Training horse to stand still as you mount...???

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aradiagreen

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Hi,

This sounds like such a stupid question but how would you go about teaching a young horse to stand still while you mount?

My 4yr old cob will not stand still as I mount. This is not too much of a problem if you mount from the ground as he only takes a few steps and you can hop and still mount (not ideal I know!). But recently I've had no car and had to cycle over and ride bareback. This means mounting from fence/bench/post etc. (& I have no spring to vault on!!!).

He was ok at first but soon learnt that swinging his bum away from me stopped me getting on. Now he also moves forwards or backwards, swings his bum either way and yesterday used his head to knock me off the post I was balancing on!

So its back to basics. I have a small plastic step to use which makes it easier. I keep leading him up, giving him a pat, go to mount, he moves....start all over again! After 15min he usually gives up and stands nicely. Once I'm on its usually taken so long I really don't want to get off again and keep training as I'm left with no time to ride. Yesterday my friend came to help but he was MUCH worse when she tried to hold him and started running about and barging her.

He is a very stubborn pony and I really think he's just doing it because he can!

Any tips? Its been 6 months now and he has not improved AT ALL. I'm very patient and keep bringing him back and starting again but feel like I'm missing something! I really don't think its a pain issue but just a naughty pony!

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and any suggestions would be great:o
 
BTW I have been just riding straight off once I've mounted and realise that this will have contributed to my own problem! I am now making him stand for 30sec or so once I've mounted...
 
Dedicate a long time to starting the training which is you put him back every time. You don't get on. Just make him stand. And yes I stand still for thirty seconds before moving off. I also do random 30 second stops when out hacking because she is a seriously impatient wleshie!!

You can never give in once you start ie they must stand still to be mounted. Boring but worth it in the end.

I also do pressure halter ground work whiich I think helps.
 
Am going through similar at moment with green horse but mine is improving - few tips on things I have tried which have helped:-

Do you have a wall/fence you can put him against so that he is limited on where he can move around? A corner would be even better? This works well for mine particularly if someone holds him though I see you tried that!

I started off taking my step into the stable and standing up on it to groom as if I was going to mount, leaning over and patting on the other side, generally just making it a "normal" thing for me to be standing there - initially he was a bit perturbed by me doing this but now ignores me and stands still.

Edited to add now that I see I cross posted, I always make him stand once I've mounted for a minute or so
 
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I used to ride a cob who did the same thing. I found once I was on, making him stand and then giving him a polo, hopping off, getting back on and doing the same thing, had it sorted pretty quickly. I know not everyone agrees with bribery as a training method but it worked well for us!
 
Have you tried putting a pole parallel to your horse when you get on - it may stop him swinging out so much?

My young Nf was a nightmare to mount initially, as he would either try to jog off or swing himself around. He was worse if there was someone trying to hold him.

I spent a few sessions in hand user a clicker and a treat just practising getting him to stand next to a mounting block, then progressing to standing next to the block whilst I stood on top of it. Then, progressing to mounting him and dismounting - each time getting a click and treat for standing still.

He still gets a treat for standing each time I get on him now - but he is brilliant now and is quite happy to stand whilst I faff with girth and stirrups if need be.

I found clicker training really helpful - as the click is the recognition of what you wanted at that precise moment, as it doesn't matter if the treat is a few seconds later (especially in the winter, when you are fumbling with gloves and a pocket to get the treat out :D)
 
For the bum swinging, just give him a tap on the right hip if he starts to move away, don't let him go forwards; make him step to the left. For the bogging off, you'll just have to be firm and not LET him. If he's barging through a handler on the ground, get a stud chain and USE IT. Basic manners; rude pony.
 
My young Arab boy did this. I spent a long time (over the winter when he was really on holidays :)) getting him to stay standing still when I stood alongside him. Then I started standing on a bucket and asking him to stay still - I did both of these in the stable. When I brought him back into work, we then did the same outside. If he moved I would put him back where I wanted and start again. I gradually built up through putting my foot up to the stirrup, then into the stirrup, then putting weight in the stirrup. Again if he moved I put him back alongside bucket /mounting block and started again. I gradually built him up to getting right on. A few times with getting right on I had someone on thr ground but mainly was me on my own

With someone on the ground, with a lunge line, I started off having them stood right by his head, then got them to move further away once we mastered each distance away. Once I could get on him, ride a circle in walk, get off and get back on with the ground person not moving in from the circle, I then moved to getting on, on my own!!

