Mounting problems with my 5 y/o

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Tash88

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Apologies for asking for advice when I'm so new, it will be much appreciated though!

I bought my 5 y/o Warmblood X gelding in the middle of November 2011 after having him on trial for two weeks, I bought him from the owners yard where I had my last horse (who sadly passed away) so I had known him since he was two. I have kept him there so he hasn't moved home. He has settled really well with me and people have commented on how he appears to be happier and more relaxed as an 'only horse'.

He is straightforward and quiet on the ground, and lovely to ride. At the moment I am basically just bringing him on slowly, and having regular lessons. There were a few mounting problems when I first got him, basically he was a little fidgety, but that soon got better. I also had a new saddle fitted and he has a comfortable sheepskin pad and girth sleeve, on the recommendation of the saddler. He has also had his teeth checked and rasped, the dentist said that his wolf teeth aren't an issue at the moment.

For about five weeks he was fine to mount, a little fidgety but generally ok, if I was quick. But for the last week he's been difficult again and started to turn his rear end outwards, away from the mounting block whenever I stand him there. Usually I get someone to give him a treat and then he stands, also he is perfect if someone is there, they don't even have to be holding him. But I'd rather be able to get on without having to ask someone to stand there! He always stands still once I'm on and doesn't rush off when I tighten the girth up etc., I managed to get him out of this habit.

I'm aware that he is testing me a bit now, as they do after you've had them for about six weeks. He is a genuinely sweet and honest horse so I'd really appreciate any help.

Thanks, Tash
 
My mare tried this after having her about 6 weeks. I just walk her away from the mounting block and then stand her in front of it again and when she keeps moving her bum away from it I do it again and again and after about 3 or 4 times she just thinks "oh well I give up!"
 
I think this is what horses call 'a game'!
Like demibridie said make it boring to keep doing it...give him the option of being bored or getting on with it!!
 
Providing he doesnt get more fidgety if u put more pressure on reins-by turning his head to the outside, ie holding your outside rein a little tighter he won't be able to turn his rear end out wards.
Was advised to do this with my mare- most likely would have worked if she wasn't so sensitive in her mouth, but actually just made her go backwards. But maybe worth a try!
 
Thank you - most people who I've asked at the yard have told me to just keep persevering so that he ends up getting bored, I just feel like a bit of an idiot when he keeps doing this in front of people!

Kjg - he has a very soft mouth but not especially sensitive (if that makes sense) so I will probably try holding onto the outside rein a bit more as well.

Tash
 
another thing i have seen work and might be worth trying is to also dismount at the block. i was doing placement at a yard and one of the youngsters was a nightmare to mount, twisting, spinning, backing up etc. the girl who rode him also started getting off after the ride and it helped alot. he realised that the block didnt just mean he had to go work but also that he was finished. might be worth a try!
 
My horse did this to start and regularly took 10mins to get on!

I made a "tunnel" with poles raised on polyblocks on one side and the arena fence (what I use to get on) so he couldn't swing his rear out. Took a few goes and practiced getting on and off both sides, multiple times. Next step was getting on and off from anywhere in the arena I chose, which was repeated multiple times. Then we went for a walk around the yard and practiced getting on and off everywhere possible - the 5 bar gate, lorry ramp, lorry step, shaving bales strategically placed, hay bales etc. anything that could be used was! Even used a picnic table and bench.
This was repeated for about a week - That was over a year ago and now don't have any problems getting on - infact he is being very good as using the mounting block one day, I had one foot in stirrup and was mid air when guinea fowl suddenly jumped over a door and poor bill was startled, he did a two step thingy with his front feet but never actually moved - I was very glad that he didn't!! :)

The key is to keep cool, and reward when does stand still, don't reprimand/tell off/shout at him when he does turn out - just keep repeating until he gets the idea which is right :)
 
Mine went through a stage of doing that. My trainer told me to back him up and the walk forward to the block every time my horse threw his quarters out. Worked an absolute treat, just wish I had found out earlier!!!
 
