# Pathetic at ground mounting :(



## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

So I HATE admitting this, I mean I'm only 28, but my knees and flexibility hate me for mounting from the ground. So generally I just DON'T.

I keep a mounting block in my trailer and I've trained my horses to "line up" to me on anything I get on.....ok my mare we're still working on it some but Jax is a pro at it. So I've never had an issue getting on and off on the trails....I just walk until I find something, no biggie...when I'm alone at least...

Went riding with friends last week, had to hop off mare because boot came off. I'm happy as can be to walk until I find a nice place to give me that few extra inches I need, I'm only 5'2. But they seemed pretty insistent that I just hop on...and from the off side oh boy! 

Of course, when I finally get my foot up in the stirrup....even more awkward since I'm doing it from the off side....I go to jump and saddle slips..ugh treeless saddles...and my hatred for trying to kill my horses from over tightening the girth. I was SO embarrassed!!!! My friends daughter hopped off and gave me a counter balance and I got up fine. I just can't shake the feeling they probably thought it was so terrible that I had trouble.

I've been looking through old threads and saw a few people linked 
Easy-Mount Step Stool in Trail Riding / Accessories at Schneider Saddlery

Are people still using this and happy with it? Or do I need to suck it up and try and get more flexible again? I mean my knees will still suck but I'm sure being more flexible wouldn't hurt.

 My friend is older then me and hops up no issue....makes me feel so pathetic UGH.


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## sjharris53 (Jan 31, 2010)

All my friends know that if I get off on the trails, I'll be walking until I find a log or bank that will serve as a mounting block. I'm 5'4", in my 60s, and don't mount from flat ground. Not only do I not have the upper body strength I used to, it's just better for the horse to use a mounting block. 
Have you seen the slow motion video that shows a very fit and thin rider mount from the ground? The impact on the horse's back is easily seen as she settles in the saddle. 
As for that mounting stool, it has good reviews, and might work for you. I'll just stick to looking for something nature provides. On one ride after dismounting, I must have walked over a half mile before I remounted.... but hey, walking is good for me, too!


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Yup! I've seen the video that's why I've always just used something too! I've prob walked 1/4 mile to find something  I honestly only need a few extra inches.....so good uneven ground...rock or stump works for me great. I just hate feeling like I inconvenienced my friends  But I HATE struggling! It makes it even HARDER on my horses back that I can't just swing on up there in half a second


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

If I tried to mount from the ground with the shape I am in right now, I know beyond all doubt my tail bone would suffer from my efforts! I would land on my bum! LOL! You've hit on one of my fears. I got hurt, and could not walk for a year. I had a bad fall, tore out every single ligament, tendon and soft cartledge in my right knee to the point it was swinging from right to left before we got the brace on it. Sitting around for a year, not able to put any weight on it. You can imagine the shape I am in. I'm as stiff as I can get. I started some Yoga, it helps, it helps a great lot, but I'm still miserably out of shape. Every part of me creeks! >.< I gotta get back into shape. If any of you ladies know some good stretching techniques that help especially with horses, I'm all ears.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Even if you're good at it, mounting from the ground is so hard on their back. It takes at least 15minutes for their muscles to return to normal after you've mounted from the ground. I never do it unless I absolutely have to. I've had one of my horses 7 years and never mounted from the ground !


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## sjharris53 (Jan 31, 2010)

evilamc said:


> I just hate feeling like I inconvenienced my friends  But I HATE struggling! It makes it even HARDER on my horses back that I can't just swing on up there in half a second


Must be my age, since I don't worry about my friends being inconvenienced. I figure they can just ride on if I'm taking too much time. :cowboy: They never have though, and most of them are in the same boat. It helps that I ride with other lovely seniors, and one understanding 40 something!


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

gypsygirl said:


> Even if you're good at it, mounting from the ground is so hard on their back. It takes at least 15minutes for their muscles to return to normal after you've mounted from the ground. I never do it unless I absolutely have to. I've had one of my horses 7 years and never mounted from the ground !


In the past few years I've only mounted from flat ground MAYBE 3-4x, I avoid it like the plaque. Bad for my horses back and bad for me lol! Glad to know I'm not the only one. My last horse, I had a few unplanned dismounts from him...most of which happened literally while I was swinging my leg over to get on. So I def have a bit of a mental block on top of my bad knees. Maybe next time I'll just try and explain myself better to them.


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## NBEventer (Sep 15, 2012)

I never ever ever mount from the ground unless I *HAVE* to. As I can't always find something to use to hop back on while on the trails. I usually just lower my stirrup a couple holes and hop on then fix my stirrup when I get on. Even then its not pretty to watch as my body just doesn't work the way it used to lol. So don't feel bad. Anyone I trail ride with knows I will walk until I find something to climb on to mount. As already mentioned, its better for the horses back anyway.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

One of my daughters is 5'2" and rides polo horses for a player. She had the tightest hip and knee flexion I'd ever come across with no injury, and I'm a therapist. 

