# Standing Up on a Horse



## ArabianGirl27 (Aug 5, 2012)

Me and my Arabian, Destiny. She's just amazing. <3 I was desensitizing her to the sound of a flag one day, and this was the end result...very proud of my girl. 

Second pic, without the flag..


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## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

Wow how cool!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I see you successfully desensitized the flag aspect...that's good.

You kind of lost me though on having to stand on her back like that...to me just not a very good thing to do to Destiny.

Sorry...
jmo...


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I did stuff like that when I was young...............................but your opinions change so much when you get older based on so many things that now I would say that it's not cool and unless you want to join a circus or use your horse for fruit picking off higher branches its not really a benefit in any way
Good work on the flag desensitizing though


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## ArabianGirl27 (Aug 5, 2012)

lol by letting me stand on her back, she's showing she trusts me, and I'm showing that I trust her. Also definitely helped with desensitizing her to everything and anything weird. I'm not hurting her, and I'm not hurting myself, so I did it. Now I know I can do anything with her. Not like I'm the first to do it either. Just all in fun.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

I know a lot of people do this but I have never really understood why. But then I don't get carving up mountains either, so there you are. : )

But I will say congrats on having a calm and accepting horse!


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## ArabianGirl27 (Aug 5, 2012)

Thank you! I love her, she's always so willing and accepting of everything I ask from her. Only her, can end up spooking and tipping over a swingset (long story, lol), and 30 minutes later be perfectly fine to ride bareback and bridleless around an unfamiliar yard while watching the deck being built (which involves loud noises as the boards are cut). (That has nothing to do with standing up on her back though. I always make sure there are no distractions when I do something like that....just in case, haha)


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## Natalierose (Sep 21, 2013)

A lonnnnggg time ago when I was 5ish I did that on my mini...I have a picture in my room!!


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## Foxtail Ranch (Mar 10, 2012)

Standing on your horse can be helpful sometimes, like when you need to put up a highline while horse camping. Not something I would do for fun, but practical for me when I am camping.


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## ArabianGirl27 (Aug 5, 2012)

lol definitely something I use for both practical use and fun. xD The way I figure it, if I can stand up on her back and completely trust her not to move, then I can trust her to let my little cousins (they're 2 and 4) on her back (at least when I'm leading her). If I can stand on her and flap a flag, then a couple of wiggling, screaming kids are nothing. xD


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Excellent job on desensitizing her to the flag. Your horse looks very calm and willing, and paying attention to you with her ears turned back toward you.

Standing on a horse? I think that's a "fad" right now. Just about can't find a "For Sale" ad that _doesn't_ have a picture of someone standing on their horses back to show off. Personally, anyone can stand on a horse and snap a picture quick. IMO


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## ArabianGirl27 (Aug 5, 2012)

Well, anyone can, provided their horse isn't a total spaz. xD That used to be me. But you know it's trust when you can stay up there for more than 10 seconds, and/or wave a flag around. I watched a video once of someone who stood up on their horse's back, grabbed a tree branch, and proceeded to climb the tree. That's my goal, but since there aren't really any trees I can climb, the flag had to be good enough for now, until I can find a good tree. xD I won't be doing that bridleless though....lol.


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## ArabianGirl27 (Aug 5, 2012)

And thank you.  I'm really happy about how calm she's become. She used to be a little bit of a nutcase at times. (Well, still is I suppose, just not as much, lol)


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

There is quite a gap between a horse allowing someone it knows and trusts to do things on its back and training a horse to accept that from anyone and everyone
I also doubt that it can even see the flag being waved. I saw an advert for a horse this week where the boy was flapping a blanket all over his horse while he was standing on it - but if a horse is OK with having that done by someone on the ground its not likely to be bothered when someone standing on its back does it. Spending the time schooling a horse is probably more productive.


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## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)

My friend does acrobatics on her horse all the time lol. It's quite weird to be riding and look over and all of a sudden she got it in her hear to do a plank off the side of her horse while holding herself up on her hands. I'm always like, "Sheesh [enter name] just sit on the horse like a normal human!"

Compared to the nonsense she gets up to on her boy, standing is hardly news lol

I'm super jealous that you can do that though. I've never tried it. I'd probably fall off. Sonny likes to give me a hard time when we try new things


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## ArabianGirl27 (Aug 5, 2012)

lol I love doing crazy things with my horse. I'd be teaching her trick riding and doing acrobatics on her if I knew how to train her better. xD I've seen people standing up on their horses WHILE cantering. It looks like fun, but I'm not so sure it would work very well with Destiny's generally-bouncy lope. Plus, I don't have the right equipment and bareback would be...crazy. xD

And Des is an absolute angel for trying new things. I did lots of desensitizing and work on getting her to stand still until I ask her to move, before I tried this, but she learns quickly and it wasn't hard for her to be accepting of me standing up. xD


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## danny67 (Nov 27, 2012)

Kudos for wearing a helmet!

I saw two tweens trying this at my barn this weekend sans helmets.


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## Hang on Fi (Sep 22, 2007)

She has a helmet on, which is more than can be said for a lot of folks who do this. 

I "used" to stand on my horses, as long as you control your weight and don't dig into their back, you're fine. I don't bounce anymore when I hit the ground, so I choose not to stand on their backs anymore lol for the "just in case" moments . I stick to around the worlds  

Very nice horse! Never stop doing these "silly" things with your horse! I had two of the best horses at the barn when I was younger because of stuff like this. You could do anything on them.


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## ArabianGirl27 (Aug 5, 2012)

Hang on Fi- Thank you! Good to know someone gets it, lol.

And I would never try anything like this without a helmet. I always wear a helmet when I'm riding, except on very, very rare occasions (like I used to forget to put it on when I first got Des...until like halfway through the ride..oops, lol). Always if I'm doing something that could land me on the ground. xD


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I think we all "got it"....

Could I just suggest that if you continue to stand on your mares back you take off what appears to be the riding boots and use what those acrobats do...soft ballet shoes or slippers.. 
Those that do trick riding and do standing use a protective surcingle and pad to protect the spine, nerves, tendons and ligaments of the animal as they get up, down, balance and move up there.
It isn't what you are doing that is so terrible, it is the force of your weight concentrated in such a small area on the horses anatomy that concerns me. The damage it could do is not just the "now" but the "in years to come" from excess force put on the wrong spot.

Be careful, enjoy and have fun...but remember to protect Destiny first and foremost from dangers of any kind and from anyplace while you enjoy and have fun.
:wink:

_jmo..._


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