Tricky Mounters - Any advice?!

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mischamoo

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Has anyone got any tips to teach a horse to stand while mounting? My current ex-racer is a dream so not had to experience this before but newbie likes to fidget about and will only stand if I’m given a leg up, bit awkward when I’m on my own and trying to mount. Any helpful advice would be appreciated!
 
Having had both the fidgety ex-racer and also previously had a horse who would bolt from the mounting block, and helped retrain a horse who would rear at the block, my advice would be to not make a big deal out of it. The more you insist on them standing, the more you create tension surrounding mounting.

To begin with, make sure you have someone to help you. Get them to stand by the horse's head - not to hold them still, but just to keep their attention. A moveable block is great if you have it, s you can follow the horse with the block, and just be prepared that when they do stand still, you have to be quick about getting your foot in the stirrup and up. The most important part is not to force them to stand, just persistently follow them with the block until they realise that you aren't going to give up, but that you also aren't bothered by them moving around a bit. Takes time, but I've found six weeks of just being patient and not forcing the issue leads to a horse who is much less bothered by the whole issue.

A non-moveable block is more tricky - you have to be quick and agile! Get your helper to lead them past the block, with you walking up the steps as the horse is walking - get on as you're moving. Gradually slow down the walking, eventually asking for a moment of stillness, leading up to standing. This way is trickier, requires you to be quick and also your helper needs to be on the ball!

The one other piece of advice is don't try to hold them still once your foot is in the stirrup. Circle them reasonably tightly if they try to move off, but use one rein, don't try to make them halt. Stopping the forwards movement of a nervous mounter can end badly!!

Most of it is patience, and working on one thing at a time rather than expecting good behaviour. My ex-racer stood at a block to let a judge mount at a show the other day and dint even move off - when I first got him I had to be boosted up and he jogged while I did my stirrups!! Its about not making a big deal out of it - they will relax until mounting becomes a non-issue., but only if you dont make it one.

If you need any more advice dont hesitate to PM me, have dealt with this a few times before and have loads of tricks. But get quick, and be prepared to mount while they are still moving, starting to take a step, slightly too far away slightly too close etc as then you dont have to faff, which is the biggest problem with mounting.
 
It's one of my bug bearsI'm afriad, horses mustat a mounting block. but you need 2 people and a lot of time to correct it. First hold the horse at the block and stand on the block don't try and get on. if the horse 'fidgets' get the other person to lead in a circle and then stand them by the block again. repeat til horse gets bored and eventually stands... Make a huge fuss of horse from the block.

Next step put foot in stirrup and see if he stands. again huge fuss if he does. do this in and out several times and then swing leg over. if he stands - huge fuss and get off. if he doesn't get off, lead him in a circle and repeat. If he does stand then go in a circle and stop get off and get on again.

It's all about getting them not to anticipate starting off. it takes time but I've never found a horse this technique doesn't work on.

HTH
Blitz
 
As the horse is new to you, do you mount in the way it has been used to ? Also, if the horse is well mannered in every other way, could it be that it is sore or uncomfortable ? I have a diva that stands beautifully but lets me know if she's needing the physio or saddle checking by prancing around the mounting block.

If alls well, then the advice already given is good.
 
I seem to always get the ones who are tricky to mount!! My mare was a pain, fidgeting and sometimes rearing but now i can get on her from anything ie fence, tractor, lorry ramp etc. The five year old we've had for a month or so......who I was having to get on from the ground ( and is 16.3!) as he would not stand next to a block is just starting to let me get on from a moveable mounting block and touch wood is being really good. The trick i use is to bribe them with food! I start off getting on from the ground with someone distracting them with a carrot or pony nuts, once i'm on i then give them another treat then move off. After a couple of weeks of this I'm the one that gives them the first treat....with no helper, and once again they get a treat when I'm on. When they will stand for this i then bring in the mounting block. Like i said the 5 year old was a complete nightmare it used to take me 5 to 10 mins when he first came in but now he's happy to stand still. After you feel they are happy to stand while you get on you don't have to give them a treat anymore.
 
What Blitzenbobs advised worked for me with the ex racer too but I added a carrot treat at each phase as well. No stand no treat.
We got the problem sorted in one session which I think took about 20 minutes. I had the added problem of that when I did get on he'd run forwards And when I stopped him going forward he'd then rush backwards. I kept with the same routine for the next two times I rode him and it also sorted his rushing off As well as his fidgeting. I've also found with mine that being able to get on from either side helped because he was more like likely to let me mount from the left side. This has been really useful if I have to dismount whilst hacking out.
As to why they do this? I think my boy had been ridden in a really badly fitting saddle which was uncomfortable so being ridden was not a great experience for him so I can't really blame him for objecting.
 
If it's my horse, I teach them to ground tie. That means when I park them somewhere and say "stand," they don't move. I do this by putting the horse somewhere, giving the command, and then stepping away from it. At first, only like a foot away. When the horse moves (and it will), I immediately put it back to where I initially asked it to stand and then leave it alone. If they are really wiggley, I might make them work -- back up or circles. They figure out pretty quickly that all pressure is off them when they don't move. Once they're clear on this concept, mounting isn't so much of an issue, assuming your horse is reasonably comfortable with people standing over him. Some aren't. If that is the issue, I pretty much do exactly what blitznbobs suggested.
 
my instructor recently helped me solve this with my new boy, and the good news is you can do it on your own, but you do need A LOT of patience. Proud to report that three weeks on my boy is as good as gold and stands like an old pro :)

She told me to position the mounting block just over a horse's width from the fence. Then calmly walk him up to the block so that he has the block on one side and the fence on the other and ask him to stand. If he moves forwards keep poking him the in the chest. The second he takes a step stop poking him and praise. If he tries to go forwards again start the poking again until he moves back. If instead he goes backwards keep poking him just behind the girth - the second he moves forwards stop and praise. Essentially the idea is that you politely explaining to them that if they do what they're told and stand nicely then they'll get a fuss and life will be happy - if they don't then it will be very irritating and pokey.

The first time it took me 40 minutes and I was ready to cry, the second time more like 20, after that a few 5 minute attempts, and then very shortly after we got to a minute or 2 and now straight on. No need for anyone to hold him, and I can get on anywhere, using anything as a mounting block. V handy the other day when I had to hop off out on a hack on the road to sort out a stone wedged in his foot, and then used a log on the verge to mount without him batting an eyelid.

my instructor is fab :)
 
ghostie said:
She told me to position the mounting block just over a horse's width from the fence. Then calmly walk him up to the block so that he has the block on one side and the fence on the other and ask him to stand. If he moves forwards keep poking him the in the chest. The second he takes a step stop poking him and praise. If he tries to go forwards again start the poking again until he moves back. If instead he goes backwards keep poking him just behind the girth - the second he moves forwards stop and praise. Essentially the idea is that you politely explaining to them that if they do what they're told and stand nicely then they'll get a fuss and life will be happy - if they don't then it will be very irritating and pokey.
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This might teach them to stand... however please do not try and mount a horse that is known to fidget/rear/play up at a mountain block in a situation like this. If they play up you could end up landing on the block or the fence. I tried a similar thing once, and how I missed hitting the mounting block or the side of the school I do not know. I could have been seriously injured.

The horse I was riding, as described above was fine to mount at first, then started getting a pest. Thought it was babyish. Started putting pony nuts in my pocket, leading her around to mounting block. As soon as she stood still, she got some treats. This did actually seem to help her.

However it turned out in the end that she had chronic kissing spines, and this was one of the first symptoms, so personally if it was me I'd be tempted to get the vet out for a look.
 
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