# Mounting from the ground



## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I have a 15h + horse and I weigh bout 160 lbs now. I have always been skinny until the past couple of years but never very flexible. I have to rely on hillside, park benches, retaining walls etc,. to get back on my horse. I hate it because I remember the days I could swing up on a horse bareback. Now I can't even get my foot in the stirrup and he isn't that tall. I ride with a friend who is much older than me and she can mount her 17h with no problem from the ground.. What is wrong with me?


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Depends. If your foot can't reach the stirrup then you should work on your flexibility. If you can't hoist yourself up then you might have to experiment with different ways of grabbing on and pulling up.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

Barring any joint or medical problems, not much else to say other than you are out of shape and in need of some strength and flexibility training.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Joe is (as usual) probably right, but it doesn't help for the moment. They make things to help. I feel your pain..........

E-ZUP Stirrup Extender


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

My best suggestion, OP, is to really start working on your flexibility. Since you appear to be so tight, it will take a long time to get your tendons and muscles stretched out where it will be comfortable for you to get your foot up and into the stirrup easily. Until such time as you feel flexible enough to mount without assistance, you can use something like what Celeste posted or something like one of these as well.
Horse Mounting Stirrup, EZ Mount Western Riding Aid,
Amazon.com: Cashel Step-Up Stirrup: Pet Supplies





 


As for stretches that will help, I have had the most luck with hurdler stretches









Butterfly Stretches









And glute stretches









Plus, pretty much any other stretch you can find that will help to lengthen/loosen the muscles and tendons in your thighs, hips, and lower back. I strongly advise at least 2 stretching sessions daily, _every_ day.


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## Breella (May 26, 2012)

Don't forgot to strengthen your upper body too! I'm rather flexiable, but heavy and lacking top strength so I have trouble pulling myself up.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Nothing is wrong with you. You're out of physical fitness shape. 

Low impact work with a focus on stretching should help build up your muscle slowly and cause no real stress to your joined (mainly hip and knee) and in time those joints will become stronger.

DO NOT MOUNT FROM THE GROUND AT THE MOMENT. You will strain your knees and hips and be in a world of hurt.

Build up to it, slowly. And make sure your diet is including, or at least supplementing, the vitamins and minerals and aminos that you need to function properly.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Work on your left leg. Find something not as high as your stirrup but higher than you can easily lift your foot, and spend time with your left foot on it & your right foot on the ground. Increase the height as able.

Same with stepping. Your arms are not there to pull you on the horse. They are there to keep you from going sideways. Your leg makes you go up. Find something shorter, but still a challenge, then step up-down, up-down, repeat until tired. As you get stronger, find something higher to challenge you.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Breella said:


> Don't forgot to strengthen your upper body too! I'm rather flexiable, but heavy and lacking top strength so I have trouble pulling myself up.


Thing is - you really aren't meant to "pull yourself up" - proper mounting technique is more about leg/lower body than arms/upper body


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

Yuck stretches and workouts!!! Now you see where my problem lies. A few years ago I only weighed 120 and I was very active. Hiked alot and other stuff. I don't know what happened to me I am just getting old fat and lazy, but I'm too lazy to do anything about it. I am a mechanic which is a very physical and stressful job and when I get home from work the last thing I want to do is workout lol. I like those stirrup extender things but I really need to get back into shape. Thanks all of you for kicking my but into gear lol.


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## Silent one (Aug 22, 2011)

Deep knee bends help too.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I suppose that not eating so much food helps too. That's what I need to do. Quit eating food.............


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

But food is so very very good. And I like beer too which doesn't help with the empty cals lol.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

When I quit drinking beer, I lost a lot of weight. I guess ice-cream should be next on my hit list............


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

Celeste-- I will get my mom to buy your book cause she has a kindle and she loves animals and she also has a book published on kindle called "Molly Eiderdowns journal" By Elaine Berrier.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I always used to mount from the ground, can even swing up bareback and my flexibility is second to none (I kickbox). However when I started with a new instructor, she told me not to, use a mounting block. Easier on your horse's back and easier on your tack, makes sense, & in your case, easier on you.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Cool. I'll check out her book.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Waresbare, it is easier on the horse to use a mounting block, but what are you supposed to do 5 miles from nowhere?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Celeste said:


> Waresbare, it is easier on the horse to use a mounting block, but what are you supposed to do 5 miles from nowhere?


