Safest way of dismounting from a very tall horse?

[Wiz201]

My share horse is 17 hands, so I often find dismounting is worse than mounting him! He's a good boy and stands still for mounting/dismounting, in fact I can leave him standing in the yard whilst I untack him and not bother tying him up unless I'm going to leave him.
Anyway, so far I've had a graze on my belly today from lying across the saddle and sliding down, then I was at risk of falling as I dropped to the ground (six foot!) as gravity takes over. I usually use a solid wooden mounting block but it was blocked off by a caravan. Hopefully that'll be moved so I might try dismounting onto that. Any other ideas?

 

[Arniebear]

how tall are you?? my lad is round about 17hh he was 16.3hh 10 months ago and i dont dare re measure him but i swear he has grown!! I'm 5ft4 and sometimes find swinging your leg over the front so when you slide down your back is against the saddle is a bit easier... i tend to do this if its cold.... hurts the feet less when they hit the concrete! otherwise i just brace and wait for the floor! ohhh and bend your knees so something can absorb the shock!

sorry that wasnt much help!! one thing i would suggest thou is dont try falling off.... its a long way down!

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

What exactly is your problem? Altitude sickness, or do you struggle with pain or balance when landing?

I had a couple of lessons recently on a massive dressage schoolmistress, and the first time I dismounted I landed neatly on my feet and then toppled backwards and landed on my bum! Who needs credibility anyway? It was just the inordinate amount of time it took between leaving the saddle and actually landing on the ground.

I would recommend pushing away very slightly as you start to descend so that you land a couple of inches away from the horse and avoid the belly graze scenario, and always bend your knees slightly before you land. I suspect you just need a bit of practise, like I did.

 

[w1bbler]

Parachute?

 

[RobinHood]

I've just backed a 17.something hh horse when usually the biggest I ride is 15hh. I found it too far to just drop down to the floor with a previously broken foot but I also didn't like dropping down onto the mounting block when I couldn't see it (at the lying over horse but not sitting up stage).

Now the horse and I are more practised I'm dismounting onto our specially raised permanent mounting block which is almost at stirrup height so no drop. We just added another section to it for ginormous horses!

 

[Ibblebibble]

instead of lying across the saddle, support your weight with your hands on the pommel and cantle and push yourself away slightly, it really is no different to dismounting from 15hh, it's just in your mind that it's a really long way down so you tense and dismount awkwardly. I'm 5'6 and my girl is 17hh, my biggest problem is lifting her saddle up that high!!

 

[Fides]

I'm only 5ft1 and when I used to hack my friend's 17h3 I found the best way was to swing over and push off in one smooth movement and when landing, making sure I bent my knees to take the impact. Occasionally I landed on my bum...

Getting on I used one of these

http://www.ekmpowershop17.com/ekmps/shops/tipples61/easy-mount-stirrup-extender-1029-p.asp

These breakaway stirrups (other than being in twee colours) are quite good in that they double as an extender

 

[Marydoll]

Im 5ft4 and one of my horses is 18hands, the first time i dismounted i nearly fell on my bum, but i usually dismount by swinging my leg over and pushing myself forward so im more sliding down his shoulder,then im not getting caught in stirrups etc

 

[Fides]

Forgot the link for the breakaway ones

http://jamessaddlery.com.au/products-page/tack/smartrider-breakaway-stirrups/

 

[Brightbay]

Im 5ft4 and one of my horses is 18hands, the first time i dismounted i nearly fell on my bum, but i usually dismount by swinging my leg over and pushing myself forward so im more sliding down his shoulder,then im not getting caught in stirrups etc

^^^ This is what I do too (17hh and 5'6"). It's not so much the distance to the ground, it's the likelihood of catching my clothes on stirrups as I pass on the way down I also have quite a high cantle saddle, which doesn't help!

The ideal is to dismount onto a block. I also make sure horse is standing downhill of where I intend to land!

 

[Auslander]

Alf is 17.1hh, and although I'm tall, my ankles and knees are a bit dodgy, so i have to get off very carefully! I don't get off on concrete - luckily we have a grass quadrangle in the middle of the yard, so I use that, and lower myself very carefully. If its cold and my joints hurt, i get off on the muck heap!

 

[Wiz201]

instead of lying across the saddle, support your weight with your hands on the pommel and cantle and push yourself away slightly, it really is no different to dismounting from 15hh, it's just in your mind that it's a really long way down so you tense and dismount awkwardly. I'm 5'6 and my girl is 17hh, my biggest problem is lifting her saddle up that high!!

