Mounting

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Horselover0307

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Hello! So I recently (about 1 month ago) I bought my first horse, I have however been riding my whole life and have worked on a yard at the weekends (I'm 14) so we went to view him and he was absolutely perfect, both in his stable and out, however since he has been here we have found out that he has a mounting "problem". When I am riding by myself he is fine to get on and will stand once you get on (he walks backwards though for a few minutes before you manage to get him to stand to actually mount) but, and he has done this quite a few times, other times you will make him stand still and then once you have mounted he will gallop off, the only pattern in the times he has down this is that he has only done it when I've been riding with other people, I bought this horse with the intentions of competing bsja and going to lots of places however this is a major setback for us and is definitely stopping me doing a lot of things just becuase I can't ride with other people. Okay so his back is absolutely fine his teeth have just been done and he still does it, he is not at all a nervous horse however he is quite spooky and he is absolutely perfect once you are on which is frustrating that literally just mounting is holding us back. It can't be pain becuase he only does it sometimes and he is fine around other horses if they were to come in once I've got on or if I was to walk in already mounted. He is a 16.2 8 year old sport horse. His old owners took amazing care of him and he is in amazing condition. If anyone has any ideas about this or personal experiences then please let me know. I am not completely clueless about handling horses just because I'm young and this is my first horse, btw:) (also this is very unrelated but if anyone uses a Waterford bit please tell me why you use it and if it helped your horse (not to do with mounting just riding in general) )
 
Well, you have to make him stand, and not take no for an answer. The simplest thing for the moment, until you get to know each other, is to have someone hold him while you get on, but ultimately you'll have to be able to get him to listen to you and do as you say by yourself. Do you have an instructor?

I don't use a Waterford bit, and that's because they are nasty things. I'm sure plenty of people who DO use them, and think they are great, will be on to give you their take on why it's OK to use a rather severe bit to solve problems that should be worked on with training, but that's a whole other day's work.
 
Repetition repetition repetition. When a horse won't stand, walk around and back to the block. Do this until they are so utterly bored they stand, and only then you mount. Same for when you get on, if they move off as soon as you sit, walk them back around to the block until they stand and you have decided its time to move off. Go one step further and make them stand in other places like the open gate when its safe to. My horse would bolt through the gate but i absolutely make him go round in a circle and stand again until he stands for 10 Mississippi (as you need to do this in TREC anyway, so practice makes perfect)

I had a wonderful comment from my YO today who said ive clearly been making him wait cause he no longer bombs through the stable door when being turned out. Id nearly go as far as to say he has lovely manners now! But it has taken months of hard CONSISTANT work. Do one thing and stick with it until the horse gets it. Changing the tactic every other day to see if you get results faster won't work.
 
I would suggest a two part plan in this situation:

a) you need to put some serious practice in to teaching him to stand at the mounting block by calm, consistent repetition. Take him to the mounting block at every possible opportunity and teach him to stand next to it without actually attempting to mount. Gradually progress to having him stand for longer periods including you stepping on/off the mounting block. Eventually you can progress to mounting but only once he understands and remains completely still. Reward him with head rubs and praise - you can use a treat if all else fails (as a reward when he has stood still - not as bribery before he has done it). In the meantime you can still ride him but get on without other horses present and preferably with someone holding him - horses learn by repetition so you need to take these temporary steps to avoid the problem occurring whilst you are retraining him to stand.

b) give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that there is something he finds uncomfortable/worrying when you get on. The following steps are ones I would use for any horse sensitive to the mounting process and will at least rule out some of the most likely issues. Warm his back up before saddling to ensure muscles are warmed and ready to take your weight by either warming your saddle cloth (you can pop it on underneath his rug for ten mins to do this) or if you're feeling really generous then use a half filled hot water bottle (check temp by making sure that you can comfortably hold it against your skin) over the saddle area for five mins whilst you're putting bridle/boots on or grooming etc. Tack up carefully ensuring that you slide saddle gently back into correct position with the girth actually sitting correctly in the girth groove (many people place saddle slightly too far forward). Tighten your girth gradually and ensure legs are pulled forward to remove any wrinkles. Always walk horse on a few steps after tightening girth before you get on - never do girth up at the mounting block and get straight on. Mount as gently as you can, ensuring that you land lightly in the saddle rather than crashing down in a heap - a good method is to swing your leg over and place your right foot in your stirrup before you actually sit down so that your weight is suspended in the stirrups and you can then lower yourself gently. If he came from a fabulous home it is entirely possible that he is used to very professional riding and handling so these tips may help you recreate some of what he is used to.

P.s I am assuming that you have his saddle fitted/checked as this would be the most obvious cause x

Good luck and let us know how you get on :)
 
Some horses find the rider mounting in a group situation makes them excited - they anticipate something fun. Equally many BS ponies (I know this is a horse) are usually mounted "on the fly" so don't learn to stand at competitions. It may well be that this is what he is used to.

At 14 and with a 16.2 I assume you need a block or a leg up. (Or you are very tall!). As a short term solution is there an adult with you who could help you to mount on the fly? Personally I hate it - but we have had BS ponies who have to be mounted that way at competition. That isn't really the place to start having a fight about things with your mount! Work with your instructor to help him accept being mounted in a group situation doesn't immediately means something fun and high octane. But in the meantime - make it possible for him to succeed.

Waterford bits - any bit can be harsh in the wrong hands. Cortex has strong opinions clearly. But I would rather see a rider with gentle communication than someone sawing away at the animals mouth with a bit which is felt not to be "harsh". Recently bitting research monitoring face and mouth pressures as well as the horse's response to stress has shown that several bits previously thought to be "mild" were in fact anything but, so I'm afraid I tend to take limited views with a pinch of salt. What works for you and for the horse is the right bit. The problem is that there are so many options and solutions it can be a struggle to find the right one!