 
Lol, true enough. Do like my hubby does when he rides my horse, 16 HH & hubby has no flexibility, use a stump or a hill or try your damnest not to have to get off!:lol:


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I don't mount from the ground. What would be really cool is if I could train Sky to lay down for me while I get on, camel style!

I don't think that's likely to happen anytime soon so I'll stick to mounting blocks, fences, upside down buckets, benches, hay bails, patio steps, etc.

Shhh about the patio steps.. my BM would SHOOT me..


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

Yeah I try only to get off when I see a good place to get back on. If I fall off then I just walk until I can find a good place to get on. I learned to be resourceful when it comes to mounting but I am frankly a little jealous of those who can swing right up there. Even when I was a young teen and had my first horse I dreampt of being able to swing up like the indians but I was always stuck with a bench or a leg up from a friend. I honestly was never a flexible person no matter what shape i was in.


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## Spirit Lifter (Apr 23, 2012)

Your probably doing this but I didn't see it mentioned so here goes. Make sure you do step number two below.

1. Put left foot in stirrup
2. Bend right knee and jump with the muscles in that one leg to get you half way up
3. Then use the muscle in your left leg to push yourself the rest of the way

Seems obvious but make sure step two is as big a jump as you can get with that one leg! It helped me.

It still stinks when you have to mount in the woods. I hate it too!


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## Silent one (Aug 22, 2011)

oops, wrong quote


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## Silent one (Aug 22, 2011)

Celeste said:


> I suppose that not eating so much food helps too. That's what I need to do. Quit eating food.............


Food is the enemy......


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## clippity clop (May 1, 2012)

I am 4'11 with a 26 inch inseam. I know ALL about having to find things in the surrounding terrain so I can remount..lol. And staying on is not an option. We do hard trail rides an average of 10 miles with a stop in the middle for lunch. No way to "hold it" that long.  I am working on my flexibility quotient though. I think it will help.:wink:


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

At 14.2 h, Casper isn't that hard to remount when I have to get off on the trail, but JJ at 15.2 is a different story.

I had a bad riding wreck at 30 y/o that made me unable to lift my left leg high enough to mount from the ground. It's easy to find enough of a rise to get back on a pony-sized horse, but a taller one has been more of a challenge so I bought this last week:

Easy-Mount Step Stool in Trail Riding / Accessories at Schneider Saddlery

Haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but I'm hoping it solves the 'must find a tree stump' dilemma when remounting on the trail.


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## Spirit Lifter (Apr 23, 2012)

Speed Racer, let us know how you like it or pm me.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

SpiritLifter said:


> Speed Racer, let us know how you like it or pm me.


Will do. I'll know in several weeks whether or not it was a good buy. From all the reviews, people seem to like it. 

I go riding with my equally mounting-challenged neighbor, so this will probably be a boon to her as well. We old broads still like to ride, it's just getting back on that can be a hassle! :wink:


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I also want to hear how well it works out. It looks like it might be in the way on the saddle. Does it fold up nicely?

It sucks getting old.................


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

It only folds up into a triangle. I may have to sew loops on the bag in order for it not to jostle around on the saddle. Since I'll be tying it to the dee rings on my English saddle, I need a way to keep it from bouncing around too much.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I think I'll buy one and try it out. Yesterday my wife was riding our 13 hand mustang. We had to dismount for a barbed wire gate. She had spent the previous two days working 12 hour shifts as a nurse, and she barely made it back into the saddle. Happily, little Cowboy stood patiently for her. But at 54, I'll admit my mare is getting taller every month...don't know how an 11 year old horse does that!


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## HagonNag (Jul 17, 2010)

Advancing age plus arthritis plus the pleasures of the table have made mounting from the ground impossible. Don't laugh, but the tailgate of the truck is exactly level with my horse's stirrups. Works for me. No strain on the horse either! On the trail I have used stumps, logs, picnic tables and my horse stands quietly in ditches. Straddling a log is the easiest. Now, if I ever find myself on the great plains, I'll probably be out of luck, but for the last 11 years it's worked for me. I get some looks when starting out, but what the heck, they probably just hope they're still riding when their hair is as white as mine!
LOL


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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

Sam grew on me over the winter. He was around 14 hh and he is now over 15. When I first bought him I could easily move my left foot into the stirrup without using my hands. Now I have to use a hand to get my foot securely in the stirrup. It's not a flexibility issue, it's that the stirrup is just too dang high now! I am 5'3" not much over ideal body weight, relatively active.

