Makeshift mounting blocks?

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Jess+Murphy

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Long story short, I no longer have access to a mounting block and was quite surprised at how expensive they were - what does the job well without costing a fortune? I am 5'2" with short legs and quite a bit of weight, and need to get on a 15.2hh horse. The odd rocks and logs on the yard aren't quite tall enough and I worry about damaging his back when I am trying to clamber on board!
 
My permanent yard one is breeze blocks. Cost me £1 each for some and blagged a few off builder friend.
Its 5 bricks high (laid on flat side, onto a cheap bag of sharp sand) needed 16 or so to make the 5 steps.

I use the extended bumper on the rear of the horsebox when out, friend uses set of steps.
 
How stable is it? I thought about a small step ladder but just had visions of it toppling over if I bounced too much or he bumped into it! XD
 
I have a folding step stool, can't remember the make, I think it cost about £30. It is also useful as a temporary saddle horse.
 
We use cavaletti blocks. The small ones can be a bit too low for me when I've got a tall horse, but I can manage it more easily if I let the stirrup leather out a couple of holes; I prefer the bigger blocks, much more comfortable.

And they're light enough, that if I get a stubborn bugger of a horse who refuses to walk right alongside, I can get hold of the block and place if right where I want it.
 
The step toddlers use to reach the loo. You can get them from the pound shop. They are not that high but it can be enough. Otherwsie I would echo Keith's suggestion - push a jump block over and use that. If you are caught out hacking and need to remount (and there isn't a handy ditch to walk the horse into) you can get a stirrup mount to put in your pocket. Like this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Saddlery-Shop-Stirrup-Mounting/dp/B004TOTKRC other retailers are most definitely availble!
 
I have to have a good stable mounting block and have built one in the arena with breeze blocks. It's really stable and I've made it very long and quite high so it meets my needs exactly. Do be careful if you use steps on concrete. I went to try a horse some years ago and the steps slipped on the concrete as I was mounting, depositing me under the horse with a cracked wrist. Fortunately the horse stood rock steady so I bought him (standing still was the best thing he did and not a true measure of him, he was incredibly handsome though!)
 
I have used a milk crate homemade one at a yard and it was surprisingly steady. Current yard has a hollow concrete cube (I think it's originally a concrete building block for a gate post).
 
Tiddlypom said:
Ester's suggested Curver 2 step stool is excellent. I've had a set for ages, 10 years plus, and they are like new despite being left out in all weathers. They are also reassuringly sturdy - I don't do wobbly steps o_O!
Click to expand...

I bought one to go in my lorry, when I moved my YO nabbed it but it was well recommended by a lot of people.
 
Always thought a second hand one of these would be good in the corner of the school. Not just for a mounting block.
 

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We’ve got a foldable 2 step stool (about £8 from eBay iirc) which gets my unbouncy 5’2 self onto a 16’2 when we’re out and about and takes up very little room to store as it folds flat.

At the yard we’ve got our own bright yellow heavy duty plastic mounting block which came from a printing company (yeah, I don’t know why they had it either) and there’s a lovely 4 step wooden one in the school which is high enough for me to hop down onto the horse rather than still needing to jump up a bit.

ETA - found a pic! Get a handy person to build you one of these 😄 743ACF4A-AB23-464F-83A6-E52884A5B834.jpeg
 
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I use the curver two step stool, have one in the lorry and one in the indoor. If I'm going hacking though I'll climb onto the tractors front wheel rather than lug the steps around.
 
I used to buy the wooden two steps from Ikea, about £8.
Now I have a plastic two step, which gets me onto a pallet of stone which just happens to be in my garden atm, great height 😂
 
Shay said:
If you are caught out hacking and need to remount (and there isn't a handy ditch to walk the horse into) you can get a stirrup mount to put in your pocket. Like this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Saddlery-Shop-Stirrup-Mounting/dp/B004TOTKRC other retailers are most definitely availble!
Click to expand...

I'd been thinking about making a similar device, never knew that they were already commercially available (well, apart from that particular one which is marked "Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.").

I think that a lot of those step-stools might be a bit low, though the two-step one should be better.

However, I don't think that any of them would be stable enough on a deep sand surface like the arena and covered manège where I ride.
 
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