standing still [i]after[/i] mounting....

[jenbleep]

i know someone posted something similar about standing still when mounting.....well the horse i ride does stand still for mounting but when im sat on him and doing my girth etc he starts to walk off! i dont want to jab him in the mouth (its a complex i have!) so what little tricks could i do to stop him walking off?

he stands still for mounting, and i always make sure i dont poke him in the side when getting on. its just when im sat still on him he moves!

xx

 

[skye123]

me and my horse have to do four laps of the mounting block before i can get on

thought it may be her back but we`ve had it checked and no problems so think she might just being awkard

 

[Sal_E]

Assume it's just impatience rather than discomfort/fear - i.e. he wanders off rather than shoots off?

If so, initally you could mount with him facing a fence - i.e. in a corner - as long as you have contact on the outside rein, he has knowhere to go.

Other than that, you can be firm without jabbing him. You can pull him up & firmly use your voice without jabbing...

 

[cazza]

It's not because you are overgirthing is it? with our horses we will girth them loosley, walk them round girth them up and then walk them off again and then get on. We usually find if they are over girthed they will not stand still once on board (at this point I usually bale out - as this is usually followed by a bucking fit) so a quick loosen then sorts it out. We ride in western saddles so you can't really tighten the girth when you are on board.

 

[Baldybear]

Polos are great or any other small treats! One of our mares would not stand still when you mounted or tried doing your girth up/adjusting stirrups but a polo was given once mounted if pony stood still, started of with person on ground holding her and gradually progressed from their!
Wonderful thing bribery!

 

[jenbleep]

thnaks for all your advice! and yes Sal_E he doesn't shoot off he wanders off! he has a very bad habit of when we are standing still he paws the ground. can be quite impatient xx

 

[buzzles]

Give him a polo or some grass when you get up, I did this with a 4 year old who used to shoot forwards as soon as you swung your leg over. I think he must've had some bad experience with people banging down on his back or poking him as they got up, he came from a dealers so I don't know his history. Anyway he now stands perfectly still and as soon as I'm on his back he looks around to me for a treat, he's now so relaxed that I've weaned him off treats and he gets a rub on his head or a pat and he moves off when I tell him to.

 

[jenbleep]

ooohh thats a good one thanks xx

 

[Llwyncwn]

I used polo' too. One as I get on the mounting block, then the other when I have feet in stirrups. Wait for varying amounts of time each time, then a walk on with lots of praise.

 

[Fantasy_World]

It has been interesting to read this as my lad has the same problem with wandering off as you mount and when on a hack alone and you try to tighten a loose girth he will wander then as well. I have to admit that I got pretty frightened last week as I had one hand on his left side girth strap and the other on some long western reins and as I was trying to tighten ( as I have a problem with saddle slips) he went to trot on and I had no control. I could not let go of either as saddle may have spun ( have experienced this before years ago at a riding school when a helper let go of girth and I fell straight onto concrete, ouch). He was heading towards a gateway which has wooden blocks you have to step over on the bridle way and I could not pull him up. To be honest I was concerned about him barging me through a gap and knocking me off as I had one side of my body leant towards the girth strap and the other hand trying to hold onto 6ft tied reins

Luckily there were some people on the track and I asked them to catch him for me which they did so I could finally fasten his girth again as I could not get it in a hole, any hole lol.
It was pretty frightening for me I don't feel foolish admitting that either, speaking from someone who lost their confidence around 5 years ago ( after a frightening fall in a riding school) and only last year hacked out alone for the first time ever.
I know people say to walk around yard etc and then tighten which I do but he is very cunning and will blow out so the girth does work loose. I invested in one of those rydair anti slip pads and it has worked wonders and I managed to win another the other day in a job lot which is saddle shaped which will be better as he is such a huge horse it is hard to know if the pad is on straight.
I have since swopped his reins back to ordinary rubber grip ones but they are in full size, can you get extra full size reins as he does have a long neck and the reason I used the western type was so I could relax when riding and give him his head. I don't like to see horses ridden on a tight rein to be honest ( unless necessary) and the western ones allowed me to ride relaxed but they were heavy and perhaps too long to ride with conventional english tack.
I will try the polo trick though as it sounds like a good idea as he is food/treat motivated.
Cazx