# thrown off my horse, now he acts up when I try to mount



## Miranda L (Nov 10, 2014)

A few weeks ago I took Ebony out for a short ride. He ended up spooking and I got thrown off. Eventually caught him and got him home. Couldn't get right back on unfortunately as the saddle slid sideways and the stirrups came off. I've been out with him lots since amd he's been fine with me grooming, tacking up, cleaning his hoofs. However, once I try to get on him he skuttle's sideways prance about and pretty much does all he can to get away.
My fiancee was holding him a couple of days ago as I mounted. I sat in the saddle talking to him as he calmed down, then I rode him around the yard for a bit and all was fine. Today he did the same thing but he manages to throw me and break away. Well, I wasn't about to let him win so I caught him and brought him back and worked him. Got in the saddle with hubby holding him again for a bit then ended on a good note. What am I doing wrong??????
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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

Welcome to the forum. Not really sure. How old is he? How long has this been happening? Are you sure the saddle is fitting? Try having someone else ride and see what happens. What have you tried so far?


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Thinking two things- 1) he's upset about the saddle sliding. Do some groundwork and really shake it all around. 2) he's sore from you falling/pulling the saddle and 3) and I think most likely even if the others are also true- he's being a little turd and taking advantage.

Do praise him when he's being good but do NOT baby him.

Do some ground work then get on.

I'd recommend NOT having someone hold him and doing some groundwork to get him to stand. If he really wants to get away it could be dangerous and make him worse to have him being held.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

were things all hunky dory before? like, has this just come on, out of the blue?

how long have you had him?

I would check the saddle fit. 
I would look at videos avaailable on line to teach good mounting skills/manners

any other recent changes? feed, companion horses, housing, turnout?


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## Miranda L (Nov 10, 2014)

Well, he is 5 years old and I have only had him since November. The previous times I rode him he was fine, until the first spook where I fell off. His saddle was ordered with a wither tracing for him, and it's not too tight. I can get three fingers in under the girth. I have my farrier coming out Wednesday morning to check his feet over. 
If I were to pull his head over to the side to prevent him from turning away as I get up in the saddle I shouldn't need someone to hold him. I also have a friend who trains horses on the side that I could get out to ride him but I would prefer to do it on my own. 
Any other tips to get him over this?
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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

It may not hurt to have your friend hop on him once just to see.

You don't necessarily need to work on "training" at this point (in the friend situation, the horse obv needs work lol)

Just wanted to add I suspect your girth may be loose.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

is this English or Western? are you mounting from a block or the ground?

you should have his inner rein a bit snugger than the outer, so that if he starts to move, it will be in a circle around you. folks that are limber can keep one foot in the stirrup, and hop on the other. 

there's training involved in getting the hrose good at mounting, costently. I have not really done that, so wont offer specifics on it. I know there are lots of threads on it, though, and some great videos.

the other thing is when he spooked, did you fall off, or did he buck you off? 
it's one thing if he spooks, horses do, and you just lost your balance. another if something spooked him and he took to bucking. that might mean he needs some work on desensitizing and learning how to spook in place.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Does your husband know you have a fiancee?:wink:

I'm not understanding how your stirrups fell off because the saddle slid sideways?


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## LoveofOTTB (Dec 7, 2014)

Ground work, ground work, ground work. work with flexing his head side to side on the ground, as well as giving his hind end and front end as well so you have better control of his body. My old mare had mounting issues at first, it took a while and a lot of circles but eventually she stood still whenever I went to mount her. I would work on flexing his head from side to side, so when you mount up you bring his head over, keep it there so if he does start to move it is smaller circles. When he stops praise him, put pressure in the stirrup see if he moves, if he doesn't move, praise him again. You keep going, putting more pressure on, almost like you are getting on him, if he moves do let up keep working at it. But praise him whenever he stands still. I did this with my mare and she stood like a dream after a while =]


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## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

natisha said:


> Does your husband know you have a fiancee?:wink:


The plot thickens... 

:rofl:


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## Miranda L (Nov 10, 2014)

Lol husband/fiancee they don't need to know about each other do they Hahaha. Jk I we've been together long enough I end up using the term husband without even realizing it 
I ride in aussie saddle to the stirrups are attached in the English style, and I mount from the ground. I think I answered everyone's questions 
I'm pretty sore today so I think we will be doing a lot of ground work....as soon as I can move that is!
Thanks for all your responses


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I'm thinking if your saddle is sliding off to the side when you go to mount maybe you might want to try a shorter girth strap.....

If you have access, try one about 4 inches shorter and see if that helps.....


