# Mounting the horse from the ground !!



## Katie x (Aug 24, 2010)

I know People that can just leap up onto the horse from a stand still, some of them even 5'6 and the horse being 16.2-17.2. I would love to learn...can anyone on here mount this way ? If so, how did u learn? Any tips ??  all advice apppreciated xxx


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Just swing your butt up. :lol:

I'm not great at it, but I can get on bareback from the ground. I just don't look that great doing it!

Here's what I do. Stand facing your horse's butt a little in front of their shoulder. Put your left hand on their mane. Take a big step with your left foot, push off the ground when you step down (so you're hopping/jumping), and swing your right leg and arm over. I usually make it about 3/4s of the way and have to wiggle a little to get all the way up.


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## Katie x (Aug 24, 2010)

Haha, thankyou Ill give it a try Any other suggestions ppl ?:wink:


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

My boyfriend can do it onto Caleigh and my student Kaity can do it on Caleigh and Sammy. That's 17.3 and 18.3

I haven't been able to do it but I'm not great and jumping anyways. They use their left hand on the mane and swing up, hook with their foot and pull themselves the rest of the way on.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

I can get on a 14hh pony bareback at a gallop but much bigger and I'm stuffed. I can get on a 17hh horse from the ground if I let the stirrup right the way down.


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## ngtwondrer (Nov 6, 2010)

i'm starting to get too old to even try. i have a 14 hand horse and i mount pretty easy with a saddle but i use a block for bareback anymore.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I can't do the "swing the leg up and over" thing, but I can stand at the horse's side and jump up so my stomach is on her back and then swing my leg over. One horse is 15.3 and the other is 17.3 -- that one is tough! I always wanted to do it the other way, but not enough to get around to actually practicing and doing it.


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## paintluver (Apr 5, 2007)

MN Tigerstripes said:


> Just swing your butt up. :lol:
> 
> I'm not great at it, but I can get on bareback from the ground. I just don't look that great doing it!
> 
> Here's what I do. Stand facing your horse's butt a little in front of their shoulder. Put your left hand on their mane. Take a big step with your left foot, push off the ground when you step down (so you're hopping/jumping), and swing your right leg and arm over. I usually make it about 3/4s of the way and have to wiggle a little to get all the way up.


^^Same way I do it, wiggle and all lol
But on my sister's 13.3 hand pony I just put my hands on his back and jump up.


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## haleylvsshammy (Jun 29, 2010)

I can get on with a saddle from the ground onto my 17.2hh horse. I'm 5'7", but I do it by stretching my leg to get into that stirrup, grabbing mane and pulling myself up using his neck, not the saddle (but NOT yanking on him). Bareback... I can't get on him yet... but it is a goal. I can only get on about 15.2hh bareback. I do what everyone else does- jump up and then wiggle until your leg can swing over!


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

Honestly I think everyone should use a mounting block, it is not good for any horses back to be putting the strain of trying to climb on or leaping on and landing hard on your horses back. It took some research by my own awful way of mounting from the ground to realize this. I can't mount from the ground to save my life :lol: I've been told the only people that can properly mount from the ground are those who can do it and get in the saddle without it being girthed up and not moving.


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## MustangBlue (Feb 11, 2010)

I've always ridden a relatively small horse...I'm around 5'6" and ride a 14.2 hh mare, so its not really a problem for me. But I know somebody who is much shorter and mounts a 16.3hh horse with no problem. I'll have to ask them what their secret is


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## csuebele (Oct 25, 2009)

kmdstar said:


> Honestly I think everyone should use a mounting block, it is not good for any horses back to be putting the strain of trying to climb on or leaping on and landing hard on your horses back. It took some research by my own awful way of mounting from the ground to realize this. I can't mount from the ground to save my life :lol: I've been told the only people that can properly mount from the ground are those who can do it and get in the saddle without it being girthed up and not moving.