I had her do increasingly extreme lunges at first. Later she graduated to stretches using the rails of a board fence. Slow process. She'd stand with first one foot on a rail, and change to the other after a bit, put some weight into it, and read a book.

She still uses a mounting block, but when she started even that was difficult. I've since met others with similar tightness.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

I'm 5'8 and have a horrid time mounting a 14.2 hand horse. 

Splits are something I have never been able to do. LOL


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I'm in my 70's now and I do not mount from the ground unless I really have to. Why should I if there is a mounting block or a rock or log. It's easier on the horse and me as well. 
People are usually very good if I walk for a while to find a good place to mount.
One thing I do though is mount occasionally from the off side just to keep in practice in case I have to out on the trail. Years ago I broke my left leg and the knee fused and I couldn't bend it well for several months so I rode with one stirrup and always mounted on the right side and it is amazing how quickly it becomes the normal.
Use the mounting block as often as you can and if you have to walk to find a good place do it, your horse will appreciate it.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

That's really cool. I figure if I expect any horse I plan to won, to be in good shape, then it's only fair I try to keep myself in good shape too. Time for me to get to work on my over-sized bum. >.< Down 32 pounds now. Bit more to go! Can almost touch my toes again. Still dang stiff.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

ChitChatChet said:


> I'm 5'8 and have a horrid time mounting a 14.2 hand horse.
> 
> Splits are something I have never been able to do. LOL


Whats sad is splits ARE something I used to do daily!!!!!! I did gymnastics for years! Thats partially how my knees got messed up, then some unplanned dismounts twisted and turned me in ways I shouldn't twist and turn. I used to run 3-5 miles a day 4days a week...can't do that anymore either. People kept telling me "keep at it it will hurt less!" Yeah no, my knees just hurt more and more. We bought our farm here in Ohio in September....you have NO idea how excited I was that its a rancher....single level!!! My condo in DC was two stories...on bad nights I've literally crawled up those stairs.

So those extra inches really do help me so much....and I know it helps my horses  

Boots I think I'll try doing your stretch program though! I'm sure it would be great for me.


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## tinaev (Dec 2, 2012)

I've had my horse for 3 years and every six months or so I get out a saddle with a horn and spend 10 mins or so making an effort at mounting from the ground. I've never even gotten close to being successful. I usually just wind up injured and dirty. I'm 5'3" trying to get on a 16+hand horse. I'm overweight and not flexible. I just can't do it and it really bothers me. 

I spent a lot of time early on teaching my horse to do awkward things to assist me in mounting. For a long time I stood him in a ditch. Then it was a sloped part off the side of the road. I bought various devices that are supposed to assist in mounting (though not the stool linked) and nothing worked. I finally gave up a few months ago and bought a 3 step mounting block. Best $100 I've ever spent.

ETA: My 55 year old mother rides with me sometimes and swings up on her equally tall horse from the ground without a problem. Makes me feel even more pathetic!


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

I've only ground mounted as a child and once when I test fitted a western on my horse. It didn't fit front to back, but didn't dare move side to side. 

I only mount from a 5gal bucket or taller step. I don't even place my foot in the stirrup until I'm sitting on the horse. Then again, my horse makes darn near everything roll on him, so it's habit now. 

I'm 27 or so this year, I could reach up my foot, but why bother? Nothing wrong with that.


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## Rain Shadow (May 1, 2014)

I feel you. I've got a bad ankle, repeated tears that have never quite healed right. I physically can't put all my weight on that ankle to mount up. 

I'm 19. I get the snarky remarks that its because I need to lose weight. Which is very hard with the bum ankle. 

*hugs*

Mounting blocks are awesome. And if it makes you feel better my mare is only 15.1


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Trouble is 14 hands and I'm 5'2", and I ride him in a bareback pad, so I have him that he will line up for absolutely ANYTHING. stumps, the tractor tire, tail gates, rocks, on the edge of a hill. But when I do put a saddle ok I just can't hoist myself up. My dad jokes about how I should be able to get on bareback with nothing but it's near impossible.


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## elle1959 (Sep 7, 2015)

I finally got to the point where I'm strong enough that I *can* ground mount (I'm 5'6) but I got yelled at by someone at the barn for doing it. I wasn't aware it was so controversial and possibly bad for them, so I'll be using the mounting block from now on, or something else I might find on the trail if I have to.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Back in my pony club days we had to mount from the off side. Haha I'm 5ft2 and the horse was 17.3. Somehow made it happen !


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Hehe Jax is 15h and Orianna 14.3...I refuse to buy horses over 15 now LOL! My husband really wanted a big draft horse when we were shopping a few months ago....and I bought 14.3 Orianna haha! I knew he would only ride maybe ocne a year.....I'm not struggling my way up on a big draft!

