mounting blocks. Anyone given up with finding a cheap one and made their own?

[jalapeno]

As title! I am looking for a mounting block and all the wooden ones are about £70. Has anyone made one with success... I'm thinking of getting the OH to make one out of some old decking.. ? Any ideas and pictures would be appreciated

 

[Nocturnal]

I just clamber up on anything I can find . How about cheapy plastic chair/stool, or does it need to look smart?

 

[Elfen]

Hubby made me a mounting block - its just a big wooden stool with rubber matting tacked on the top - its fab and everyone uses it! It's higher than normal mounting blocks which is great as both my boys are whoppers!

 

[MerrySherryRider]

We have a couple of these on the yard; http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60178887/

 

[Kat]

I'm very spoilt. Our yard have a built in mounting block from the days when they did RDA. So it is built from concrete and breeze blocks and is level access. Takes a bit of training to get the horse to walk down the slope and stand parallel but it is lovely to be able to get on from a decent height with no pulling of the saddle/back. I would be very nervous about using the standard mounting blocks without someone to hold the stirrup on the other side, but I have seen some decent home made ones that are a good height made from hard board all blocked in with three steps. You can get wood cut to size in B&Q so all you need to do is screw it together and treat the wood.

 

[TJ&Ozzie]

My OH had one made for me for Christmas. His farrier friend made it. I don't know about cost as it was a gift but it works a treat and looks lovely too

 

[Brandy]

I always use a block with my welsh pony, yes he is only 13.2 but its still stops me pulling his back.

My step dad made a small block for me out of an old pop bottle crate, with a piece of wood bolted to the top!! Its great and I don;t worry about leaving it outside the gate as it cost nothing. Probably not high enough for most peoples horses though.

 

[jalapeno]

Love the ikea step stool! Is it sturdy? I was thinking more of a mini staircase .. does that make sense?

They had a big breeze block one at a RS I used to work at, but sadly, not feasible where I am.

No a plastic chair is not a very good idea when mounting babies lol.

Thanks for the suggestions.

eta - pictures of the homemade ones would be good..

 

[JanetGeorge]

We have a couple of these on the yard; http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60178887/

I have one of these on the yard - they're only really suitable stood on concrete - and one of these at the manege - http://shop.horserequisites.co.uk/e...ectPath=/Shops/13062006-11837/Products/ET0005

 

[SpottedCat]

I have the ikea one! It lives in the lorry, really solid, great bit of kit. Some thieving swine at a BSJA show tried to steal it (found it under their lorry ramp - 'sorry thought it was ours'!!) - found that somewhat ridiculous when it cost about £7.50 when I bought it. I've had mine for 4+ years now, still good as new, and I really really don't look after it!

ETA: I use the ikea one in a field all season, never had any issues even when it's been bottomless going. I also hose it off!

 

[mollichop]

I made one last year. Wooden box for structure and tacked some roofing felt on the top for grip and to make it last longer. Will take a pic later if I remember.

Total cost was about a fiver

 

[sianb]

I've got the Ikea stool thing and it's great.

 

[tonitot]

I normally just jump on from whatever I can. I hate putting my foot in the stirrup and pulling myself up so I stand on something then jump and land with my belly/chest on the front of the saddle and then swing ny leg over. Easier to do in a racing saddle though, in a GP it hurts a bit

 

[Suby2]

I recently bought one of these

http://www.dragonflysaddlery.co.uk/...d=&hr=h&categoryname=&subcatname=&itemid=1689

although I got it from Horse and Rider Express for £34.37 including p&p.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Love the ikea step stool! Is it sturdy? I was thinking more of a mini staircase .. does that make sense?

They had a big breeze block one at a RS I used to work at, but sadly, not feasible where I am.

No a plastic chair is not a very good idea when mounting babies lol.

Thanks for the suggestions.

eta - pictures of the homemade ones would be good..

Yes, the Ikea one is surprisingly sturdy and stable. There is a rather rotund lady who mounts her 17hh horse from it on our yard. I have one of the plastic block mounting stools, which cost about £40, but prefer the Ikea one for mounting with my dodgy leg.

 

[gillianclaude]

I got a fantastic homemade one as a 'moving in gift' when I moved to the new field. I'll take a pic of it when I go over for you

 

[monkeybum13]

The ikea ones are brilliant, except from when a JCB mows over it!

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

I found an old wooden chair on the farm took the back off it and its perfect. Light weight, study and you cant get caught on it.. I was at one stage using a grass cutting machine to mount from, a massive boulder dug up from one of the fields and a whole host of different apparatus to get me in the saddle..

I dont think making one would be too much of a challenge as long as your good with a jigsaw and nails.. its just finding the time

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

I made one last year. Wooden box for structure and tacked some roofing felt on the top for grip and to make it last longer. Will take a pic later if I remember.

Total cost was about a fiver

Your dogs are extremely beautiful .. (sorry but thought I would say lol)

 

[KAZJAZ]

Mounting block on our yard is a blue barrel cut in half and turned upside down...

Was eyed with suspicion when we first arrived but it does the job!

 

[jinglejoys]

I use a water butt stand £2.50 at B&Q sale

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

My mounting block at home is a large un-ended oak log with a step cut out of it using a chain saw. After these winds I am sure you can snaffle up a good log from somewhere...!

 

[TigerTail]

My dad and I designed and made this one last year - I wanted a wooden one not a horrid pink plastic one, and also one high enough that I was getting down on to the horse rather than hopping up or having to use the stirrup.

 

[Shantara]

The YO's husband made a couple of nice ones

We used to have an ikea one, but someone left it in with the ponies :O It is no more

 

[only_me]

I have this one -
http://www.diy.com/nav/build/ladder...dy-Work-Platform-height-0-5m-1-8-inch-9273876

Its great, folds up and very handy for shows

 

[kerilli]

TigerTail, that one's great, very impressive!
I have a couple of wooden mounting blocks that my grandad helped me make, they're very high, so i can just step across even if the horse is 18h. some of those above are only 1'8", unless you're getting on a 12.2 i can't see that it's helping much, you'll still be pulling down on the left hand stirrup...
i had a big slice out of a tree-trunk that i used at my last place, nearly wrecked my poor little car getting it home from the wood yard (didn't realise quite how heavy it would be, oops) but it was very good.
usual warning - please please don't use a milk crate as a mounting block, i've heard of a few horses fidgeting and somehow stepping into them, with horrible (fatal) consequences...

p.s. for shows - if you have a lorry, the living steps are absolutely perfect. much safer than the ramp, fwiw.

 

[noblesteed]

I got a water butt stand from B & Q as well. Works a treat, I leave it in the field in the summer. We also use it as a little jump stand, you can balance tyres on top of it to make jumps bigger.

We also have an upturned toybox/crate made of plastic that I got from work, was going in the bin.
We also have a pile of old paving stones beside the road that we use when we are hacking that way,

 

[fjordhorsefan]

We have a couple of these on the yard; http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60178887/

I have one of these too - covered the steps in non-slip rubbery stuff after varnishing it, and it's still going strong after 3 years! It also fits in the 4x4 so I take it to shows and stuff too

 

[1Lucie]

We have a seond mounting block at gate (for mounting before hack) its a piece of log with top cut flat!

 

[Janette]

Ours is made from curb stones-2 on the bottom, one for the next layer and a short one for the top layer - its like walking upstairs.