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Yogiwick said:


> Thinking two things- 1) he's upset about the saddle sliding. Do some groundwork and really shake it all around. 2) he's sore from you falling/pulling the saddle and 3) and I think most likely even if the others are also true- he's being a little turd and taking advantage.
> 
> Do praise him when he's being good but do NOT baby him.
> 
> ...


I'm of a similar mind as Yogiwick. A couple of things stood out to me in your initial post. One, that you were unable to reset your saddle and stirrups after the first tumble. Second, if I read this correctly, that you were thrown as you were in the process of mounting.

I think you know how to reset your saddle. If not, then you really need to learn that. More likely, I'm guessing, is that you couldn't get the horse to stand still for you to do it. Folks are suggesting ground work. I will too, but I'll be specific. Work on "whoa". You may not get to ride much till it's done, but that horse needs a set of parking brakes. Some folks use lots of different commands, whoa for stop, stand for be still, etc. I use whoa. Whoa means stop. Right here. Right now. And don't move till I say so.

Get yourself a lead line that will reach from the halter to the tail. Don't tie your horse. Place him where you want him and give the command whoa. You may need to reinforce this with a straight down tug on the lead. Begin grooming. Each time the horse moves, put him right back where he was, give the command again, more sternly and with more tug on the line. Each time he moves do the same. You should be able to sense when he is about to move, and preempt the action. When you're done grooming, move him somewhere else. Give the command again and move away from him a bit. If he moves, put him back and do it again. As soon as he obeys, even just a little bit, praise him and put him away.

Next time, do the same with grooming. Move to another area and saddle up. Tack up completely, leaving the halter and lead under the bridle. Correct or preempt him as needed. (Use the lead for this. It irks me when folks use the bit to punish a horse.) Once you're tacked up, praise him and put him away after the first correct response. If he's normally tied for tacking and untacking, set him up for success and tie him to untack.

Next time go through the same steps. Give the command and stand as if you will mount up. Instead, do as Yogiwick suggested and work the saddle over. Tug on the stirrups, flap them around, toss them over the saddle, pull on the saddle. Pull on the girth. Do all of this from both sides, correcting as needed. Once you've worked the saddle over real good, move to another place, and start again. This time, praise him and put him away at the first correct response. 

The horse may do so well, that you can combine some of these. You'll have to decide that. 

The next step is mounting, but this is already long. I'll add my thoughts on that in another comment. Hope this helps some


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Miranda L said:


> I'm pretty sore today so I think we will be doing a lot of ground work....as soon as I can move that is!
> Thanks for all your responses



it's always the day after the day you hit the dirt that hurts the worst. I would alway be fine the day of, but the next day. OMG! I felt like i'd been run over by a truck.

hope you feel better soon.


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

I fell off my horse twice in one day learning bareback.. she started to try to shuffle away so my BO who has broken a few horses hopped on her and off her 20 or so times and corrected her if she started to move.. after that she had me get on and off a few times and praise her if she stood still.. after that she hasn't given me an issue


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## Miranda L (Nov 10, 2014)

Cordillera, I fell of during the ride. Sorry if I wasn't clear, everything was good until he spooked at something in the trees. Now he doesn't want me on him. I will definitly be trying what you said though. 
Everyone is so helpful, I truly appreciate it!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Miranda L (Nov 10, 2014)

Cordillera, I fell of during the ride. Sorry if I wasn't clear, everything was good until he spooked at something in the trees. Now he doesn't want me on him. I will definitly be trying what you said though. 
Everyone is so helpful, I truly appreciate it!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Hello again and happy New Year. Hope you're having success installing the parking brakes. I promised a follow up post on getting mounted, so here it is.

There are a couple of approaches to it. If mounting from the ground, you have to be athletic and agile enough to counter his evasive moves while dancing around with one foot in the stirrup. Others may disagree, but to me, once you've committed to mounting, you've GOT to get up there and make the corrections from the saddle. It's probably better to work with a mounting block. 

If you don't already use one, you’ll have to get the horse accustomed to it. And with the block, it is imperative that the horse stand still. The advantage is that you're already halfway up, so you can get mounted much quicker if he acts up. 

Continue the grooming sessions without tying the horse. Now, introduce the mounting block. Groom him using the block to reach high spots like his ears and back. Correct or preempt any movement away from where you placed him. Using the block, reach over his back and brush the other side. Pull on his withers, handle him all over his back, correcting as needed. Move somewhere else, get on the block and mess with his back. Again, reward the first correct response. 

Next session, add tacking up to the mix. Follow the same procedure as before. Get him accustomed to you working from over his back. When you're comfortable that he will stand, you can mount up. 