Funny story....Few years ago I did co-op boarding, it was just me and one other woman, I had my QH and she had 3 horses. She never had time to ride all hers so would let me ride them sometimes. Well once my QH was lame...so I was going to take out her one arab pony that was a saint...got her out and she was a little off too....so that left me with the arab pony that was NOT a saint. The neighbor was riding with me, she met up with me on her 18.2H WB BAREBACK....and I was on little 14h arab sassyness. Well she becomes a jiggy mess and I just really didn't feel like fighting with her, so I was going to dismount and walk back....neighbor insisted we trade horses (arab's mom didn't care neighbor had ridden her horses before). So Im looking at her......then looking down atmyself...."You want ME to get on your GIANT bareback IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD?" We were riding down the road towards trails lol...She just said "Well...yes! He'll be good". We lined him up to a fence....and I literally had to climb up to the top rail...and I'm sure it was still quite a show watching me get on him. I did make it though and he really was a great horse. Later that week she gave me a dressage lesson on him, with a saddle at least!

Thats the day I decided drafts aren't for me  Love them and still say I want one but I know I don't wan the height of one!


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## Paintedponies1992 (Nov 17, 2013)

I'm only 23 and can't mount from the ground due to a few reasons: 
1. I have Patellofemoral, and it hurts too much to mount from the ground.
2. The two horses I have undersaddle are 15 HH and 16.3-17 HH and I'm a short 5'2; the filly I have is coming 2 and already 14 HH

I'm also lucky to have a group of friends who don't pressure me to mount off the ground, instead they help me find tall enough logs and rocks to use as mounting blocks.


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Well now I feel really bad because I always mount from the ground. I put my foot in the stirrup and take three hops on my opposite foot, then get on. I had no idea it was hard on the horse!


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

boots said:


> One of my daughters is 5'2" and rides polo horses for a player. She had the tightest hip and knee flexion I'd ever come across with no injury, and I'm a therapist.
> 
> I had her do increasingly extreme lunges at first. Later she graduated to stretches using the rails of a board fence. Slow process. She'd stand with first one foot on a rail, and change to the other after a bit, put some weight into it, and read a book.
> 
> She still uses a mounting block, but when she started even that was difficult. I've since met others with similar tightness.



This is what I was thinking. For those of us that exercise and therapy can help why not give it a try? The quicker and more gracefully we can get in the saddle even with a mounting block the better it is for both horse and rider


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## Prairie (May 13, 2016)

Slowly raises hand since I went from easily vaulting into the saddle to a 3step mounting block in just over a year about 3 years ago. Fortunately my mare has figured out that she has to hold rock still if I have to mount from the ground, but normally I can find a low spot to put her in or a log to use. Getting old sucks when your mounting from the ground mechanism fails!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

from the ground, I can't raise my knee high enough to find the stirrup, nor, even with bouncing, get enough momentom to haul my carcass up and over. it's an ugly mess.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

I'm 5'3" and my mare is 14.2 on a tall day. But with her old lady back, I stopped mounting from the ground years ago. I almost never use a regular mounting block with her either, because we board at a therapeutic riding facility that has two tall mounting ramps to accommodate people with disabilities. I basically get on her back while standing at her back level, so no torque at all. I've had to mount from boulders/stumps on the trail a few times, and she's fine with that but I still feel guilty about any pull on her back at all.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Yeah I've taught Jax to pretty much line up to anything on the trails so I can get on  Still working on it with Orianna. Makes me feel better that I'm not the only one!! I mean I'm sure if my life depended on it I could....My friend just make it look so easy, she like steps into stirrup then steps onto horse! When I rode in an english saddle I could lower stirrups a hole or two and it made my struggle much easier....but much harder to do that in an endurance saddle. My struggle is not pretty so I'm sure my horses appreciate my efforts to find something to get on from!


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## Oreos Girl (May 24, 2011)

I am only 4'11 and not the most fit so I can't mount from the ground at all. I have used that mounting block and liked it. My friend (it is her block) had her brother put on longer legs.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

If a western saddle fits very well, you should be able to mount the horse without the cinch - so I doubt that hurts the horse much. My current saddle and current horse are not that close a fit, and I haven't tried it with him.

There was a style of mounting I was shown years ago. You stayed facing the rear as you went up, then rolled around your leg as you swung the free leg over. That allowed the mounting leg to stay straight, which helps. When you face the front, your mounting leg is at an angle that robs it of strength.

However, when I tried that on Mia some years back, she bolted. I still ended up on top of her, but it wasn't something I've wanted to repeat. I ought to teach it to Bandit, though. I do have to jump to get my foot in the stirrup.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Yes if a western saddle fits well that is true. I do not have western saddles though anddddd I can't swing up nice and swiftly like you need to be able to do to get on without a cinch lol! I have treeless endurance saddles, which while they do fit GREAT, much better then my tucker did, I have more trouble getting up from the ground...unless I get myself a few extra inches.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

I'll be 60 this year, I'm 5'2" when I'm mad, and my horse is 14.2. I try to mount her with a block as much as I can, but since most of my saddle time is on the trail, there are times I mount up from the ground. It isn't a problem for me physically but I do feel the wrench in her. Still, there is not always a rock or log at hand when you need it.