Sounds horribly long winded and I hope I've explained clearly, but he was a star after that. It is a time, slowly slowly catchy monkey thing - well it certainly was with my special needs boy. And I rather the moving when getting on, than those who try to run off when you dismount!! ;)
 
Deseado said:
For the bum swinging, just give him a tap on the right hip if he starts to move away, don't let him go forwards; make him step to the left. For the bogging off, you'll just have to be firm and not LET him. If he's barging through a handler on the ground, get a stud chain and USE IT. Basic manners; rude pony.
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But, if the horse is young and hasn't been taught basic manners when mounting - then how can you expect the horse to just know?

I will admit, if my NF pony now tries to barge when being mounted - he does get a tap on the chest as I know he now knows and this is suffice to remind him of his manners. Or, if he is determined to move - then I making him walk a pirouette, he soon remembers it is easier to just stand.

But, if I had been all whip and all chain from the off-set, without breaking down what was expected of him and making the right thing easy for him, then I would have just been setting myself up for a battle of physical strength. With an opinionated strong pony, I'd have lost :D

Also, another things - I assume that the saddle has been checked to ensure it is not pinching when you are getting on? And that you aren't accidentally poking him in the side with your foot? Sounds obvious, but worth checking none the less.
 
He needs to learn to stand still away from the mounting situation. And by still I mean mind still, not gawping about, not trying too graze/chew posts properly still.

Then introduce the mounting block, stand on it/sit on it and he stands with you, STILL, rewards with a rub/good boy etc walk away do something else and repeat. Then put one foot in the stirrup whilst he stands still.Take it off, put it back etc etc. Get on sit for a bit, yawning and deep breathing, get off on the block, repeat repeat repeat. It has to get to the point where its boring for them and they realise the sooner they stand still the quicker they get to move on to something else.
 
Obviously, all horses are different when it comes to this, but what I did with mine was to get someone to hold him and stroke him while I got on from the mounting block for quite a few weeks, then he kind of automatically got the idea, although he did, at first take quite a few steps forward the first few times I got on him without anyone holding him. I just kind of ignored it as he was sort of going "Oh my god, you're on my back!!" and he wouldn't stand still while I did the girth up, so again I got someone to hold him while I did that. I think it took several months before I could get on without him walking off once I'd got on, but he's fine now.
 
Deseado said:
For the bum swinging, just give him a tap on the right hip if he starts to move away, don't let him go forwards; make him step to the left. For the bogging off, you'll just have to be firm and not LET him. If he's barging through a handler on the ground, get a stud chain and USE IT. Basic manners; rude pony.
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I find this so wrong, really this advice could cause the horse to be completely confused, as for the stud chain well words fail me. I have had ex racers that are used to having their jockeys legged up on the move, it takes patience, a high mounting block and a quiet person on the ground to stand them up. Once mounted sit, arrange yourself and then ask your horse to move forward, repeat as many times as needed. I dont think your horse is rude, he just doesnt understand. The most important part is with the man on the ground, they soon learn without bullying.
 
We have a block with steps up the side made out of breeze blocks. Horse walks alongside as you walk up steps and swing leg over as you get to the top. Horse doesn't need to stand and gets used to you getting on.
 
Mine was (still can be!) a git at the block. Use a corner and a helpful friend or a mounting block that you can walk round on top of. Mine is measured to his stirrup for me and has a whole decking square on top so it doesn't matter where I am, as long as his stirrup is in reach, it's doable. It might take a few gos and I'm a perfectionist re his position when I get on, but it works a treat.
 
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aradiagreen said:
BTW I have been just riding straight off once I've mounted and realise that this will have contributed to my own problem! I am now making him stand for 30sec or so once I've mounted...
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This is exactly what I was going to suggest, it helped with ben. Although I have to say the other day every time he moved I kept repeatedly tapping him with the whip firm but not hard, until he moved back to where he should have stood... the second he was there I stopped and praised, this happened three times, on the third time he didn't move again... I then got on and sat there for the count of 20, then got off, then got back on, I repeated this 3 times and then rode off. He has been good as gold since.
 
I give a handfull of carrots before I hop up on the mounting block, know I will be shot down for doing this but for first 2mths it was a bloody nightmare getting up on her, she used to freak the minute I mounted.
 
