they said they didn't like it so had been riding him in a different one.

Someone suggested that they might have had him on bute or something, and to think about getting bloods run. But that doesn't make much sense to me- even though everything should be sorted now, and not causing him an issue, he's still obviously anticipating owies. Even if he'd been given something (and I don't think he had), he surely would still have been anticipating that it would hurt? I'd like to think that I sit down in the saddle quite gently when I get on, I certainly don't do reenactments of sacks of potatoes landing.

He's a great lad, good in traffic, well mannered, and I'm looking forward to getting going properly with him, there's just the slight issue that I can't get on board!

So, to those who made it through all that (well done! :D), do you have any advice/ideas as to how I can get him to stop associating me getting on with bad things?

On the theme of backs...did his girth up earlier...and there went my back! I've turned 25 and now I'm falling apart.

Thanks!
 
If he no longer hurts you need to be a bit more persistent with making him stand still, getting on from the ground is not really the answer as it will pull the saddle and probably make it uncomfortable then he has a reason to move.

It takes time to train them once this habit is established, find a good place to put the block, ideally so that the fence stops him swinging away and get someone to hold him, make sure they do not allow him to move, if he does just keep bringing him back until he does stand still.

It sounds to me as if he is just pushing his luck and the person holding him is not being firm enough, I often find that getting off at the end then remounting several times will help, the horse has worked so is more settled, a few sessions of repeating everything should help, just make sure you are never rushed and have time to spend dealing with this, even if your actual riding time is cut short, it will be worth it in the end.
 
My TB was like this when I got her and it was also due to an ill fitting saddle which she came with and an old injury I didn't know about (back lady sorted it in the first visit but it was all memory pain from then on which the back lady said I would more than likely encounter!)
You just have to persevere. If someone holding him isn't working too great, try positioning the mounting block so that he is facing into something solid like a fence, maybe the corner of the school. That way he cant shoot forwards. Once he gets the hang of that, move into an open space as you are now with someone holding him and go from there.
Also I find that if people faff getting on my horse she sees this as a great opportunity not to them them on so I just have to get on quickly with no fuss.

I doubt it would be anything to do with him being buted, more remembered pain from an ill fitted saddle.

Just keep persevering and I am sure you will get there in no time! :)
 
Bribery, pure and simple:D

Step 1. Find a friend, arm friend with polos or a treat he likes
Step 2. Walk horse to mounting block
Step 3. Reward when he stands nicely, at this point, do not bother mounting
Step 4. Repeat regularly over a couple of days until he will stand at block
Step 5. Still using treat stuffed friend....stand him at mounting block and then get on ....treat for standing still
Step 6. Do this several times, do not treat until he is standing still
Step 7. Have friend nearby, but not holding him, stand him at block, get on and then treat ..repeat ... A lot
Step 8. Intermittent treating, once the stand is established, do not treat every time, but often enough to keep horse focused.

Dependant on horses' intelligence, general food motivation and greed, can take a few days or longer.
 
Edited to add, when I said point him with a fence in front I mean with someone still holding him then too! Don't think I made that clear :)
 
I think Be Positive has some great advice here. The point about putting the block in a place where it is harder to get away from is a really good one. I went to a Monty Roberts demo in Feb where Kelly Marks showed how to get a horse to stand by the mounting block and this was one of the techniques she used. And also the one about getting on and straight off again. will take some time and patience but is sound advice.
 
Even if he was good when you tried him the previous owners may have just trained him to stand by the block and in a new home with new rules he's testing you a little. If you just set aside some time to get on and off him a lot from the block - i.e. just a session of getting on and off. Also, if they are swinging their back end out getting on one side and then off the other and vice versa in the mounting training sessions can help. Good luck, he sounds like a nice sort :)
 
I've had issues like you in the past and sometimes they do it just because they can! :p All of mine have been taught using a variation of Rubysmum's method. We took riding out of the equation for a few days and just worked on standing at the mounting block, for treats, they still standing at the mounting block but bending round for treats with me ON it and then foot in stirrup, getting on, getting off, leading back round.

All of mine now know that they get a treat for standing still nicely at the mounting block and then another once I am on. They soon catch on when they realise there is something nice involved and who cares if you are using bribery? If it means you are up in the saddle and away without any hassle, that's a gold star in my book! :)
 
Thanks for the advice guys :)

P*** taking was my first thought, especially when he first did it, but he's brilliant with everything else (plus he's got worse). And he just doesn't look like he's doing it to be naughty. You can almost hear his thoughts of "ow it's going to hurt, don't do it, don't do it, don't do it!". I could very easily be wrong, but it just doesn't seem it to me.

I think I will definitely be spending a lot of time with the mounting block, with a packet of polos in my hand and a friend on stand by!
 