Things that helped me in general with flexibility and balance:
Yoga with a lot of hip opening and core-strength focus. Losing 25 lbs; my whole balance changed and there's a big difference in what my muscles have to haul up onto the horse. Also, stretchy breeches. Denim is just out. 

Plus, on the trail, short horses rock. Even 15 hands would be much harder for me to get on.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I used to always mount from the ground, even right after knee surgery, English saddle, 16 hh horse. Then I got a new instructor, she said no mounting from the ground, hard on your horse's back, your tack and yourself. I pay this woman good money for her instruction, that's part of it, so I mount from the block now.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Well, I am 68, with double knee replacements, and have not mounted from the ground for many years
There is always something to use, where I ride-be it even just a ditch,, or the horse placed downhill from me. Lots of stumps ,rocks, logs, ect, that I never have to walk far
At shows, I use a Walmart folding two step stool, and have also been known to use the arena fence,and once, the tire of a tractor, parted to harrow the arena at the break
Only time it was kind embarrassing, was a good 12 years ago. I was riding two classes with Smilie, back to back, a jr horse ApHC class and a NSBA futurity class
Well, as often happens in those classes, we had to dismount and drop the bridle for a bit check. Everyone who was in the NSBA class, just remounted and went back on the rail, But I had to say, ' please excuse me, I have to go back out into the hitching ring to mount .


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Jan1975 said:


> Well now I feel really bad because I always mount from the ground. I put my foot in the stirrup and take three hops on my opposite foot, then get on. I had no idea it was hard on the horse!


I don't think it's hard on the horse......I think, some of those who can't ground mount, justify it by thinking it's bad for the horse.......I almost always mount from the ground....not to say I don't take advantage of the terrain....I also usually mount facing the rear....

Now, I ride with many who can't ground mount or have difficulty with it.....one fellow is 71 and about 350 pounds, and another one 85.....and that impresses me....and also gives me hope that I might have several more years left to ride.

I'll try to help them mount, how ever I can....sometimes by holding the stirrup on the off side, or finding a down tree and holding the horse by it.....the thing is, they don't let that stop them from riding...

One day I probably won't be able to ground mount, maybe someone will help me?

Get on the horse how ever you can....and enjoy the ride....it's all good!


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Gunslinger, I have to respectfully disagree that mounting from the ground isn't hard on the horse's back. It's not just an excuse to for not being able to do it- I _could _mount from the ground, but some of the recent evidence on what physically happens to a horse when you do has convinced me it's not worth it. Here's an overview: Ease Mounting Pressures on Your Horse | EQUUS Magazine

And I'd be happy to give you a leg up if we were ever to meet out on the trails, now or in the future


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

How much mounting a horse from the ground adversely affects its back depends on a number of factors. These include: the height and weight of the rider, how close the rider’s center of gravity is to the horse’s center of gravity, and the momentum generated by the rider before and as he mounts. 

Pulling oneself up into the saddle – always from the same side – can certainly put rotational torque on the horse’s spine. This fact should be considered when working with school and trail horses that are mounted numerous times a day by inexperienced riders.

I generally use a mounting block or terrain to help when available. I even heard a clinician who had worked for years on a cattle ranch say that he was not embarrassed to use a mounting block because he has seen cowboys kick dirt into piles to make an impromptu mounting block when nothing else was available.

One horse I work with is so tall I need to lower my stirrup strap 3 inches in order to mount him from a two-step stool. I must then shorten that strap before riding. Stirrup straps on English saddles are easier to adjust while mounted.

There are several products on the market that attach to the saddle to make mounting easier. The most unique is probably the EZ-Up stirrup extender. I believe this is the one that I once heard described on the radio. Regrettably, the product’s web site does not provide a good demonstration of how it works. If this is the one I heard described, a trigger allows the stirrup to drop 3 inches. Once mounted, a foot-activated trigger draws the stirrup back up to the original position.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

Avna said:


> Denim is just out. .












Amen! I hear that one! ROFL! LOL!


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

Have you considered seeing an orthopedic surgeon? There are a lot of different treatments available now for knee pain and issues, and physical therapy/stretching/yoga can also be extremely helpful. If surgery winds up being something you’d consider, many procedures are also arthroscopic, which means less down time and pain. I have issues with my right knee and have since I was run over by a drunk driver at age 12 – I’ve been strongly considering surgery for myself due to the tightness and pain I sometimes have. 

You’re certainly not alone - I really struggled to mount my 15.2 QH gelding from the ground, even though he stood like a rock, and that was when I was 20 and in great shape. Even now I have to use a mounting block to get in the Meadowbrook cart I drive for lessons, for on AND off – jumping down from the cart just hurts too much. 

I take a gelatin supplement and it really helps - GNC sells it under “Women’s Gelatin” as capsules, you can also find it as a liquid-soluble powder on Amazon under the name Great Lakes. Regular walking and exercise also helps too since it keeps the muscles stretched and limber. I also know a lot of people who take Cosequin (they make it for people too) and say it helps a lot. 