I think its in my mind really. I'm not scared of the height until its time to get off. Unfortunately with being 16 - 17 stone it was hard to find an owner that didn't suck through their teeth and shake their head at the thought of me riding on a 15hh cob. I'll try the wooden mounting block next time if the caravan is moved hopefully.

Im 5ft4 and one of my horses is 18hands, the first time i dismounted i nearly fell on my bum, but i usually dismount by swinging my leg over and pushing myself forward so im more sliding down his shoulder,then im not getting caught in stirrups etc

That's a good idea, I'll try that. I did dismount on the gravelly bit of the yard but I suppose another idea would be to do it in the menage as the ground is even softer etc. or I could cross the stirrups over his neck?

 

[Wiz201]

I'm 5 ft 4 inches tall, so if my weight was somewhere nearer 14 stone like it was three years ago, a 15hh cob would have been fine.

 

[Red-1]

I train big (17hh min) horses, and we use the "military dismount". You keep the left stirrup, put your right hand onto the top of the knee roll to take your weight, swing the right leg over, and as you release your right hand you step smartly down.

Before anyone says it strains the saddle, I can do this with the girth already undone 2 holes, so if you co-ordinate properly it is smooth. The left foot in the stirrup just controls your descent.

IMO dismounting by facing backwards is not safe, what would happen if the horse moved smartly forwards? With the military dismount you have the reins controlled in your left hand. You pause once your right leg is over, with rein contact, and as you step down it is smooth and quick.

 

[blood_magik]

my big lad is 17.3 and I'm only 5'5.
Push away from the saddle as you drop down so you don't get caught on the stirrup or breastplate clips. Easiest to jump off instead of slide down - I find I tend to lose my balance more if I try to slide down.

 

[WindyStacks]

I'm 5'4", my horse is 17.2hh and I have what the conformation experts might term "powerful hindquarters". Ahem.

It's just one movement, lean forward, left hand grabs a bit of mane and holds reins, right hand on offside of saddle (no weight, just balance) and I spring away and off.

The only time I've ever tried "slipping down" with my yummy against the saddle was just after a c-section and my stitches banged - never again.

I'm a 38gg cup. I'm not built for a graceful slide, simple mechanics will tell you my shelf will get caught and I'll fall on my bum. I NEED to push away.

 

[Apercrumbie]

I will admit that in winter when it is really cold I dismount onto the mounting block and my horse is only 16hh! Until the mounting block is moved, find a softer landing spot and maybe slide off the wrong way round.

 

[Tnavas]

I'm 5ft4 and sometimes find swinging your leg over the front so when you slide down your back is against the saddle

Very, very dangerous way to dismount, should the horse move as you do so you are likely to fall backwards onto your back and head with nasty consequences!

OP, I have a similar problem but mine is my knees hurt if I plop off. I leave my left foot in the stirrup, stand and bring my right leg over, then using my arms to lift myself enough to remove my left foot, I can slide with more dignity to the ground without hurting myself.

 

[Wiz201]

I find it a very strange concept to swing my right leg over the front, I know he's a good boy but I can't rely on that all the time, so I find it safer to dismount the correct way. I'll try it on the wooden mounting block.

 

[flirtygerty]

I train big (17hh min) horses, and we use the "military dismount". You keep the left stirrup, put your right hand onto the top of the knee roll to take your weight, swing the right leg over, and as you release your right hand you step smartly down.

Before anyone says it strains the saddle, I can do this with the girth already undone 2 holes, so if you co-ordinate properly it is smooth. The left foot in the stirrup just controls your descent.

IMO dismounting by facing backwards is not safe, what would happen if the horse moved smartly forwards? With the military dismount you have the reins controlled in your left hand. You pause once your right leg is over, with rein contact, and as you step down it is smooth and quick.

This,I have a dodgy right hip and a damaged left knee, so dismounting can be difficult, this way, I call it the western dismount, it solves the problem

 

[Crabby]

Same here.. Lessons on a 17+ and I don't notice the height whilst I'm on.. But getting down is complicated by my damaged right shoulder which means I can't push down and take my weight to swing off properly. End of lesson usually finds me lying across his shoulders and sliding down. Good job he's a saint of a horse I tried the foot in stirrup dismount once ( just after I'd damaged my shoulder ) and my left leg shot forwards and I almost landed on my butt.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Please don't get off by throwing leg over pommel and dropping down with your back to the horse. I know someone who did that for years until one morning the horse chucked his head up. The rider was flipped off backwards on the offside of the horse and landed head first on the concrete.