Others have mentioned concern that your girth is too loose. I agree, especially with a horse that is acting up. I work mostly green and problem horses and follow the advice from the old cowboy song; “Next comes the saddle, and I screws it down tight.” Cinch it up, walk the horse around a bit, making some tight turns left and right, then tighten it up again. 
For mounting, I usually stand close and face the horses rear with the stirrup twisted to match. That way, if the horse moves, the horses’ motion helps to swing you into position. Use the mane instead of the pommel for support. Your saddle has already turned on you once. The mane isn’t going anywhere. Swing onto the horse in one smooth motion. If he moves while this is happening, give him a firm and confident “whoa”. Remember it is a command, not a request. Your choice whether or not to make any physical corrections until you’re secure in the saddle. At any rate, make him stand for several seconds to half a minute before you cue him to walk off. Walk him around a bit, then dismount.
At this point, I will often do what I call the “up and down drill”. I won’t dismount completely. I will swing my off leg over, stand in the on side stirrup, then get reseated. I’ll do this several times. Sometimes putting my off foot on the ground or mounting block, but not taking my on side foot out of the stirrup. Then I walk the horse around some more, and do the drill again. Stop the first time the horse stands still for the complete dismount procedure.
Repeat these until the horse stands consistently for mounting and dismounting.
To address the problem that started all of this, read Cheries’ post http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/how-we-train-fearless-trail-horse-99776/
, and TXhorsemans’ detailed and informative posts on balanced riding. Hope this has helped.


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

I don't have much to add to these great responses.

Just one thought. If the saddle slipped that far over to the side... Any chance it's too narrow? A saddle tree that's too narrow will easily slip sideways. It would also be quite painful to the horse when it does shift sideways, as the tree points would dig into the muscle below the withers. He might be both sore and worried about it happening again, if that happened.


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## Miranda L (Nov 10, 2014)

Awesome Cordillera Cowboy! The freezing temps here have prevented me from doing too much with Ebony lately (-37 w/ wind!) I will be putting you advice to work!
Freia, the saddle is an aussie fit for him from downunder saddle supply.  I think I just didn't having quite tight enough. I will tightening the girth more here on out lol 
Thanks again guys!
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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Glad you're finding it helpful. Stay warm and keep us posted on your progress.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If your horse wants to move when you wish to mount him then play his game and make him move. The direction doesn't matter, forward, sideways, backward for about half a minute then don't pet him or talk to him but matter of factly just bring him back to where you mount and get on. If he fusses again, repeat the moving of his feet only add on another 15 seconds. He's starting to sort this out but may not have grasped the concept yet. Again return and mount and do it with confidence. If he needs a third time add yet another 15 seconds. Don't allow much forward movement as that's easiest on him but mix it up as the other movements are more tiring as he's not built for them. I doubt he'll need a fourth time but the odd one does. By now he should have figured out that his fussing has resulted in him doing things he really doesn't want to do. When you trail ride, keep your focus on the trail ahead, a good hundred feet ahead. This aligns your body and tells the horse where you're going. Do keep his feet busy by circling trees and rocks especially if you feel even a hint of tension in his body or if his head comes up or he starts gawking. He's planning something and you need to diffuse it immediately with the small circles and not just one or two but until you feel he'd like to quit then do one more - always on your terms.


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## Trey37 (Jan 9, 2015)

I had that same problem and this is what I did. I would put my foot in the stirrup and step up and when the horse took off and I would run him in a circle on a lunge line for a minute or two. Then I would step up in the stirrup and he took off again. After about 5 sets of lunging he got the idea and would stand while I mounted. Now if he does it i usually only have to lunge him once and quits misbehaving right away. Same method was used to get him to load on the trailer as well. He learns that misbehaving causes him to have to work really hard. Good luck


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

Trey37 said:


> I had that same problem and this is what I did. I would put my foot in the stirrup and step up and when the horse took off and I would run him in a circle on a lunge line for a minute or two. Then I would step up in the stirrup and he took off again. After about 5 sets of lunging he got the idea and would stand while I mounted. Now if he does it i usually only have to lunge him once and quits misbehaving right away. Same method was used to get him to load on the trailer as well. He learns that misbehaving causes him to have to work really hard. Good luck


The key word here is "really hard". Gentle lunging isn't going to work, right?


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## Trey37 (Jan 9, 2015)

Blue said:


> The key word here is "really hard". Gentle lunging isn't going to work, right?


I would lunge as gentle as possible but as firm as necessary. I would say at least a canter is necessary.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

I guess my point was that I've seen people use this method (that works!) but just gently pokey lunge instead of making the work more uncomfortable than mounting/loading/crossing whatever.


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