Tips for mounting?!

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Ive recently purchased a new horse she's a 16.2 9yo warmblood. She's amazing to ride and jump once I'm on (if a little hot) however getting on is an issue! Ive tried being firm to start with and that did not go down well! so then I moved on to Parelli methods which are working but very slowwwwwly. Im not looking for a quick fix by any means and Im sure theres a few trust issues there with it being a new partnership, but as soon as i think were getting somewhere, the next time I try to get on it can take up to 30 mins, and i find myself loosing patience. Does anyone have any other tried and tested tricks that have worked for them?!

Thank you!
 

michelledud

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Couple of bits of info we need before we can make any suggestions...What does she do when you try to get on exactly??
Do you know if her saddle fits well and her back is okay?
xxx
 

YorksG

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How are you getting on, do you always use a block, do you ensure that she stands next to the block before you get on, do you keep her at the block whie you sort stirrups, tighten girth etc, rather than just letting her walk off as soon as you hit the saddle, do you reward her for standing while you organise yourself?
 

Equi

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Unfortunately its one of those things you have to just keep at. If she won't stand, just walk a circle back around to the spot you mount. Continue until she stands. If she moves off when you put the foot in, walk back round. If she moves off when you get in the saddle, walk back around to the spot and ask her to stand again until you are sorted. Wil take a lot of patience. There is no point doing "back ups" "swining carrots" or whatever. Just keep calmly putting her back where you want her and she will get the idea. Its horrifically tedious, but it works.

Of course if shes the type to get to the point of getting very upset being asked to go back and stand over and over, you need to start looking at other things.
 
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meesha

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Been I'm your shoes it's soo frustrating. Get back checked as my gelding had sore back from previous owners badly fitting saddle. Then unfortunately it is time and repetition, I used Polo's as a treat once on to stop him moving off. I also tried someone holding him, blocking in with hay bales, you name it.. he was so bad didn't even like me stood on a step by him to groom even with no tack on.

You will get there, practise every day, I am now happy to jump off and use anything to scrabble back on.

Just to add if horse us moving bum away from block I found it worked to have long schooling whip and use the command "over" with light tap on opposite flank to ask him to move bum back over. This helped but only once he'd stopped moving feet....my record was 45 mins to get on, oddly enough though once on he would be fine to RE-mount. I really would get back and saddle checked and even practice without tack the standing at block bit!
 
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CMcC

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I am the least patient person in the world. But unfortunately patience is what you need.
Echo others, assuming back, saddle etc all checked and ok just keep lining horse up to mounting block (assume you are using block) when horse moves away return her to the block, if possible do this without getting off the block yourself, repeat as many times as possible. I did start giving a treat when I was on but created a bit of a monster who refused to move until treat received so have stopped that now!
This does work, it does take time and you need to accept some days that you will end up not having time to ride but just her standing still will be an achievement. I tired to think of it as if I spent a few 30-45 minutes sessions staying calm and persistent to get on over the next 10 years I would save 1,000s of hours!
 
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When I got her she was 5 stage vetted and apparently just had the chiropractor, so I think her back is fine although she is booked in with my phisio just to double check. Saddle fits perfectly so I don't think there's a problem there. I firstly used the mounting block and she seems to be worse there, I don't know if it's an associated habit with the mounting block? The lady I got out with the natural horsemanship/parelli techniques said to take her in the school with a grooming box and bringing her to the box, rather than the box to her. Every time she stands in the right place I reward her and keep doing it in in till she's calm and I can get on without her either moving or shooting off once I'm on! That's what we've been doing so far 😊 Sorry probably should have said all that to start with, but trying not to waffle too much, ha!
 

smja

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Does she know the command 'stand', away from a mounting situation? That's the first thing I teach, so they understand what I want when I put them next to a box and tell them to stand.
 

Limbo1

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I had a bad mounter. He had been a teenagers horse and the father had always been there to hold him etc. So when held at a block he was fine but on your own he just moved/walked off etc. I had to balance carrots on the fence by the block for the first 6 months till he got the idea, there was lots of repositioning and repetition. He was also 17.2 so even from a block was a bit of a leap! To be honest you couldn't do much with out treats in the early days!
 

