tips to get a horse to stand whilst mounting

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hoir14

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having a bit of an issue with mounting my mare. She will stand perfectly to be mounted if someone is at her head (not even holding her, just stood in front of her face) but if no one is there she will walk backwards or swing her bum out and not let you mount. She used to stand perfectly but the issue started when someone else came to ride and it was windy so was really spooky and she couldn't get on. We have tried all sorts of desensitising work and she doesn't show any signs of being uncomfortable with the mounting block or people standing above her, i think its just her knowing she can get away with it so she does. needless to say everything has been checked, back/teeth etc, just after some hints or tips people may have to get her to stand still
 
One of mine was tricky to get on as a youngster and it was just practice, practice, practice. I used to have some-one standing by his shoulder on the opposite side to me with a hand on his neck (but not holding the reins as that just made him worse). Once I was on he got a polo from me - never the person on the ground. Some days it was a case of getting on, giving him the polo, walking a 20 metre circle, getting off and repeating, often up to 10 times. Now at 18 he will stand at the block but the moment he has taken the polo he is moving off. He is a horse who finds not moving his feet stressful. All my horses now get a polo when you get on and all stand very well at the block
 
Put a mounting block in the corner of your school, yard or field so she can't more side ways or backwards. Start by just standing her next to it then move to leaning over and then getting on and off again. Teaching her to move away for you 'over' and towards you 'come' and to just stand is also helpful. Have you tried mounting from the right side? Sometimes even this is enough to break the habit of stepping to the right to evade.
 
i am sure some of you wont agree but I bribe my horses. I have a bad leg so they have to stand still or I cant get on so I do this with food then have to stand and reward and once I am on they stand till I am ready to move off and I treat again before I move. My 7 yr old mare will stand anywhere like a rock for me to get on
 
I’ve recently just gone through this. My new horse wouldn’t let me get on him. Here are a few things which I did, so hopefully they may help.

At all times, I remained calm. Didn’t let it stress me and wind me up.
Walked quietly to the block, if he rushed past, just walked quietly back. If I was able to stand on the block but then he moved back, I would then just walk him around and back. I just did this over and over so be prepared to spend lots of time.
I also found just taking him up to the block, even when I wasn’t riding him just to get him used to standing next to it helped, then made a fuss of him, Maybe a treat too.
This then progressed to getting on then he moved off so I would jump off and quietly move him back.
We have now got there and he stands still and I always give him a treat when I’m on and ready to go.
I found some of the youtube clips which tell you to move your horses feet if he wouldn’t stand still just made him more agitated and wound up.
 
Train them to ‘stand’ on the ground, when ridden. Both of mine came to be unbroken and both were taught to stand at the mounting block, they also know the word stand and will suddenly stop if walking which I think is a good thing to train. I think it helps I never had anyone to stand with mine, so they were never use to having someone stand at their head as sometimes it can make them worse being use to that person stood at their head.
Definitely took a while with my welsh, he kept moving around and couldn’t get to grips with it but after half an hour just putting him back and asking him to stand every time he moved, he got it very quickly.

You could try treats, never done it that way with mine but it could work.
 
I watched a Richard maxwell video on you tube where he trains the horse to draw to the mounting block. Worked for my pony after months of mounting issues.
 
my old mare used to always walk off immediately when i mounted and i just went with it as the old owner said this was what she had always done. when my hips got really bad i couldnt mount if she walked off so i got my friend to stand by her with a lead rope attached to the bit so she could help to stop her if she walked off while i was halfway on, and she distracted her by giving her a polo always from the off side, after a couple of days the lead rope wasnt necessary and she was standing waiting for her polo and i started giving it from on top always from the off side so she wasnt turning her head inwards to the mounting block......she then was happy to stand still until i told her to move off but i am afraid i kept on with the treats every time i mounted so her behaviour never changed.... i know its not good horsemanship to rely on treats but i was desperate not to get injured and it worked for us..
 
Clicker training worked super for my mare. I broke it down into tiny steps beginning with a click and a treat for just standing still and allowing me to apprach the saddle. Then progressed to click and treat after me touching the stirrup with my hand, then foot in the stirrup, bouncing as if to mount, then weight in stirrup, then finally on board. She used to be awful for mounting but it literally took 15 mins of clicker work to fix the issue. Thereafter, for the next couple of weeks i would always break it into two or three steps every time i mounted and gradually reduced it. That was a couple of years ago. She knows now what is expected and the routine of a single treat once i am up.
Am interested in watching the video others have mentioned though.
 
hoir14 said:
having a bit of an issue with mounting my mare. She will stand perfectly to be mounted if someone is at her head (not even holding her, just stood in front of her face) but if no one is there she will walk backwards or swing her bum out and not let you mount. She used to stand perfectly but the issue started when someone else came to ride and it was windy so was really spooky and she couldn't get on. We have tried all sorts of desensitising work and she doesn't show any signs of being uncomfortable with the mounting block or people standing above her, i think its just her knowing she can get away with it so she does. needless to say everything has been checked, back/teeth etc, just after some hints or tips people may have to get her to stand still
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I had this when I got my ID mare. you led her to mounting block and she would walk forward and sideways etc.

I led her round again and said * stand*, if she moved I would repeat it. Eventually she got the message, every now and then she may fidget, even though it is 2 years later, I still use this method.
 
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