I agree with this. I was talking to a horse chiropractor and she said even using the stirrup and swinging your leg over twist their back and can put undo stress on it, which will eventually cause more serious back problems. Best to use a mounting block or fence.


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

csuebele said:


> I agree with this. I was talking to a horse chiropractor and she said even using the stirrup and swinging your leg over twist their back and can put undo stress on it, which will eventually cause more serious back problems. Best to use a mounting block or fence.


And so much easier if you use one - there's no good reason NOT to use one, or anything to mount from! I'd be lost without mine.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

kmdstar said:


> Honestly I think everyone should use a mounting block, it is not good for any horses back to be putting the strain of trying to climb on or leaping on and landing hard on your horses back. It took some research by my own awful way of mounting from the ground to realize this. I can't mount from the ground to save my life :lol: I've been told the only people that can properly mount from the ground are those who can do it and get in the saddle without it being girthed up and not moving.


You should always be able to get on from the ground. Even if you normaly use a mounting block to save your horses back. 
When you are out on a hack and have to get off to do a gate or get bucked off as has happened to me several times, getting back on from the ground is the only way as most gates wont take the weight of people climbing on them.
I cant exactly carry a mounting block with me everywhere!

I live in the mountains, not exactly many logs etc to get on from. Dry stone walls are frankly dangeorus to stand on, they are slate round here and crumble if you put weight on them, Made for keeping sheep in, not anything bigger.

ETA I mounted from the ground on my 14hh connie for 10 years, he saw a chiropractor every 3 months (we had him up for the arab and he would check over the rest when he was here) and a master saddler every 6 months, never ever had a problem with his back


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

I can only get on my friends little 13hh pony bareback and I'm 5'10 haha
no way I can get on my 15.2hh horse bareback, I can get on him with a saddle and just do the little hop things.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

faye said:


> You should always be able to get on from the ground. Even if you normaly use a mounting block to save your horses back.
> When you are out on a hack and have to get off to do a gate or get bucked off as has happened to me several times, getting back on from the ground is the only way as most gates wont take the weight of people climbing on them.
> I cant exactly carry a mounting block with me everywhere!
> 
> ...


I totally agree. If you can't, CAN NOT, get on your horse without a mounting block, you had better only be riding in an arena, with someone else who can give you a leg up, or within a distance that you are comfortable walking back to the barn/trailer. While my 17.3 h mare much prefers me to use something as a mounting block, I can and do make a point of often mounting from the ground, with and with/out a saddle.


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## csuebele (Oct 25, 2009)

faye said:


> You should always be able to get on from the ground. Even if you normaly use a mounting block to save your horses back.
> When you are out on a hack and have to get off to do a gate or get bucked off as has happened to me several times, getting back on from the ground is the only way as most gates wont take the weight of people climbing on them.
> I cant exactly carry a mounting block with me everywhere!
> 
> ...





NorthernMama said:


> I totally agree. If you can't, CAN NOT, get on your horse without a mounting block, you had better only be riding in an arena, with someone else who can give you a leg up, or within a distance that you are comfortable walking back to the barn/trailer. While my 17.3 h mare much prefers me to use something as a mounting block, I can and do make a point of often mounting from the ground, with and with/out a saddle.


I do agree with both of you. Obviously, if you have no mounting block, you should be able to mount your horse from the ground and not have a horse so big that you can't; and if you can't mount your horse from the ground, have someone with who can give you a leg up. It's also good that a chiropractor has seen your horse and it hasn't had any trouble. We've had a lot of folks around here have horses with back problems that manifest in other behavioral issues, so I'm saying whenever possible it's best to use some sort of mounting block.


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## ivorygold1195 (May 27, 2009)

I'm only 5' and my horse is 15.3 so I come no where close to getting on bareback without a mounting block but I can with a saddle with a great deal of stretching to reach.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

I wouldn't say I "slam" down on my horse's back. :roll: Now I might flop against his side, I've been compared to a fly on a wall before. :lol:

I'm sorry, but it's a little ridiculous to think that mounting bareback from the ground is so terrible for the horse. It might be a little uncomfortable if you're unpracticed and have to do a lot of wriggling/pulling, but for a great majority of horses it isn't a problem.