I'm with Rubysmum - except it isn't bribery it is reinforcement. You can teach a ground tie (stand and wait when a rein is dropped to the ground until they get a release) the same way and that is a good starting point.
Because I am old and not very flexible any more I have a platform made of planks across the corner of my manege. It works well because it is higher than the average mounting block (ahem, I step DOWN into the stirrup :D) but it means I have had to teach my horse to park across the corner very close in. A few polos for standing there and he now does it with no reward.
Kathleen Lindley showed me how to have him accept responsibility for standing by the mounting block - every time he swung his quarters out we backed him away fairly smartly. By the third time he offered to swing out and then thought better of it. Sadly that only works with a freestanding block :(

Oh, and by the way horses don't take the p!ss, or make fun of you or be naughty or any other anthropomorphisms
 
Hi. Lots of good advice on here. My horse used to be a nightmare to get on due to an ill fitting saddle in the past. It has taken her a long time to forget the pain. We worked on standing at the mounting block with my friend scratching her withers or giving her treats. It took a long time and patience but she is beautifully behaved now :)
 
rubysmum said:
Bribery, pure and simple:D

Step 1. Find a friend, arm friend with polos or a treat he likes
Step 2. Walk horse to mounting block
Step 3. Reward when he stands nicely, at this point, do not bother mounting
Step 4. Repeat regularly over a couple of days until he will stand at block
Step 5. Still using treat stuffed friend....stand him at mounting block and then get on ....treat for standing still
Step 6. Do this several times, do not treat until he is standing still
Step 7. Have friend nearby, but not holding him, stand him at block, get on and then treat ..repeat ... A lot
Step 8. Intermittent treating, once the stand is established, do not treat every time, but often enough to keep horse focused.

Dependant on horses' intelligence, general food motivation and greed, can take a few days or longer.
Click to expand...

I had.. Note past tense :D, the same problem and was given the same advice when I posted. Don't know of you were or of those who advised me to do the Rubysmum, certainly remember RachelBristol advising similar. Anyhow it worked.:D
Exactly as above with friend standing by the block but not holding him. Mine also tanked off the minute I was on..or half on :eek::eek: It didn't take that long to get the message to him either. He now expects his treat once I'm on and he's no longer shooting forwards and then backwards.
Mine, actually share horse not mine, was in a really badly fitting saddle when I first rode him so I would suspect that had something to do with his reluctance to let someone get on. Good luck.
 
Rubysmum's suggestion works :)

It is also the most reliable way to teach a horse what you want, and if you ever want to ride tackless you need to be able to call your horse over to a mounting block, have them line themselves up and stand solid and square until you get on - and if they learned the Rubysmum's way, they will happily do this for you. They also become very good at lining up with gates, ditches, logs, trailer ramps and any other odd thing you want to mount from, since you getting on means nice things happen :) It's only bribery in the sense that your paypacket is bribery
;)

If you use the backing them up fast, the making them work if they won't stand still or the tapping with a whip til they stand where you want methods, they'll learn to line up for you because the alternative isn't nice, but if you have no tack, they're unlikely to have any motivation to cooperate :D
 
When we had this issue with my friends mare after the saddle was the issue we also began the re training process without the saddle to begin with them moved to a saddle pad and then the saddle and it seemed to help. We were also told to get on, sit very still and then when she was still get off the other side which also helped break the habit. Hope you get sorted soon and I will also back up what the other poster said about horses not taking the p... They don't, they react so you are doing all the right things.
 
My horse has problems with turning her bum away from me as I get onto the mounting block, I now position her in between the mountain block and the menage fence so she cant turn her bum away and this means I can get on without help of 2 other people!
 
I like Rubysmum's method, combined with putting the block somewhere where the horse can't move away. We taught a Clydie to stand still by walking her into a 'box' of straw bales.
I have had a problem with my current horse since she's lost weight, I realised it's because she needs the girth to be tight enough that she is confident that the saddle will not move as the rider gets on, even from the mounting block.
 
Ditto re the treats/reinforcement! Mine doesnt swing his bum - his trick is to bog off broncing, so once I'd worked out that it was a worried thing, rather than pain - I started giving him a treat as he stood at the block, then another immediately as I got on him, which occupied his mind when he would normally explode. I lean over and treat him from the opposite side so that he is bent to the right, and can't swing his bum - you need a high block to do that, and a very flexible horse.

He doesn't try and hook off now, but he does turn his head round for his treat the moment he feels my bum hit the saddle!!
 
I tried the treat thing and I found it tricky as I didn't always have an assistant! So I use the backing up method. As soon as he moves away he's backed up sharply or turned in very tight circles. THe idea is to persuade him it's less hassle/work to stand still than to mess about. I got the method from a Michael Peace book. Horse still does it from time to time and needs 'reminding' but it's a far cry from me spending 20 mins trying to get on as I have done in the past.
 
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