Three sugar lumps, not two, not four, just three, hop on and away we go. However, when he's just been clipped out comes the fourth :)
 
In my case, with my (more intelligent then me!) youngster and no one to help me. I would use a movable lightweight block to get on and let him walk around it in circles intil he gets fed up and stands still. It didn't take long. :)
 
Dottie said:
In my case, with my (more intelligent then me!) youngster and no one to help me. I would use a movable lightweight block to get on and let him walk around it in circles intil he gets fed up and stands still. It didn't take long. :)
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Yeah, ben was great to mount for a while, then he just started side stepping straight into the lightweight movable mounting block so it was sodding well underneath him no matter how many times i sodding repositioned the damned thing :rolleyes: we got there in the end though ;):p:p
 
You need to take the time it takes......teach your horse to move away from light taps on his hq while you are standing still. Lean over to tap the side away from you so he moves his hq towards you on the block. The instant he does this (even if not far enough) stop, rub and praise. He is not standing because you haven't taught him to do this!! You must make standing still by whatever and all possible mounting blocks, whether a gate or fence or the mudguard of your trailer a very nice thing for him to do!!! Actually it's the first thing I do with my youngsters before I ever get on their backs!!
 
My 4year old does this when you first get on. I think its anticipation of getting on and doing something, he cant handle it haha.

I have been getting someone to give him polos while I get on.

We are down to 1 polo now. Its a pain, but not as bad as the 15min fight I end up having before he gets fed up and lets me get on.

Weird thing is I too, can mount him from the ground without a problem, even out on the hack. Or like the other day I fell off, I had hump n he let me mount at the block with no hassle. Not sure if he was feeling bad, or had just "got over it" by then.

Seems its a common baby thing.
 
My horse used to swing his back end away which made it impossible for me to mount as I have a bad hip - I need to line him up accurately alongside a high mounting block and 'step over' to mount.

What I did was to place a large wheelbarrow a horse width away from the block alongside where his hindquarters would be. I then lead him to where I want him climb the block and get on. It might not work for you but it did for me and it's very simple to do. After a while he didn't need the barrow there.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses. I'll go back to more ground work and standing. I very very rarely have someone else to help or currently a saddle! Or a decent mounting block. If I'm quick I could get on but I need him to stand still patiently. I see a week of back-to-basics training is in order with a massive dollop of patience!
 
Just wanted to thank the people on here who posted advice and tips. I'm not the OP but I found this thread really helpful.

I've tried an alistair mclean technique, using groundwork, lightly tapping on the right side to move the horse over. It did work when I had someone helping me but I tried it twice at home and it didn't work, presumably I wasn't doing it right.

Tried a different tactic last night which was using a mobile mounting block in the school and calmly moving it back into position whenever she moved away. Lots of standing around patiently, stroking her when she stood quietly, working up towards standing on the top of the block and leaning over her, when she stood quietly, I stepped back off again to give her a break.

Did that a few times, ended up getting on with no fuss and get off again. Seemed to be more effective than the whip tapping approach and both of us were calmer doing it.

Will see if she's remembered any of that next time I try it. She's actually better when I get a leg up but don't want to do that so need to put the time in to be able to get on from a step on my own!

Anyway, thanks folks. Any more tips etc would be useful in case this new tactic doesn't do the trick!
 
Easy simple answer - FOOD..!!

my now 5 year old was a nightmare to mount at start of this year when brought back into work, was very worried, back would go up, he would run forward and buck you off and now he stands happy like a statue, peeping at me through the corner of his eye , thinking hurry and get on ;-) - the reason is a treat..!

Get someone to help you , hold him and get on before moving off, bend forward and give him a small treat/sugar lump anything tasty

Over a few weeks he will realise -oh i get a treat if i stand still.

Takes time and patience and make sure you do it every single time and soon you wont need anyone to hold him and he will stand , let you on him and be looking for his treat, i know a few others who have used this with both young horses and old long in the tooth ones and its worked every time.

its something though you willhave to keep up for good, but thats not such a bad thing, my boy takes his treat walks off all relaxed and happy eating it - win win sutiuation :-)
 
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Thanks both. More useful stuff there.

I have to try a variation of those as I don't always have people around to help. Lud - I also have to start from a stage before then as it's the getting on bit that we are having trouble with. Need to be able to do that before I can give the treat when I'm on board, if you know what I mean. If I give her a treat before I get on, she fidgets even more.

I suppose I'm trying a solo version of Starzaan (well, that's the plan anyway!) and will see how we go.
 
Bernster said:
Thanks both. More useful stuff there.

I have to try a variation of those as I don't always have people around to help. Lud - I also have to start from a stage before then as it's the getting on bit that we are having trouble with. Need to be able to do that before I can give the treat when I'm on board, if you know what I mean. If I give her a treat before I get on, she fidgets even more.

I suppose I'm trying a solo version of Starzaan (well, that's the plan anyway!) and will see how we go.
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You should be fine with adapting what I do to work for one person. You may have to spend longer on the initial stage of getting your horse to stand when asked, but I'm sure you could achieve the same results without an extra person to help you. Good luck! If you want any advice, feel free to pm me.
 
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