If you use your common sense it shouldn't be a problem. If your horse has a back problem use a mounting block, if not this is a great skill to have and like most you need to practice to be able to do it.


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## GreyRay (Jun 15, 2010)

Seeing as horses mount eachother... I dont think that me mounting a horse would cause much more discomfort.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## csuebele (Oct 25, 2009)

GreyRay said:


> Seeing as horses mount eachother... I dont think that me mounting a horse would cause much more discomfort.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Do the horses "mount" in the middle of the other horse's back doing this, and do they do this on a daily basis, which can cause Repetitive Stress Syndrome?


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## Katie x (Aug 24, 2010)

Thanks guys, im talking about mounting from the ground without using the stirrup with a saddle on tho. i would like to know was there anything you did to help you learn and get the spring in your step ? lol


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

Common sense says that when someone mounts from the ground, all their weight (I don't care how much they weigh) pulling the saddle will put strain on a horses back. 

Just because everyone does it, has done it for however many years or wants to do it doesn't mean what I'm saying isn't true. As someone pointed out, common sense...common sense says mounting from the ground DOES put stress on the horses back. WHY would we want to do that when it's unnecessary? I CAN mount from the ground, it's not pretty but I can do it - I just don't to spare my horse the trouble of me trying to. I do think everyone should be able to (especially if they trail ride) but I also think they should use something as a mounting block whenever possible. 


here
& here


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

KMDstar, if you mount correctly then very little pressure should be put in the stirrup. If you put pressure on the stirrup you will stretch the leathers. However if you use momentum and springiness to get up ellegantly and lightly then you dont put much, if any pressure on the horses back. 

When I get on a horse from the ground it is just as pretty and easy as getting on a horse from a block.

Then again stan often decided the block was going to eat him and after stripping the horses in the showring no block was available to get back on so being able to quickly, efficiently, easily and elegantly (for the showring) get on from the floor became essentail for me. I can do it from either side and there is certainly no scrabbling, pulling or thumping involved.


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## Katie x (Aug 24, 2010)

I think 1 person has attempted to actually answer my question ...


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I will generally use my left hand on the mane and my right hand on the horn, especially on young horses that have never been mounted before. On my older horses, I usually put left hand on the horn and right hand on the cantle. I don't particularly like doing it that way but it is an old habit that I am trying to break. I put my left foot in the stirrup and push off with my right leg, then use the hand on the mane to support most of my weight so that I minimize the pressure on the saddle. I only have a video of me doing it the way that I don't like to but....
I know that this horse isn't terribly tall (maybe 15.1) but it still works the same way for taller ones.




 
I don't see what the big deal is about moving the saddle just a little bit. My horses have roped and drug 500+ pound cattle on a daily basis for a long time and never showed any signs of back pain or lameness. I really don't think that my little 150 pounds being off center for a couple of seconds is going to cripple them.


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## GreyRay (Jun 15, 2010)

csuebele said:


> Do the horses "mount" in the middle of the other horse's back doing this, and do they do this on a daily basis, which can cause Repetitive Stress Syndrome?


Who the heck actually rides the same horse every day? 

And yes, our young horses play on a daily basis, they rear, and buck and kick and crawl all over eachother, daily.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Two basic methods:

1 - stand next to horse at the neck facing towards his butt, grasp the mane with the hand closest to him (Left) & take one big bouncy step with the one closest to him (left) and swing up with your other leg (right). I used to practice with my bike as a kid. Don't be surprised if you hit him in the side a few times...

2 - stand facing the horses side & then jump with both feet so you land on your belly on his back. Then wiggle your way into position. This method is a little easier as one ages...but also gives the horse plenty of opportunity to leave...

For practice, try jumping up on the side of a pickup truck bed. Once you can do that, you should be good to try your horse! I have seen a lot of cowboys practice first using the saddle horn only to jump on using the first method, then progress to bareback once they are successful using the horn.