It shouldn't be that hard for me, but it is.

I have found that when I *remember* to stand close to Sam, it is not as difficult. Also, I started mounting using his mane/neck rather than my saddle. I believe many people will argue that this is how you SHOULD mount a western saddle, but it wasn't taught to me. I overheard people talking one day and that was how I was clued in. Once my foot is in the stirrup and I have a handful of neck/mane, I push my hips in towards my left leg and begin putting weight into the stirrup. I give a little pre-cursor bounce and then really push off with my right leg immediately transferring my weight into the left stirrup and hoisting myself over.

Not very pretty but I get into the saddle without plopping onto Sam's back. I really wish he had not grown. :-|

I am fortunate that he doesn't mind my toes in his ribs. I keep trying not to dig into him but it is hard. The last time I gave him a toe in the ribs he looked back and I reminded him that at 4 yrs of age he had no business growing an entire hand and then some!


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

My horse is overly sensitive about mounting. She stands like a statue if you go on and mount. If you hang on to her side and pull and tug, she may spook, panic, and run off. I don't know if it is that it really does hurt her or that she is just psycho. I use a mounting block. I got dumped a couple of months or so ago on a trail. I was able to find a ditch to put her in and I didn't have any trouble remounting. If there had been no place to put her, I might have had a hard time.


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## Oreos Girl (May 24, 2011)

My friend has one of those folding steps. And Celeste can tell you there is no way for me to mount from the ground. She has a very handy brother that exchanged the legs to like 15 inches instead of 10. I can use it to mount Oreo if I have then a little ground advantage like a hill. It does fold up nicely. I tie it to the front of the saddle and it isn't really in the way. 5 feet isn't really enough string to hold while mounting (and is the trickest part), but we just added a longer string. Now that she has moved away, I need to get one for myself.


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## Eileen (Aug 25, 2010)

I used to be able to mount from the ground when I was younger not now. I use a mounting block or whatever is handy and works well for me and Toby is much happier that I mount much more gentle on her back.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Hey Oreos Girl!
I guess we do need to ride again.
Yes, people, Oreo is a bit tall.....................


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## GreenBackJack (Feb 23, 2012)

Speed Racer said:


> At 14.2 h, Casper isn't that hard to remount when I have to get off on the trail, but JJ at 15.2 is a different story.
> 
> I had a bad riding wreck at 30 y/o that made me unable to lift my left leg high enough to mount from the ground. It's easy to find enough of a rise to get back on a pony-sized horse, but a taller one has been more of a challenge so I bought this last week:
> 
> ...


Why thank you! I didn't know about this and it is the perfect gift for a buddy of mine. I know she will absolutely love it.


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

SpiritLifter said:


> Your probably doing this but I didn't see it mentioned so here goes. Make sure you do step number two below.
> 
> 1. Put left foot in stirrup
> 2. Bend right knee and jump with the muscles in that one leg to get you half way up
> ...


Step 2 really is important. Getting a good quick lift from the right leg can make the whole thing a LOT easier. Also, either grabbing a handful of mane or grabbing the front of the saddle skirt rather than the horn or high up on the swell helps too. If you pull up by the horn, there's a long moment-arm pulling sideways on the saddle. Grabbing the skirt puts the "pull" right down next to where the "resistance" is and the saddle shouldn't move as much....

Mounting from the ground really is a good skill to have and to keep if you ride anywhere other than in the arena or near the barn. Shoot, when I rode as a kid, we didn't know there was any other way... ;-)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

SpiritLifter said:


> Speed Racer, let us know how you like it or pm me.


They do work. I mean, it's not all that high, but the little bit of advantage it offers can make the difference. I bought my wife one last year.

If I had a too-tall-to-mount-from-the-ground horse, I'd carry one...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I never even thought of using a mounting block until the last couple of years. Then something happened. I think it is something to do with the passing of years......


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## grullagirl (Apr 30, 2012)

Dont be too hard on yourself...i am 5'10 and 130 lbs and almost 40....back in high school i used to be able to swing my leg over my mares bare back and get on....triesd a few weeks ago....Not a chance! I ended up kneeing Tanner in the belly....lol. He didnt find it too funny!