Its something you should speak to your instructor about. There is nothing wrong with a Waterford - or any other bit, or no bit - in the right hands. My daughter jumps one eventer in an NS elevator with a Waterford mouthpiece - it is right for him. And hunts her cob in a Waterford snaffle - again it is right for them and what they are doing. Both do dressage in a snaffle - specifically an NS baucher and a loose ring french lozenge respectively and the cob show jumps - and goes XC - in a 2 ring gag. It is more important to have light hands and an independent seat. If you are hanging on to their mouths anything is bad.
 
You are just going to have to put the work in, being that the horse is 8, you should be able to stop this bad habit, but it may take time and it will take a lot of patience and re-positioning and getting off and on. Can you have a friend on hand to hold, back your horse up and generally assist you at first?

I had a JA pony as a kid, I didn't get her til she was in her late teens and if you tried to make her stand while mounting she flung herself over backwards (with whatever poor person happened to be half on her at the time). People had tried and failed over the years to fix this issue, but she was absolutely amazing to ride and practically unbeatable in the ring, so I learnt to live with her little quirk to a certain extent. I did manage to get her to actually stand at the block while I began to mount, but then she would start to walk off. This took about a year or two. That was the best we got her without her flinging herself over backwards. Prior to this you had to set her off walking, run ahead to the mounting block and leap on as she went past and as soon as you were on she would be off at trot.
When she had been a Wembley pony in the 80s, the rider had to be thrown on while she cantered around in circles.

She was only 14.1 however, I would not fancy that with something 16.2!

I assume saddle and back have been checked as Well?
 
Thank you for your reply, yes I do have an instructor, he gets very annoyed at my horse when he walks off so he is a massive help when I get on but he's not going to be there every time I ride, thank you for the advice about the bit
 
Thank you for the advice lulup yes we had a saddle fitted when I first bought him and his back is fine, I will definitely try the things mentioned thank you
 
Thank you for the advice, personally I thing getting on the fly wouldn't help my situation as I'm trying my best to teach him that he must stand as I mount and walk off when I ask him to however I will definitely try with my instructor to resolve the issue, with bit in my opinion I feel like a "more harsh" bit would actually be better for him instead of me constantly yanking him in the mouth with the snaffle he has now, he leans on my hands particularly jumping and I've heard the Waterford is good for this thank you
 
Yes I am prepared to put the work in and yes I will start with someone holding him until he gets the "message" I suppose, his saddle and back have been checked yes, thanks our the advice scats
 
It is one of those maddening things .Particularly with Irish horses . The riders who first break them are usually the kind of people who simply vault onto a horse from the ground .No stirrups or standing involved . Sadly this aspect is rather lacking and causes problems for us mere mortals .I was lucky with my 17.2 ID .I once climbed onto a quite large mounting block .He did no more than follow me up and push me off the top (presumably for hesitating at what was clearly a drop fence,LOL. My resultant fall shocked him so much that literally from that moment on he has always stood like a lamb at the mounting block .Strange creatures horses! IF I thought your horse was a rogue I would say get rid of ,but fortunately such horses are rare .Horses are kind and gentle creatures who give far more than they ask for . And if we encounter a problem ,the trick is to approach it from a different direction that they can "Get"
 
So mine isnt as bad as yours (she never gallops off) but she's always had a thing about not standing perfectly still to mount. She used to fuss about when I tried to line her up with the mounting block then as soon as I got on she'd be off walking straight away. She's much better now but I had to work at it. With her, I would spend ages waiting for her to stand quietly by the block - so I wouldnt tell her off (that'd just get her more worked up) but Id just calmly keep repositioning her until she got bored and stood still then Id give her a reward (in my case, it was a polo and telling her how good she was). Then I'd put my foot in the stirrup and again if she started moving about Id quietly keep trying again until she stood nicely (then she'd get a polo). Only when she was standing nicely with my foot in the stirrup would I then get on. Then again when she stood still and waited I'd give her a polo. So I broke the stages down and rewards when she was good (and ignored when she was fussing about). When at events, she was generally a bit worse - she would woosh off as soon as I was half on sometimes. I learnt that getting someone to hold her actually made her worse. I make her stand until my bum is in the saddle then I do let her walk off immediately, it keeps her happy and its not worth the argument as I dont see an issue with it really especially when she's good at home now. Some horses IMO need to get moving, my last horse was cold backed so he had to be allowed to move or he could really stressed out. Its different if the horse is tanking off though obviously, but Id still break it all down into stages and do lots of rewarding so he gets the idea.

You mentioned getting his back and teeth checked but have you had a second opinion on his saddle? Dont just take one fitters word for it, twice now Ive had "professional" fitters fit saddles to my horses and they've been then had issues and been told by another saddler they were dreadful and were not suited to the horse at all... Worth ruling out.
 
As others have said, you need to teach the horse to stand. By that I mean that once you've taught it, you can say 'stand', drop the reins, and walk away with the horse remaining still. I always teach this away from the mounting block first - it's not a mounting issue, it's a manners thing.

Also, please take care that you're not accidentally cueing the behaviour - e.g. toe nudge to the horse's side, tense rein contact etc.

I have used a loose ring Waterford for hunting on a young horse who used to grab the bit, stick his head up in the air, and bomb off. Horse in question doesn't need it now after more schooling. Your instructor is the person best placed to suggest a bit to suit both you and your horse, being the person who can actually see what's happening.
 
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