Now this is how to do it - my version for us elderly, broken or both horsey fossils.

Arrive back at yard and take feet out of irons, do lots of flexing the ankles, take knees up a bit and wiggle them.
Throw stick on floor to avoid poking one in the eye.
Undo any clothing that is zipped up the front - you don't want to get caught up on the absail descent and be found hanging by boobs tangled in the hi-viz.
Lean forward in the hope the rigid hips might spring back into life. Sit up and reassess that everything is coming back to life. Please note the horse will probably need a haynet by this stage so probably advisable to have one hanging on the yard wall. Do not do the above by an open stable door, being swept off backwards is not elegant and the wait in A and E will be annoying.

Now we are warmed up and loosened off, it is time to swing you leg over the cantle - note OVER.....takes practice and getting it wrong is embarrassing and will need help to right, ie a shove up the bum to right oneself - not ladylike.

We are at the point of no return now, left hand firmly knotted into the mane - note to self, hogging the mare was not a good idea was it ?, thankfully it has grown back. Gracefully push yourself away from the saddle and grab right boob with right hand to protect it from the recent surgery. Land lightly and smile - ok ok, thud to floor, cursing gently whilst waiting for joints to stop screaming, lean against horse for 10 minutes whilst the pain subsides and the horse can be put away.

Go to work sit at desk for the morning and wonder why people ask you if you have a bad back when you creak your way to the ladies.

 

[Nicnac]

^^^ Brilliant AA!

Alternatively you could teach your horse to gracefully kneel whilst you dismount....

 

[Shantara]

I have similar problems, but that's due to old war wounds (falling off a horse). I sometimes ride some big horses at work and I dread getting off them, it's why I love my 15.1 Neddy! have read this thread with interest

 

[scrat]

Thank you AA for that. I have recently returned to the saddle for some gentle hacking and all is fine but I just cannot get off in any elegant fashion. Getting on from stirrup hight mounting block is easy as I just swing my leg over. Dismounting is a real ordeal as patient cob stands waitng for me to get on with it. I am the wrong side of fifty so definatlly creaky and the menopausal roll of fat round my middle doesn't help. I just cannot swing my leg over the back of the saddle without getting hooked onto the cantle. I have resorted to swinging my leg over the front with someone holding him but I will take your advise AA and limber up a bit and shove cobby in front of a haynet while I plan my descent. I can get someone to shove my leg over the back but I think its the accompanying pain as I scrape past the saddle that I fear most. My old horse was 17 hh, this one is only 15.2 so theres no hope.

 

[deb_l222]

Oh my life AdorableAlice!! That's the best laugh I've had in ages as I'm sat here with my gimpy ankle throbbing like a big throbby thing.

I get back from a ride and say to Tommy "don't worry I won't be long" as I sit there flexing and wiggling my foot until I can find the courage to hit the deck from 18hh. He just stands there bless him, probably thinking "crack on I want my tea".

 

[cptrayes]

I swing forward and put my left armpit over the horse's wither, swing right leg over the cantle and hang from left armpit until I am ready for cold feet to meet concrete and slide down shoulder facing backwards towards the tail.

 

[TheresaW]

I have broken my left ankle three times, it is weak. A couple of years ago, in a drunken moment, I decided to take the dog for a walk. Not my proudest moment. I fell over several times, and seriously injured both ankles. Idiot that I am, I never got them checked out, but that is by the by. Didn't ride for a few weeks, then when I did, was very scared to get off my 16.1h. Made him walk into the muck heap, which he did like the perfect gent, dropped off very gently into it.

 

[Crabby]

I've tried getting my RI to help me but she just laughs at me..no respect for the aged and broken huh.! . mind you I'd gotten so used to the long drop now that when I recently dismounted from the 15'2" the ground being so close caught me by surprise and I fell onto my backside

 

[Nari]

That had me in stitches AdorableAlice!

I think sliding or pushing away is personal preference & also depends on how wide the horse is, on my ID it's too easy to land almost underneath him if you slide. I agree with everyone about bending knees & ankles - on cold days time spent wriggling some feeling back into them is time well spent. Land on the balls of your feet not flat footed, try to dismount onto a surface with some give in it & invest in some riding boots with good underfoot cushioning.