I read this in a horsey mag and tried it on my very awkward ID x mare - seems to work! Though I was amazed myself!

Position horse next to mounting block and when they move their bottom away you tap, tap, tap with a long schooling whip with right hand on side/rear of bot - not hard but hard enough to make it really annoying for them. Keep tapping until they reposition themselves where you want them and then stop. Try to mount. If the horse moves repeat tap, tap, tap.
 
One of my boys use to do this, and this is how we got him to think differently.

Take him to the mounting block with out a saddle on, stroke him, the first time stroke and then walk away from it, do this a few times extending the stroking time and only walking away when he stands still. Do this with the saddle on, stand on the mounting block stroke the right hip, do not mount, do this several times. Then comes mounting, take him to the block, stroke him on his neck and opposite hip then mount, immediately dismount on the opposite side, do this several times. Then when he least expects it mount and ride.

It sounds long and drawn out but it worked for us, tapping him with a whip or other things just makes things uncomfortable, give him nice reason for standing still for you. Another thing you can do is, ask him to stand still and tell him why. Sounds daft but gently and softly talking seems to sink in (to ours anyway)

Good Luck
 
Some very interesting and helpful tips here - thank you all very much! Tomorrow I think I'll definitely try backing him up when he turns his rear out rather than turning him around in a circle then walking back to the block like I usually do; I suppose this is a similar principle to not letting them turn around when napping. He isn't really an awkward or even cheeky horse so hopefully he'll give in sooner rather than later!
 
Only just seen your reply Dressagedreamer, will have a go with that as well, I do give him a treat when mounted so that he has a little reward. It doesn't really matter how long something like this takes in the grand scheme of things, with my last horse I spent most of a summer getting him to accept his headcollar so I'm used to being patient!
 
Tash88 said:
Only just seen your reply Dressagedreamer, will have a go with that as well, I do give him a treat when mounted so that he has a little reward. It doesn't really matter how long something like this takes in the grand scheme of things, with my last horse I spent most of a summer getting him to accept his headcollar so I'm used to being patient!
Click to expand...

Good girl, be patient it will pay dividends, good luck
 
Loads of excellent advice here.
I did the same as Dressagedreamer when my youngster went through this phase.....and I think it is a phase many 'stroppy teenager' horses go through.
The only thing I will add is.....Do not worry about what other people think. Take your time and do it your way.
I was once advised -while paintently waiting for my horse to load- to 'stick a hosepipe up his ar$e and turn on the tap.' :eek:
Good luck.
 
abitodd said:
Loads of excellent advice here.
I did the same as Dressagedreamer when my youngster went through this phase.....and I think it is a phase many 'stroppy teenager' horses go through.
The only thing I will add is.....Do not worry about what other people think. Take your time and do it your way.
I was once advised -while paintently waiting for my horse to load- to 'stick a hosepipe up his ar$e and turn on the tap.' :eek:
Good luck.
Click to expand...


thinking about Daniel was 6 years old when he was a bit fidgety at the mounting block, so you are possibly right it is a teenage thing.

Hose pipe up the bum ooh er mrs. I have taken unto 1 hour to box a horse, I sat on the ramp with a cuppa, hobnobs and the H&H, horse got bored and loaded its self LOL
 
Are you sure the saddle is still ok? Just something to check. New saddles drop a lot after the initial fitting, and even second hand ones can start not to fit well after a while as horses gain/lose weight and muscle. Some horses are extremely sensitive to this.
 
dressagedreamer said:
Hose pipe up the bum ooh er mrs. I have taken unto 1 hour to box a horse, I sat on the ramp with a cuppa, hobnobs and the H&H, horse got bored and loaded its self LOL
Click to expand...

