Standing still to mount !

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JJtheJetPlane

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Anyone got any tips to help cure this very annoying problem !! My horse is very clever and when she sees the mounting block she swings her bum over to evade me getting on ..failing that she moves backwards when i am actually on the mounting block !! So today i have had a session in the school..making her stand just next to the box..Then stand with me on the box ..if she moves i get off the box and put her back where she should stand !! Its very very frustrating..But in the end she did stand for me to get on and then stood till i asked her to walk on ..Are there any better methods ??
As no doubt tomorrow we will have to go through it all again !! I have let her get into a bad habit and im determined to sort it out !!

Many thanks
 
Belle started doing this but everytime she moved back, I just stopped and walked her to the block again. Just kept doing this until she stood still and now she seems to understand (didn't take long). Not sure of any other methods I'm afraid!
 
Arnie was doing this (the swinging out of the bum really irritates me!!). I started to use a non fixed mounting block and when he moved away, I stayed up on the mounting block and walked him around it (me staying still and him doing all the work) Got him back in to position and tried again. I repeated this until he was sick of walking around in circles!

I don't know if this is the 'right' way to go about dealing with this behaviour but it worked for us.
 
i had this problem with Connor my instructor recommended i get a plastic mounting block and everytime he moved away pick the block up and put it next to him so he got the message where he went the block went to, i never got round to getting the block as i started using my grooming box instead have to say it worked a treat for him not sure if it will help for you though XD
 
I have the same problem with my gelding; I've found that putting the mounting block quite near a wall helps. It means there is a gap between the block and the wall, a 'tunnel' for the horse to walk through. This way, he can't swing his bum out to the side because there is a wall in the way! As soon as my horse is standing still I mount up, or even just put one foot in the stirrup, then get off and reward him. This way he learns that mounting up isn't always a bad thing!:D
 
My horse started doing this when his saddle started pinching, so sorry if it's already been said or your've done it, check for pain.

But...it now has become habit and as above I just move the plastic mounting block so he is parrellel to the fence/wall and just make him wait till I'm ready. You may find that they will go forward or backwards but If he moves, I just reposition him and start again. Sometimes I have to walk him on and round the mounting block but I just stay on it so he knows he can't knock me off!

I feel your pain, it is very infuriating! But I still love him! : o )
 
Not really no, you've more or less answered your own question, time and patience I'm afraid, your horse will learn that moveing away from the block will not get him his own way if he as to keep going back to it, like you said, practice leading him up to the box, standnig and YOU asking him to move away before he makes it his decision, plenty of ground work around the mouting block, then when he stands, practice drawing your strirrup down, again making him stand, but you don't have to get on at this point.

You'll get there eventually.
 
Its frustrating but you are doing the right thing.

My friend gives a treat to her horse when she is on-he always turns his head round and looks to her 'I've been a good boy'!

Agree with others-if its a new thing, check the saddle etc.

Some horses go through some 'cheeky stage' regardless of anything hurting though!

Just reward for when she stands still and you get on!

Good luck
 
Thanks guys ...there are some useful tips there ..i had thought about perhaps giving her a little treat once she did stand still for me to get on ..she is very much food orientated so it will make it more if a reward for her when she does good !! Ill up date in a week hopefully i will see some improvement as taking an hour to get on my horse is not much fun !! lol
 
I had this with my quirky and troublesom mare when I first bought her. In the end my hubby dropped a quarry dumper/tractor type tyre in the yard for me, he put a board over it to cover the hole and I stood on that. Everytime she walked away, she had to move in a circle around it and then of course, she came right back to where she'd started from, "snigger"

Pointless really, so she gave up in the end;)
 
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There was actually a nice article about this in Your Horse the month before last - Richard Maxwell working with a horse that did the same thing (or bolted off). Aside from solving the behavioural issue, he also pointed out physical reasons why a horse might evade being mounted.

Not much help without the article though..sorry.
 
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