And I hear you on drafts. I love them, but I’m bound and determined that my next equine is going to be SHORT and WIDE.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

I hope someone got a laugh out of that. I know we did. Those are a new pair of Levi's by the way. Split all the way down to my mid-thigh! >.<


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

From the article in #35:

"_A light pull on the saddle causes the horse's weight to shift to his left legs, lightening his right side. To counteract the pull, he must raise his back on the left side. If the rider's toe digs into the horse's ribs, the resultant cringing to the right may complicate the horse's reactive mechanics still further. If enough weight is behind the torquing action, the horse could be forced to step toward the rider...

...During mounting, then, the saddle, as it torques toward the rider, presses against the spine (especially the withers) on the off side and digs into the muscles on the near side. The horse twists to the right, his right-side muscles sink to avoid the pressure from the panels...

...Using her short self (five feet, three inches tall), her tall horse (17? hands) and her English saddle with the stirrups set at her regular riding length, Harman tested the consequences of different mounting techniques. Her findings:

The highest back-pressure scores--around 4.5 psi--occurred when she mounted from the ground.

Mounting from a mounting block created about 3.5 psi of pressure on the horse's back.

The leg up produced the least pressure, registering only 2.5 psi even when performed at its clumsiest."
_
A few comments. The first section I quoted results from bad mounting technique. Before you mount the horse, square his feet. Since I'm now using a western saddle, pushing on the horn both forces his to square up, and is now a 'cue' to square his feet.

Same with putting your toe into his side. That is just RUDE. With my saddle, and my need to jump to get my foot in the stirrup, the 3" blevins fender can rub against my horse's side. So once my foot is in, I use my outside hand to pull the leather away from his side as I twist around. I do need to start while facing the rear because I can't stay stable and get my foot in when facing the front. Facing the front and putting my 'outside' leg into the stirrup is just too far.

But no one should be mounting without thinking about how their leg and foot (and the Blevin buckle, in my case) affects their horse.

Next, the saddle affects things too. The English CC saddle I used to own (Bates Caprilli) seemed to bother Mia both mounting and dismounting. I eventually concluded it was the narrow channel, which only gave an inch or so of clearance from her spine. She was better with the Bates Caprilli AP saddle (wider channel) and didn't give a rat's rear about it with my Aussie saddles (wider channel) or my western saddles (MUCH wider channel).

A western saddle not only distributes the weight further from the spine, but distributes it over a larger area...roughly 50% larger, although it depends on the individual saddles being compared. So...pressure further from the spine and distributed over a larger area with a more fixed saddle tree. A western saddle is a better design for mounting from the ground.

Pressures: 4.5 psi, IIRC, is about the pressure often seen while trotting. PROLONGED and steady pressure like that can damage the muscle tissue. But mounting is not a prolonged pressure. It is a few seconds, not an hour.

And I'm 5'8" mounting a 15.0 hand horse. So I'm 5 inches taller than the test rider, and my horse is 8+ inches shorter. That is a 13" difference!

"_Harman theorizes that the cumulative effect of these brief but strong stresses on the horse's back and spine during ground mounting can cause or worsen chronic back pain_."

IOW, she is guessing. I've got another guess. I think my horses rolling around on their backs cause more problems than mounting. They look for softer dirt, but in southern Arizona, even the softest dirt will have rocks in it.

But in the end, one needs to consider the totality of the action. If I weighed 300 lbs...first, I'd need to sell my 800 lb horse. And I wouldn't try to mount ANY horse without a mounting block. I sold my English saddles, but if I ever buy another, a wide channel will be a requirement. The Bates Caprilli CC saddle, IMHO, had too narrow a channel to be a worthwhile saddle. Shorter riders will find it easier to mount shorter horses. And technique - squaring them up, good saddle fit, mounting fast and smooth, etc - counts for a lot.

On one of the rare times I rode in my youth, I do remember mounting an 18 hand horse from the ground. Now? A 16+ hand horse means I'd need a mounting ladder. Not sure a 'stool' would be enough! At 58, my tallest horse is 15.0 hands and I don't plan to ever own a taller horse again. If I buy a horse 10 years from now, when I'm 68...I may pass on my preferred Arabians and look for a colder, 14.0 hand QH pony. Believe me, when I trail ride on 13.0 hand Cowboy...getting on and off is NOT a problem! A little tank has a lot to offer an older rider:








​ 
BTW - it is a good article, with plenty of good advice. But a 5'3" rider using a 17+ hand horse might want to remember some buying advice I heard once: "Make sure you are taller than your horse!"


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

You could always mount up like this, so simple....ha! I wish!