Brownmare

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I bought a horse who was sold specifically because he was bad to mount! I spent a few sessions not expecting to ride but just training the correct behaviour for mounting. First I gave a treat as soon as he stopped next to the block then I started delaying this gradually longer, only rewarding a solid stand. Then I started stepping back then to the side etc until I was able to walk right round him without him moving - basically programming a solid Stand. Only then did I get on the mounting block (and he started swinging his bum away) so we reverted to previous stage for a bit then only gave the teeat when I could lean over the saddle and give it from the far side. Once we had that established I could get on and only reward once on board. Then started randomly rewarding during the ride (to cement positive associations as this was the reason he didn't want you to actually get on!). Now he just gets a reward at the end of a ride and I can park him next to any random object while I clamber on :)
 

Cortez

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I have a tie ring at my mounting block. Anything that has no manners is tied for mounting, with an easily unclipped from the saddle snap.
 

Brightbay

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I bought a horse who was sold specifically because he was bad to mount! I spent a few sessions not expecting to ride but just training the correct behaviour for mounting. First I gave a treat as soon as he stopped next to the block then I started delaying this gradually longer, only rewarding a solid stand. Then I started stepping back then to the side etc until I was able to walk right round him without him moving - basically programming a solid Stand. Only then did I get on the mounting block (and he started swinging his bum away) so we reverted to previous stage for a bit then only gave the teeat when I could lean over the saddle and give it from the far side. Once we had that established I could get on and only reward once on board. Then started randomly rewarding during the ride (to cement positive associations as this was the reason he didn't want you to actually get on!). Now he just gets a reward at the end of a ride and I can park him next to any random object while I clamber on :)


Nice work, BrownMare :)
 

Auslander

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I did very similar to Brownmare with my lad, who came to me with a reputation for taking off broncing when people got on. He now stands like a rock, and the only issue we have is that he won't move until he's had his treat! It's also quite difficult to tighten the girth, as his nose gets in the way!
 

blitznbobs

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With a difficult mounter there are 2 techniques I've found to work no 1 is the quickest but it involved having someone who can vault on... (This is not me) and basically vaulting in and off the horse til it gets bored... This works brilliantly as running off doesn't prevent the mount but involves athletic ability which many , me included , do not have.
2 is the way I employ these days . I start again with a simple stand at the block. Reward, and repeat by circling umpteen times. Then when this is secure stand next to horse on block . Reward get off block lead horse round about 100 times ... Until mind numbing Borden sets in for both of you... Then stick foot in stirrup and make a decision if u r getting on or not ... If not take foot out and circle and repeat til halt at block with foot in stirrup is boring too... This in my experience has never taken long ... Then I get in and off umpteen times ...

With my difficult horse this didn't take longer than an couple of hours and he stands like a rock now.
 

shirerosie

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Our horse took off with my dad and broke 3 of his ribs as he fell onto the road and was then funny to mount after, and part of his problem was that he was blind in his left eye but only half of it, so now he is being trained right from the start as if he is being broken in, patting the saddle, leaning on him, putting weight on the stirrup etc. which takes a good 20-30 mins, but something that he really works well with is when someone is stood in front of him while I am mounting, as it acts a sort of reassurance thing and he knows that someone is going to get on him. It does take me a while to mount but then I think that it is better to do it properly than rush it and make a bigger mess.
 

stormox

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With difficult ones I put them in a corner so they can't move. Arse up against wall, far side against wall, leave enough room for leg. Reins tight enough to stop forward movement and get on off a mounting block. Once they realise they can't make it awkward for you they usually just stand. Give a treat once your up. Also sometimes you can fool them by mounting from the wrong side. It's just persistence really.
 

Theocat

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Mine started rushing forward shortly after I got her - compounded by me tensing up when she did, which she interpreted as a signal to move (can't blame her!)

I started by rewarding for standing at the block - circle, repeat, circle, repeat. Once that was nailed, I would shove a treat in, get on and treat immediately. Get off, repeat, steadily increasing the time before I treat once on board.

I still use treats to mount - she stands like a rock ever since about the second day of working on it, but as my confidence is very low, I'm going on the basis that if it's working, don't change it! It's also good for both of us to have the treat process to focus on if we're out and about and feeling a bit wound up. She doesn't get muggy, so it isn't doing any harm even if the purists would raise their eyebrows :D
 
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