mounting from the ground!:(

I can happily get on to any of my connies from the ground, although setting off on a hack I generally get on via a handily placed pile of breezeblocks as I have usually not persuaded the girth to reach its final hole. However I also have a young 17hh ISH that I like to get on as sympathetically as possible, so I tend to use a chicken coop that is the right height to allow me to slip quietly onto him. To be fair when we went to try him, my husband (who has never been known for his ability to spring on board in an athletic manner!) needed a step ladder to get on and he managed to kick it over when he was getting into the saddle, and said horse didn't react, I just think that for a young horse in the early stages of his education, it is better to make mounting as much of a non-event as possible. When he is older he will have to deal with being scrambled onto the way the ponies are when the kids and I are in a rush to get out.
 
Fransurrey said:
I find Wingardium leviosa a godsend. Have been known to accidentally levitate the horse instead, which is a bit embarrassing!
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Hahahaha! Thoroughly enjoying this thread. I am going to try some of these new levitating techniques myself... I am quite miffed that I have never been taught these before.
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
Sorry, but there is :p

I have 1 completely knackered ankle, an opposing knackered knee. Neither stops me from riding, inc jumping etc.
I use a breezeblock stepped mounting block at home, the step on the horsebox when out - and sundry gates/banks/walls etc if I had to ever get off when out.

There is absolutely no way that I can mount from the ground any more, not from either side.
I did try only a month ago but it wasn't fair to me or CF. I howled, he staggered, we left it alone.

3yrs ago, I would mount from the floor & spring up, now i have no spring, and standing on 1 leg to even get a foot in the stirrup from the ground is excruciating.

So, there are a few of us that for some reason or another cannot mount from the floor any more.

TFF, ex-PPC rider at Zone finals for 4 years (a little while ago) :)
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Sorry, I meant in terms of the horse, as that was the reason OP gave for not mounting from ground, anyone, ever.

Obviously if the rider has physical problems doing it a mounting block is needed.
 
If you are athletic and can hop up without pulling on the saddle then mounting from the ground is not a problem. If you are the sort that has to climb aboard then you need to use a mounting block.

I'm not a fan of leg ups as they can be very damaging for the person giving the leg up.

I ran a riding school for 10 years and all my riders learnt to mount from the ground. Not one horse or pony developed back problems. I believe the problem eventually comes from the fact that there is uneven pressure on the stuffing along the wither area - you need to check and have adjusted regularly.

Common mistakes that do damage the saddle is holding onto the back of the saddle, rider MUST hold the pommel or just below the pommel on the off side with the right hand.

I now use a mounting block because my knees are shot, it's high enough that I can step over my horses back.
 
Vaulting can be done by a very athletic person, but mounting from the ground using a stirrup is also okay as long as the rider does it correctly and efficiently.
I think a mounting block is better though if you're not as good mounting from the ground. It felt like luxury when I once rode a 16 hand horse at an RDA centre and the big mounting area they had meant I could step off it onto her back. I once had to get on from a 2 ft high step at another place and it wasn't pretty lol.
When I first rode as a kid, the mounting block was there for the adults and I got used to mounting the ponies from the ground. Also have had to do it occaisonally as an adult on riding holidays where we'd do day rides and dismount to have picnics and also if I fell off lol. Wouldn't be able to do it now though
 
Well back in the 70's when I learnt to ride, everyone mounted from the ground. If you used a mounting block you were viewed as a bit of a wimp.

The mounting block is now my best friend, age has crept up with me and I couldn't mount from level ground if I tried. Well not without letting my stirrup leathers down about 10 holes!
 
Tnavas said:
If you are athletic and can hop up without pulling on the saddle then mounting from the ground is not a problem. If you are the sort that has to climb aboard then you need to use a mounting block.

I'm not a fan of leg ups as they can be very damaging for the person giving the leg up.

I ran a riding school for 10 years and all my riders learnt to mount from the ground. Not one horse or pony developed back problems. I believe the problem eventually comes from the fact that there is uneven pressure on the stuffing along the wither area - you need to check and have adjusted regularly.

Common mistakes that do damage the saddle is holding onto the back of the saddle, rider MUST hold the pommel or just below the pommel on the off side with the right hand.

I now use a mounting block because my knees are shot, it's high enough that I can step over my horses back.
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Well done, you are the only one to mention about not holding the cantle when mounting. Hold the off side skirt instead.
As you and a couple of others have said, hauling yourself up hanging on to the cantle will apply pressure and damage the saddle over time, it's the most common cause of twisted trees.
 
My knees/ankles aren't young anymore so Benji gets positioned by a gate and I fly from the top of it into the saddle! I can however still mount from the ground if required. I am in the process of backing a youngster so she is being to taught to stand still whilst I get on from the bench or block. I will also make sure that she is accquainted with people mounting from the ground.
 
I have a large tall mounting block, but also usually have someone to hold the stirrup, although I just hop on without weight in the stirrup.
 
I cant really touch my stirrups when getting on so i use the mounting block to just vault on (i no, easier said than done :)) for some reason my cob prefers it to having someone hold the other stirrup...?
 
happyclappy said:
I have a large tall mounting block, but also usually have someone to hold the stirrup, although I just hop on without weight in the stirrup.
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After a few years in my youth working in a riding school where we always held the offside stirrup for clients getting on, if I am near someone mounting I instinctively hold that stirrup for them.

I do think it helps keep the saddle straight.
 
cremedemonthe said:
Well done, you are the only one to mention about not holding the cantle when mounting. Hold the off side skirt instead.
As you and a couple of others have said, hauling yourself up hanging on to the cantle will apply pressure and damage the saddle over time, it's the most common cause of twisted trees.
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Having witherless ponies teaches you to use the pony's neck and push onto the o/s stirrup leather - it's the only way to stop the saddle slipping, no matter how lightly you spring up.

There's also the the technique of stepping into someone else's o/s stirrup (whilst mounted) to help them to remount from the ground whilst hacking. This requires two fairly compliant ponies!
 
Arizahn said:
I see a pattern here: lots of dodgy knees!
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Tell me about it - I spent time today Googling for Walking sticks as both my knees have been dislocated I am now finding climbing up and down stars extremely painful.

I can get on my 16hh horse as I have my plastic mounting block placed on top of the big mounting block - I can step over her back with no problem, getting off is a different story! also very ungainly.
 
pennyturner said:
Having witherless ponies teaches you to use the pony's neck and push onto the o/s stirrup leather - it's the only way to stop the saddle slipping, no matter how lightly you spring up.

There's also the the technique of stepping into someone else's o/s stirrup (whilst mounted) to help them to remount from the ground whilst hacking. This requires two fairly compliant ponies!
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That's a good idea and yes, I can imagine saddle going round a little on witherless ponies!
 
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