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

Er....... I can dream that I am that flexible again.. but it'll only be a dream. lol


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

NYT article from 1984:

"Getting on a Horse 

As he has on most of his movies, Mr. Douglas insisted on performing his own stunts in ''Draw!'' ''I've always tried to do my own stunts,'' Mr. Douglas said. ''When I did 'The War Wagon' with John Wayne, I played a showoff who always made a fancy mount to get on his horse, jumping over one horse on to another. I figured I could do that, so I got a small trampoline to give me the altitude to make the jump. A reporter came on the set and said to John Wayne, 'I understand Kirk Douglas is doing every fancy mount himself.' And Wayne said, 'That Douglas, he can't even get on a horse without a trampoline!'" :rofl:

KIRK DOUGLAS TURNING TO TV WORK - NYTimes.com


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Reiningcatsanddogs said:


> You could always mount up like this, so simple....ha! I wish!
> 
> How to: Mount a Horse Bareback - YouTube


ahahaha I should find the video my friend took of me attempting to do that! You guys would get a good laugh!!

I actually have thought about getting surgery for my knees. I'm just terrifiedddd of surgery and of the down time. I'm a dog groomer so really can't afford to be off my feet


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Ha I'm probably going to regret posting this....but it is pretty funny...My added fluffiness obviously doesn't help my situation LOL! <3 Jax he's so used to my shenanigans he just patiently waits for me to be done.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

I am very skeptical that mounting from the ground is hard on the horse, especially if you are decent at it. 

I'm 5'11 and about 170. There are men much heavier than me that can mount in a Western saddle without any cinch on the horse. 

It is a skill, and one won't have if you never work on it. Flexibility is of course and issue that needs to be worked on, especially in the ankles and hip flexors. 

I know it must be harder for someone not as tall. I see people do it all the time though, definitely something that can be learned. 

Main things I can think that might help.
- Stand as close to the horse as you can leaving yourself room to actually move up. The farther out you are the harder it will be.
- Move your weight diagonally across the horse, not straight across. 
- Don't hang on the saddle or pull on it. Ideally you would do little or no pulling with your off hand (right hand if mounting from the left). 
- Grab a handfull of mane if you need to. It doesn't seem to bother horses much, just don't pull yourself up by it. 

Good luck!


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

I think that it's better to use a mounting block if you can't mount swiftly and easily. No doubt that with training and preparation, a fit horse isn't going to have an issue with being mounted from the ground for the few seconds it takes a fit rider to do so, just like someone who is comfortable lifting a heavy weight for a few minutes doesn't have an issue with doing it when they have trained with that weight for a while.

However, for someone like myself who has had issues with mounting slowly, it's usually better to just use the mounting block as much as you possibly can since the strain on the horse's back is longer and more pronounced, and do a lot of work on training your horse to stand for mounting, and line up to a log/picnic table/whatever you want. It's a good skill to have no matter where you are or what you're doing. 

Also, I forgot to add, a slipping saddle could also be a sign of a saddle that doesn't fit as well as it should. You can also try a breast collar and crupper/breeching to help keep it in place rather than keep cinching the saddle tighter - been there and done that!


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Mulefeather said:


> I think that it's better to use a mounting block if you can't mount swiftly and easily. No doubt that with training and preparation, a fit horse isn't going to have an issue with being mounted from the ground for the few seconds it takes a fit rider to do so, just like someone who is comfortable lifting a heavy weight for a few minutes doesn't have an issue with doing it when they have trained with that weight for a while.
> 
> However, for someone like myself who has had issues with mounting slowly, it's usually better to just use the mounting block as much as you possibly can since the strain on the horse's back is longer and more pronounced, and do a lot of work on training your horse to stand for mounting, and line up to a log/picnic table/whatever you want. It's a good skill to have no matter where you are or what you're doing.
> 
> Also, I forgot to add, a slipping saddle could also be a sign of a saddle that doesn't fit as well as it should. You can also try a breast collar and crupper/breeching to help keep it in place rather than keep cinching the saddle tighter - been there and done that!


My saddle is treeless, so a little more prone to rolling. I should add a breast collar though. I do string test my saddle every few rides, which helps make sure I have proper spinal clearance...and I have even sweat marks and no sore backs so I feel the saddles fitting pretty well. Beast collar I'm sure would help a lot though, I have one but I didn't like the style of it  Maybe I'll try it though just to see if I notice a difference and if I do find one I do like more.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

You are doing it all wrong Evilamc, here's a video how to do it right. Instructional, very helpful, lol.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Hahaha my first few attempts weren't on video! I tried a few different ways! Wasn't happenin'


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

If you have access to sturdy pipe metal fencing, it might help to practice on it. Hopefully you know the kind of fencing I'm talking about. If it helps, I think most of the "jump" comes from your leg on the ground. The foot in the stirrup doesn't really have power to move you most of the way up, i'd say your leg needs to be at about a 60 degree angle before you can really push off with the stirrup leg. So that initial hop is the important start. 

I have no issues with a mounting block in principle. Unless you are trying to get on a monster of a horse, at your age I think it is a reasonable thing to work on the ability to ground mount even if you don't do it all the time. For the reason you mentioned. If you need to get back on while on the trail or any other time. As several others have mentioned, there isn't anything wrong with kicking up a pile of dirt or standing on a rock if it gets it done though. 