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

I think nothing really improves with age (except maybe wine), and I find the older I get, the more I have to work at what used to come easily. I stretch daily, more to keep my not-right back under control than to help mount from the ground, but it really does help (and I am super lazy.. i should stretch twice daily and do sometimes.. but normally its once a day for about 10 min in the morning).

A friend's 17.3 draft cross acted up on a ride and I was asked to school him briefly. To say there was nothing to help me mount was an understatement. In fact, people bet me lunch I wouldn't be able to get on him from the ground unassisted:










I won lunch. :lol:


So while I identify with being inherently lazy, take just 10 minutes a day and stretch. You will be amazed at the results!!

[FYI, I can't think of the last time I mounted Dream from the ground.. I can and will use anything and everything around to mount from. Best thing so far was the side of the running fire truck which was refilling a water tank.. the firemen were a lot more alarmed about it than my mare!]


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## BlooBabe (Jul 7, 2012)

SpiritLifter said:


> Your probably doing this but I didn't see it mentioned so here goes. Make sure you do step number two below.
> 
> 1. Put left foot in stirrup
> 2. Bend right knee and jump with the muscles in that one leg to get you half way up
> ...


Make sure you're on good dry footing though. I tried this 'old fashioned' way once and ended up slipping under my horse .


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

12-13 years ago, I was asked by a CTR judge to pretend I had a broken arm and to mounting with out using my left arm. I took that as one of my usually challenges and went home and taught all my horses to side pass _Toward Me_.

I now find a bump, a rock, a log, a fence rail, a gate. Anything that I can stand on that elevates me slightly and ask my horses to side pass into position so I can stand on that object and mount. I can ( and often do mount off the ground) But it's just easier on me and the horses if I can find something to stand on.

My horses learned the command in 5 minutes and after practicing each day for week, it become something they mind pretty well. I hold my left hand on the reins and hold my Right Hand up in the air. Horses know that means to side pass toward me.

When you first teach it. Hold a crop or carrot stick in your right hand and tap the horse on the far side to get him to move off the pressure and toward you. After they learn which way to move. Usually just holding your arm in the air is enough direction.


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## bbsmfg3 (Aug 12, 2010)

I do believe most of this is just plain getting ancient.

One of these days I have to video the wife getting on her 16.2 hd horse. She can not even think of getting her foot in the stirp from the ground.

She finds something to stand on, then the show begins. She ask him to move 1/2 step here, then a 1/4 step there, and back and for he goes until he is just right and she mounts. The comical parts is he usually starts out just right in the beginning(he's done it enough) and only moves around at her request to please her. But, he is patient, and does what ever she asks. Never saw a horse with his patience and huge engine. Never gets excited. She races him, travels trails at 25 + mph around curves, most things that would get the average horse excited. Not Ace, he does it, then when she stops, he takes a couple deep breaths and just stands there waiting for her next request.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Bob, if she wants to sell that horse, let me know.


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## Griffith361 (May 3, 2012)

Skyseternalangel said:


> I don't mount from the ground. What would be really cool is if I could train Sky to lay down for me while I get on, camel style!
> 
> I've thought about this option too! Haha not for everyday use but an emergency situation or if I have a major tack malfunction. Does anyone do this or know someone who's tried? It's not a difficult trick to teach as long as the horse is on a nice forgiving surface. I don't even want him to fully lay down, just bowing would suffice.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

Griffith361 said:


> Skyseternalangel said:
> 
> 
> > I don't mount from the ground. What would be really cool is if I could train Sky to lay down for me while I get on, camel style!
> ...


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## bbsmfg3 (Aug 12, 2010)

Celeste said:


> Bob, if she wants to sell that horse, let me know.


You and a, dozen or more others, would like to have this horse. He is probably one of the ten fastest racking horses in the country. He tops at 36 mph in a full rack, smooth as glass. He has the smoothest gait, at any speed, of any horse I've ever seen.

The last offer on him was $36,000.00. And they could offer me a million for him and I would not sell him. He takes care of the wife and keeps her active. That's worth more than money.

He was a rescue horse. And the cheapest gaited horse I've ever bought. I knew he would be great before I bought him, and figured since he was 13.2 hands at 30 months old, he'd probably top out at 14.2 to 14.3 hands, but no, not this one. He is still growing and he is now 9 yrs old, and 16.2 hands. He is not replaceable.