To the mounting block people, I never use them! Can't stand the silly things & have had many horses move away from them, so why bother? If i am not limber enough to get on my horse then it is time to quit riding...have you ever seen the jockeys leap up onto a horse? Thats what I try to do...


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

im 5ft and have got on 16.3hh/17hh from the ground. I personally dont do it with my own horse (15hh) as its not good for their backs.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

GreyRay said:


> Who the heck actually rides the same horse every day?


Those of us with competition ponies who need keeping fit and schooled. Stan was worked by me 7 days a week for minimum of an hour.

When I had 4 competition ponies I rode every one of them 6 days out of 7.

Not all of us have loads of horses to ride, not all of us have the luxury of having someone else to ride thier horse and some of us have to keep competition ponies FIT for said competitions. It is commonly called having dedication. You can bet that all those top horses will be worked 7 days a week, even if it is by a groom or on a hack out.
Reeco when he goes for breaking will be worked 2-3 times a day, and I will continue that when I get him back, it will only likely be twice a day but it helps get a young horse schooled and ready for the competition season. He will be broken in january/february and I will have him at shows in april at the start of the season and he will be going correctly and be able to be ridden by any ride judge that I put him under.

It is actualy better for a horse to have regular every day work as opposed to days off because tieing up can be caused by exercise after short breaks of inactivity. It is also called monday morning disease because the london cab horses who had sunday off would often get azoutria on monday after a bit of work.


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## twh (Feb 1, 2010)

GreyRay said:


> Who the heck actually rides the same horse every day?


Uuuuhh... me? And a lot of other people I know who own multiple horses?...

Katie, are they mounting with a saddle or without?


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

This OP is about mounting bareback, not with a saddle. There is no stirrup strain causing the saddle to wrench the horse's back. It's common sense that mounting from the ground can hurt a horse's back IF done incorrectly. If done correctly I don't think it does bother or hurt the horses.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

*swing up mounting video*

This guy Endospink has a lot of wierd videos on YOutube and I remembered this one and retrieved it. He shows how you mount a tall horse with a swing up. Somewhere there's a better video explainging the physics of the technique, but the really important thing, and you can see it in the video, is the when you thro your right leg up, that you don't also raise your head up. In fact, your head must actualy swing downward to counterbalance your upward swinging leg and not deaden the momentum.
Watch the first guy who swings on and you will see his head actually dip BELOW his center for a split second. The other guy who tries and fails does not allow his head to swing downward and thus he cannot swing on.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> This guy Endospink has a lot of wierd videos on YOutube and I remembered this one and retrieved it. He shows how you mount a tall horse with a swing up. Somewhere there's a better video explainging the physics of the technique, but the really important thing, and you can see it in the video, is the when you thro your right leg up, that you don't also raise your head up. In fact, your head must actualy swing downward to counterbalance your upward swinging leg and not deaden the momentum.
> Watch the first guy who swings on and you will see his head actually dip BELOW his center for a split second. The other guy who tries and fails does not allow his head to swing downward and thus he cannot swing on.
> 
> YouTube - Endo's school of hard knocks (part 1)


Awesome video! You rock tinyliny!


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## csuebele (Oct 25, 2009)

GreyRay said:


> Who the heck actually rides the same horse every day?
> 
> And yes, our young horses play on a daily basis, they rear, and buck and kick and crawl all over eachother, daily.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Lots of people I know only have one horse and ride them every day. In fact, most everyone I know only has one horse as we don't live in a very rural area with big pastures where it's more affordable to have several horses.

And I think I was talking about horses "mounting" each other and not just young horses playing. To put it more bluntly. Does your stallions mount your mares every day for say 20 years?


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## Katie x (Aug 24, 2010)

I am not asking about mounting by putting the foot in the stirrup, thats simple...i wanto learn how to leap into the saddle like the jockeys...facing their shoulder and jumping with both feet ??


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