Unfortunately I have a sit down computer job which pays the bills but is hell on your flexibility. I do set of body weight squats every day to keep it all loosened up for riding. 

If it makes you feel better. I saw a guy a couple weeks ago using the wheel well of his trailer at a Team Roping jackpot. The horse would start to walk off with him whenever he put his foot in the stirrup. It was hard for me to keep a straight face as we walked by.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

jgnmoose said:


> I am very skeptical that mounting from the ground is hard on the horse, especially if you are decent at it.
> 
> I'm 5'11 and about 170. There are men much heavier than me that can mount in a Western saddle without any cinch on the horse.
> 
> ...


I have never seen a person as short as me mount gracefully without a block except on a pony. As in, Shetland.

Today I had to remount on the trail twice. Once I had a gate to climb to get height with, the other time it was just a slight slope. The second time I had to pull on the saddle quite a bit. Yes I had a big hunk of mane with my reins. I pulled on her mane and on the saddle and bounced a little to get some momentum. It's awkward, and a bit dangerous -- I was by myself and we are making progress on standing still for mounting but I wouldn't bet a hundred bucks on it. 

Taller persons have no idea what it's like down here.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

evilamc said:


> My saddle is treeless, so a little more prone to rolling. I should add a breast collar though. I do string test my saddle every few rides, which helps make sure I have proper spinal clearance...and I have even sweat marks and no sore backs so I feel the saddles fitting pretty well. Beast collar I'm sure would help a lot though, I have one but I didn't like the style of it  Maybe I'll try it though just to see if I notice a difference and if I do find one I do like more.


Breast collar isn't going to keep a saddle from slipping sideways, only from slipping back. I use one because I climb a lot of steep hills.


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

I'm 5'4" 110# and my trail horse is 15.2 hh and has good withers. I have no problem mounting gracefully and quickly from the ground without the saddle moving....but here might be another consideration, I ride western, so my stirrups are longer and in proportion to my torso so are my legs (my DH and I have the same pant length and he is 5'10"). 

To mount from the ground or not seems to me to be like so much else in riding full of exceptions and personal situations.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Long torso short legs here. 28" inseam. Even petite pants usually need hemming. When I was a kid and we all rode bareback a lot, I never could get on a horse bareback from the ground. I was shorter than everyone else, but I didn't realize I was even shorter than I was short, if you see what I mean. Everyone including myself put it down to a lack of grit. But it wasn't.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Avna said:


> Breast collar isn't going to keep a saddle from slipping sideways, only from slipping back. I use one because I climb a lot of steep hills.



actually, the western style breastcollars DO help prevent sideway slipping under torque.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

Evilamc, your video could have been me. I have tried and tried and just cant mount bareback unless the animal is short enough I can swing my leg over. LOL

I ride a 14.2 hand horse and its as tall as I want to go.

5'8" 120 very active person with no flexibility. Even when I was a young kid in gymnastics... no flexibility. I've got balance, agility, endurance but absolutely no flexibility.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Or there's the trampoline mount approach:




(In all seriousness, this video terrifies me to see that tiny little person doing what she's doing, but not my horse or kid. Though the horse looks like a saint to have around a barn with kids )

I completely respect that many people don't worry about (correct) mounting from the ground with their own horse. As someone with an older, slightly swaybacked horse, I just figure why even chance any strain on her back when I ride in places where I'll always have other options, whether in an arena or on a trail. With a younger horse and a better back, I might feel differently. 

Though totally agree with those who said it's hard for tall people to imagine the challenges of being very short, even with a very short horse. We just don't have a lot to work with


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

99% of the time I do not mount from the ground.

With my 1/2 Arab mare, I cannot mount from the ground easily (She's about 15.1 and I'm 5'2" on a good day and no spring chicken any more), so I find what ever I can to climb on to mount her. I've mounted from rocks, fences, hay bales, arena drags, tractor tire, truck beds ... and many other things. ;-) Although if there is nothing to climb on, I can drag myself up. 

I have taught both my horses to come over to me to pick me up off of what ever I climb on, LOL. Just so much easier on all of us. 

Mounting from the ground on my AQHA mare is much easier (she's about 14.1?), but it is still easier to climb on something else.

I could not care less what anyone says about me climbing on things to mount vs. mounting from the ground. If it works for me and my horse, they can go pound sand. :biggrin:


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## watcher (Apr 26, 2016)

my half Arab is 15'3 and he's so narrow that even with a saddle I will always use something to help me mount. I'm 5'5 and he's just too tall for me to feel any sort of comfortable just using the ground and stirrups with a bit of his mane. But he's also a horse that is very prone to spooking so I will unashamedly always find something to give me a boost up, more for his protection than anything. I'd rather him feel comfortable than me ground mounting him.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Being able to get on from the ground without risking pulling on your horse's spine or twisting your saddle tree (English saddles) depends on how agile you are, how long it takes you to get from the ground into the saddle, how tall you are, how heavy you are and how tall the horse is. 
I'm 5ft 3ish and can drop my stirrup a few holes and get on a 16.2 horse fairly quickly but not as easily as a 5ft 11 man could get on a 15 hand horse.
I can still get on a 15 hand from the ground if I need too without dropping my stirrup but its easier on her, me and the saddle if I find something to stand on or get someone to 'leg me up' that can get on easier than I can
I could vault on a pony in canter when I was young and in my gymkhana days and I could still vault on a horse from the ground if it was standing still when I was in my early 40's but not any more!!!