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## BlooBabe (Jul 7, 2012)

Griffith361 said:


> I've thought about this option too! Haha not for everyday use but an emergency situation or if I have a major tack malfunction. Does anyone do this or know someone who's tried? It's not a difficult trick to teach as long as the horse is on a nice forgiving surface. I don't even want him to fully lay down, just bowing would suffice.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I taught my first draft to lay down so I could mount and the ones I work with now I teach to bow or bend their leg to help the rider mount. It's easy to teach, the hard part is getting them to stay in the bow or keep their leg up when they feel weight added. Some horses lose balance and don't like it. My horse lays down for me to get on but mostly I just stand on things or extend my stirrup to accommodate my lack of height.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

bbsmfg3 said:


> The last offer on him was $36,000.00. He is not replaceable.


If anybody wants my horse for $36,000, please let me know. I like my horse a lot, but I could buy another horse and if I turned down that much money, she would probably step in a hole, break her leg, and die.


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

Two of my horses are so round that the saddle has nothing to 'grab' onto, so mounting from the ground isn't an option for me. :lol: (It sucks considering one is my main trail horse.) The saddle fits, but isn't a custom saddle so it is not perfectly crafted for their mutton withers. Stretching helps to limber up, also when mounting we say 'rein in the mane' rather than one on the horn and other on the cantle, we put our hand with the reins on their neck with a handful of mane, and the other hand on the saddle horn. This prevents the saddle from sliding and the reliance on heaving yourself up and wrenching on the horse's back.

Aside from hills, rocks, and stumps, another thing I find useful is mounting from the offside. All of my horses are trained to be mounted from either side, and my left side is considerably weaker than my right. I find I can easily stretch my right leg into the stirrup, mainly due to the fact that every fall I've taken I landed on my left. I think that adds to the fact that I am right-handed so I naturally favor my right side.

Other than that, my general mounting routine is a quick stretch, dancing around as I struggle to pull up my pants, find a good spot, and then writhing my way into the saddle. A better fitness level is always helpful, even being a bit stretchier can make a huge difference. I am more on the boat of not dismounting unless it will be easy to mount again, or I did not make the choice of dismounting. 

A side note, my friend, who is maybe 5'4", has a 4 year old gelding I am training for her. The gelding is about 16 hands and his main use will be trail riding. She clearly didn't think that one thru.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Well, I read most of the thread, but not all so forgive me if this has already been covered. I don't see where you mentioned how tall you are? I am a short person, and after 15 hh it gets a lot harder for me to mount.


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## thenrie (Sep 10, 2012)

Here you see my 78 year-old dad demonstrating his technique for mounting a large horse (15-hand Haflinger). He says having a large and powerful muscle in the middle of your belt region is necessary for this technique.:lol:


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## SueNH (Nov 7, 2011)

5'4" inches, chubby and full of arthritis. My 16 hand mare is near impossible for me to mount from the ground. I carry a stirrup extender in a fanny pack. I also live in a land full of old stone walls, drainage ditches and logging stumps. Not afraid to use them.


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## Wolfetrap (Jan 7, 2013)

If you can use a mounting block or something that to step on then mount, less strain on your horse's back. If you can't do that, put your stirrup down a hole or two.


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## Wolfetrap (Jan 7, 2013)

P.S. I'm 5'9,135lbs and flexible and I look like an idiot when I have to get on my 17.1h warmblood from the ground...I do everything in my power to use a step!


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

thenrie said:


> Here you see my 78 year-old dad demonstrating his technique for mounting a large horse (15-hand Haflinger). He says having a large and powerful muscle in the middle of your belt region is necessary for this technique.:lol:


The gun helps too. Nothing like a .45 for convincing a horse that "Don't move" MEANS "Don't move"...:lol:


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

After my several failed attempts yesterday at trying to get on my horse bareback I have decided it's time for more exercise and stretching lol. I had to get a running start and then wiggle and claw the rest of the way up. I'm sure dressed to the point of a marshmallow doesn't help but I'm 5'8" and my horse is 14.1hh and slender.... 

And with a saddle it is still pathetic, but I'm blaming that on all my winter gear which is rather restricting in the stretch area lol. Oh how I'm glad for such a tolerant pony...


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