Comments on: No Go

By: Improving Communication – America’s Horse Daily

Improving Communication – America’s Horse Daily — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:42:34 +0000

[...] can let you in on how he is feeling, possibly what he is thinking, and you might even be able to anticipate his next move. Horses will give you many clues, and by paying close attention, you can gain insight [...]

By: Diana

Diana — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:25:12 +0000

Nancy, I’m 58 and I know what you mean! I’m no expert, but since no one else has answered, maybe I can give you some ideas. Begin at the 1st point of difficulty. At what point does her head come up, before she starts to move? If she raises her head and/or moves beside the mounting block, make sure she’s had time to sniff it, and ask her to stand beside it for a few seconds, then pet her and lead her away. Repeat. Many times. Then lead her to it, step up on the block, and back down, and lead her away. Then add putting your toe in the stirrup and removing it–immediately at 1st, then leave it longer each time. You might just bounce on the step a little to see if it bothers her, and then the stirrup. Your goal is to make her think of moving but back off before she does, or to be in a position you can maintain until she stops moving and THEN quit. Repeat the little steps a lot, and praise her and pet her a lot WHEN she is still. Since your husband can manage, he should do some of the steps for you, especially if it comes to standing in one stirrup and turning her head until she stops, then stepping down. (He should use the mounting block, too, for your sake.) Both of you should use one rein to bend her until she stops moving, and ALWAYS wait at least 1 minute (60 seconds!) after mounting before asking her to move off.
Actually, you should see if there’s any apprehension in her about the saddling process. Can you saddle her without tying her, and without any sign of tension (raised head, etc.)? If not, start there! Give her a chance to look and sniff everything, and to “give you permission” by being totally relaxed.
Hope this helps!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:11:00 +0000

We adopted a mare, that’s nearly perfect for us, but for One thing! She does not stand still when we are mounting! My husband can get on her okay, but I need a mounting block and someone to hold her. I’m 55 years old and the first and last time, I tried to mount her, I ended up behind the cantle. I’m not as agile as I used to be and need her to stand! Any suggestions?

By: E1izabeth

E1izabeth — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:59:23 +0000

Standing still is one of the first “built in’s” we put on our babies when we start them. My friends are all jealous of the stand and wait they all have. Its a mandatory thing, we just always have a small chat session, while we are adjusting and fidgeting and just staanding there. Focus is important, theirs on you and you on them. I like the idea of feeling where their feet are and not ‘plopping’ on them.

Pat: when are you coming back to So. Cal. we need a clinic….

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:55:19 +0000

I allow my horse to stand after I have mounted. When I am ready to move I always back a few steps before I go forward. I think this helps remind my horse that he cannot just walk off.

By: muriell

muriell — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:50:39 +0000

Yes I agree, she doesn’t look safe, as she get’s on the horse, is this correct?

By: Victoria

Victoria — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:42:47 +0000

I don’t think the position of the person mounting the horse in the photo is correct. She is nearly horizontal over the neck of the horse. Should the horse elevate his neck suddenly or move off, the girl would most certainly be off balance and wind up on the ground or worse, get struck in the head.

By: Karen McLain

Karen McLain — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:50:57 +0000

Great tips on standing while being mounted. Also on having the horse be good at standing while being saddled. I like to be aware of where my horses attention is, and make sure we are focused on the same goal.