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

jaydee said:


> Being able to get on from the ground without risking pulling on your horse's spine or twisting your saddle tree (English saddles) depends on how agile you are, how long it takes you to get from the ground into the saddle, how tall you are, how heavy you are and how tall the horse is.
> I'm 5ft 3ish and can drop my stirrup a few holes and get on a 16.2 horse fairly quickly but not as easily as a 5ft 11 man could get on a 15 hand horse.
> I can still get on a 15 hand from the ground if I need too without dropping my stirrup but its easier on her, me and the saddle if I find something to stand on or get someone to 'leg me up' that can get on easier than I can
> I could vault on a pony in canter when I was young and in my gymkhana days and I could still vault on a horse from the ground if it was standing still when I was in my early 40's but not any more!!!


Yup, those were the days! I could vault onto a 17hh plus draft from the ground, thought it was 'neat', when as a teenager, I could emulate those westerns, by getting on that stud I have posted about, one foot in the stirrup, and him taking off a full gallop, while I swung aboard. Those days are no more, as in the song, 'the days of wine and roses.
I think the words go something like this, form the memory of an old brain:

"The days of wine and roses, laugh and run away, like a child at play, to hide behind a door marked 'never more'.

Heck, when I showed Smilie in that 50/50 Pot O Gold two year old futurity, some 12 years ago, I had to dope up on double motrin, highest dose, so I could run her in hand, as that was part of that futurity
-conformation
a rail class
a pattern class
Yes, dedicated, and got GI bleeding as a result. I had held off from knee replacements,way too long, afraid I could not ride afterwards


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## Lia and Midnight (Sep 22, 2014)

Don't worry too much about it. I'm 4'8 and ride a 15.2hh horse so I HAVE to use a mounting block and even then it's a stretch because I"m so short.


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## wbwks (Apr 5, 2014)

This is an old post but I want to add that I have one of the Schneider Saddlery 3 legged step stool. It is FANTASTIC! 

I am 5'4 and 54 yo, lol jeans are tighter and my flexibility isn't so great due to arthritis. 

I put my right foot on the stool (it is about 12 inches tall) then put my left in the stirrup just like normal. It has a long string on it so I just haul it up and tie it on or stick it in my saddle or cantle bag. No worries looking for a rock or stump.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

For Western on a horse that isn't too terribly tall there is as much technique as anything else. 

Put the toe of your boot in the stirrup, stand as close to the saddle as you can, "jump" on the other leg and go straight up. Once you are up you can swing your leg over. 

Mistakes that make it much harder are things like standing too far away from the saddle, and trying to go over the horse in a single motion. Both of those are hard on the horse and make it much harder for you too.

Watch some old Westerns. Aside from some fancy mounting, they all do it the way I described above.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I've watched a lot of old westerns. I mostly noticed guys who were 6'5" tall riding a 15 hand horse. They just straddle the horse and then sit down, pulling their feet up from the ground. Not too many of them seemed to ever look UP at a horse's back....

For western riding, this is a good video on mounting. I find it makes a big difference to my horse and me if I approach mounting as a "forward into the saddle" motion rather than a perpendicular one:


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

O.P. I know you started this thread some time ago, but wanted to say that I'm in my sixties with arthritis and a knee replacement. (I love me new knee!) Anyway, my mare is 15.3 and my gelding is 17.2. I ordered one of those steps and always carry it with me. I don't always use it because most of the time there's a good boulder or stump or log available, but sometimes not. And, the comfort and health of my horse is more important to me than the convenience of my fellow riders. I often ride with chaps because of all the vicious brush we have here and that just makes it harder. Besides, if they're impatient with me then I don't need to be riding with them.:shrug:

I had to spend a little time at home working with the horses to let them know that the step was coming up after I got up. 

It was a good investment, but I found that it can sink into soft soil very easily. One of these days I mean to take it to the hardware store and see about slightly larger "feet" for the legs.


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## wbwks (Apr 5, 2014)

Hey Blue, my parents wintered in South Texas and rode their bicycles on the beach, because the kickstand would sink they drilled a golf ball and inserted it on the kickstand and it entirely fixed the problem. I wonder if this would work the same on the stand. I may give it a try!


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

wbwks said:


> Hey Blue, my parents wintered in South Texas and rode their bicycles on the beach, because the kickstand would sink they drilled a golf ball and inserted it on the kickstand and it entirely fixed the problem. I wonder if this would work the same on the stand. I may give it a try!


Awesome idea!


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