by Lucy Collins

Created on: February 28, 2010   Last Updated: March 01, 2010

When mounting a horse, it is important to make it a smooth and quick motion. The comfort of the horse must be considered, digging the toe into the horses side should not happen. Seeing riders haul themselves up by hanging on to the saddle, not only looks clumsy, but is not good for the horses back, or the saddle. Mounting can be hard, so how can it look effortless for some?

First of all, people have different degrees of flexibility. Some people have tall horses and short legs. People who are heavier and less agile, may have difficulty with mounting. The important thing is to make it easier, not impossible. If your leg can’t reach the stirrup, don’t even try. Holding on to the front and back of the saddle when mounting, will twist the tree. If the horse is too tall, making it necessary to pull on the saddle, don’t try without a mounting block, or at least let down the stirrup if there is not one available.

When mounting, it is a lot easier if the horse will stand still. It may take time to train a horse to stand still either at the mounting block or for the rider to mount from the ground. This can take repetition, until the horse understands what is being asked. It may be necessary to involve another person to help hold the horse for a few times. The horse may try to swing it’s back end away, so the helper may need to try to discourage it from doing so. It may be helpful to stand by a wall to assist the horse in learning to stand still. It usually does not take long to teach the horse to stand still. It can take longer to correct a problem when the horse has learned bad habits due to incorrect mounting. The rider digging the toe into the horses side can cause problems and encourage it to move. Landing heavily in the saddle can also make someone mounting, undesirable for the horse.

Whether mounting from a mounting block or the ground, the basic principles of mounting are the same. Before mounting, make sure both stirrups are pulled down. Check that the girth is tight enough. The saddle should not slip when mounting. It may be necessary when mounting from the ground, to ask someone to hold the stirrup on the off side, whilst you are mounting from the near side. This should remove any possibility of the saddle slipping and it is better for the horses back.

Once the stirrups are down and the girth is tight enough, stand on the near side of the horse. Gather up the reins, they must not be too tight as to make the horse uncomfortable, but should

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