I thought the same,thankfully,in spite of the fact the advice came from a vet who also trains race horses.
Sadly I was not armed with hobnobs and luring with a bucket of food was not working,but I worked out the fast track way to get 600kg of warmblood into a small hole was to place a bucket of food in trailer and then try and stop him from getting in........
Thats the fab thing about working with horses. They have so much to teach us if we take the time to listen thoughtfully.:)
 
One thing I noted in your first post OP is that you said 'he was ok as long as I was quick' thats a big no no for me!

First off the mounting block wants to be somewhere he is happy for you to stand. So whether you do it with a good book like me, or just stand and admire the scenary you want him to stand square to the mounting block no matter what. Everytime he moves you correct him, put his feet back where they were.

You dont even need a saddle on just do it without the intention of getting on, it takes all pressure off. He has to stand 'mind still' not just physically still, so not wound up and tense etc, he wants to nod off whilst standing there.

Then you do the same with you stood on the top, my neighbours thought i was barmy stood reading a book on top of the block with the horse asleep next to me, but as long as shes square to the block i dont care.

Then get on and just SIT dont pick up the reins dont fiddle with stirrups just sit and chill. Then get off onto the block again, repeat many times. Eventually ask to move off. Do some flexions etc before asking him to move, dont be in a rush to get riding.

Take allll the pressure off both of you.

Heres a link to Monty Roberts online uni, showing how they teach horses to sidestep to the block. If you scroll down its the sample vid :)

http://www.montyroberts.com/university/
 
mystiandsunny said:
Are you sure the saddle is still ok? Just something to check. New saddles drop a lot after the initial fitting, and even second hand ones can start not to fit well after a while as horses gain/lose weight and muscle. Some horses are extremely sensitive to this.
Click to expand...

The saddler is coming out next week to do the recommended 6-week check, hopefully all will still be ok. :)
 
My 6 y/o does this too. He's fine if I lead him on his off side, get him in position and then move around his front end to get on. If he does swing away once I'm on the block I get down and ask him to step back around gently using the schooling whip as an aid. As everyone else says, a big fuss when he gets it right. He was from Ireland and didn't really understand blocks at all when I first got him so making baby steps forward!
 
We have just started backing my 4yr old warmblood, who we have had since he was 6 months old.

He is proving very difficult to mount but on those times when we manage to get on board he is fine, no bucking or rearing.

He is doing exactly what others on the forum have said, in that when stood next to the mounting block he keeps turning his hindquarters away and wont stand still. He is 17:2 so its not easy to jump on.

After trying for a week, he seems to be getting worse and we dont know whether to turn him away for a while again or to keep trying. Is it a game or is he stubborn or anxious, he is rather an introvert anyway. Glad I found this page, will try some of the suggestions on here. Thanks
 
While this issue is common with youngsters and is VERY frustrating esp when they were fine initially, it tends to be a few weeks in that they decide to start the game, it is definitely one issue which is I would say always solveable, often using the kind of techniques described on here.

And once solved it tends to stay solved.

So no need to turn away or give up, it is readily solveable. Just stay calm and patient and make clear the horse understands that you both know what you would like them to do, and that you both know that if it takes all day and they move back to the right place 30 times, that's fine too.....(it will then take about 10 mins :-))
 
I'm having the same problem-I asked the same question a day or two ago. Mine gets worse if someone tries to hold him. He swings his bum away or reverses. As soon as I go to mount! I calmly persevere and eventually he gets bored and stands still...but after 6 months we're still going through this EVERY TIME - it can take up to 20min to mount! He is showing no sign of improvement!

Oh & I tried the monty roberts technique but my boy will not swing his bum round, he just backs up.
 
Thank you Lachlanandmarcus, its very reassuring to know that this isnt just "us". The only difference I can see is that we have only just started backing our boy, so he hasnt started doing it after a few weeks but straightaway.

Hes a very clever "thinking" type of horse, not a typical warmblood machine, and we are finding that we have to be two steps ahead of him the whole time, because he keeps testing us with further "games".

I think it is a case of perseverance to see who is going to give in first. At the moment its 50/50! Thanks again, much appreciated and I dont feel quite so worried now.:o
 
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