# what works for getting your horse to stand when mounted?



## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

I actually posted a long time ago about this, but I would like everyone's opinions again. How did you guys teach your horses to stand still when being mounted? My mare still has this habit of moving around when I try to get on. Sometimes she'll stand for me, but she's not very consistent with this. I was thinking of making a day out of it and working on just that with her. Does ground-tying help? What works? 

Thanks!


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## RedHawk (Jun 16, 2008)

Hmmm... my current riding horse is pretty good, he'll just stand and let me get on, occasionally he'll take a couple of steps, but that's it. My old mare however is a shocker. She'll just walk off with you hanging half out of the saddle with an attitude that says "Let me know when you make it up there."
One thing I have been doing however, to prevent my horse from having a little bucking fit when i try to get on, as he sometimes feels inclined to do, is flex his head around to my toe while i get on. 
Haven't tried this with my mare yet, but you could try flexing her around at a standstill, and if she walks in a circle, let her walk around until she stops and then get on her. It may not work, but it can't hurt to try.
Interested to see what others say.


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## bevie (Feb 15, 2009)

Hi i went though a phase of my horse taking off as soon as my bum hit the saddle.After much frustration i decided to do ground work with him -moving backwards forwards sidewards ect.Only allowing him to move his feet when i directed him.I then transfered this to me getting on.If he moved whilst mounting i got off and repositioned his feet and then tried again.It took some patience i can tell you but we eventually conveyed the message to him.He now his a pleasure to mount.I dont no whether this was the right way but i found it worked for us.bevie


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Montana used to be quite bad about this. Usually when he had a saddle on.Bareback he took care of me.
But what I did do was not get on him until he stood and didn't take a step.
Anytime he would move, I would hop off the mounting block and re-align him.
I guess it got to be too tedious for him or it finally clicked as to what to do.

With Vega I still need to work with her on the mounting block, but she'll stand if I just mount from the ground.

Groung tying might help, I haven't tried it. But I do teach my guys that when I say stand to stand, and it seems to help, as I say "stand" when I place them by the mounting block or place where I get on.

eta
It's always good to take a day out and just work on standing still for mounting. Remember to do it from both sides too


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

Remember to always hold your right rein tighter than your left... that way if your horse moves off, she will most likely move to the right, which will bring her hind end closer instead of away.


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

The way I've always been taught and that I choose to teach others is this...
Teach your horse to flex laterally if they don't already know how. Teach them what a one rein stop is. When mounting bring your left rein around and ask for a one rein stop. If your horse chooses to move, then continue holding until they understand the purpose of the pressure. Once mounted continue holding for a moment, then release. Don't move off. Let your horse sit for a few minutes. Then back and roll back over itself to begin forward motion.
Something else that would be beneficial is to teach your horse the meaning of "whoa" with out rein contact. Whoa means stop all movement and that will help with the mounting issue.

It works if your patient and its a lot more reliable that just pulling back on the reins and hoping your horse will listen that day.


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

First I do ground prep with the horse. When the saddle is on I flap the fenders/leathers hard against the saddle until the horse is calm and relaxed with that. It's a good thing to have your horse desensitized to for safety reasons. Then I'll go to the mounting block, fence, etc. and I then teach my horse to come pick me up, where all I have to do now is stand up on something and my horse aligns himself right where I need him to for me to hop on, either on the left or the right. I don't have to position him myself, my horse just does it automatically. It's so cool! Then when I get on if the horse moves, say 2 steps, I will back him 4 and ask him to wait. If he moves 3 steps I back him 6 and ask him to wait....see the pattern? When you get on you want to instill a pattern of "Hurry up and wait." A lot of horses have the pattern of "Hurry up and go!" which is very dangerous. Each and every time I get on I sit there for a minute or two, I never just get on and walk off. This is a positive pattern horses need to get into.


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## koomy56 (Jan 19, 2008)

All good answers, but one thing that I swear by, and I don't use any other method and it works in minutes. 
You can do this if you are on a mounting block, or just on the ground. If you have ahorse that stands still for mounting, but walks off when you get into the saddle I would recommend you training your horse from a mounting block. 
Anyway, climb up on your mounting block, or get in position on the ground. Guide your horse up to you by pulling on the rein closest to you. If he takes a step forward without swinging his hind end away, stop and praise for each step. If he swings his hind end away, simply pull his head to your right, and wave him back over with your left hand. This will re-align the horse to be mounted. Then you repeat to get him closer. Any effort on the horse's part to stand still or to not move away, just stop for a moment and love on him. The second he goes to walk away, or move his hind end away, pull his head back and swings his hind end over with your arms, or if you have a dull horse use a whip to wave in the air.
This takes seconds, and it is very clear to the horse that the only place of peace is next to you, parallel to the mounting block, and standing quiet. 
If your horse understands, but moves when you go to put your foot in the stirrup, do not mount. Repeat until he stands quiet. 
Be careful not to pull down on the bit, or punish the horse for moving with the bit. Simply use it as a re-direction. 
If this does not make enough sense, I'd be happy to do a short video for you.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Spirithorse said:


> First I do ground prep with the horse. When the saddle is on I flap the fenders/leathers hard against the saddle until the horse is calm and relaxed with that. It's a good thing to have your horse desensitized to for safety reasons.


Desensitizing to noise and the fenders hitting the horse is not the same as a horse moving when you attempt to mount.

Our method is to make the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy. If the horse moves when you go to mount, you make the horse move. I will say move, move, move. Small trot circles, backing them up, sidepass, in hand work. When I go to mount I will say stand. If they move, the process is repeated.

You also have to think about how you are getting on the horse. Are you dragging yourself on and plopping hard on their back? If your horse is tall, then a mounting block is a good choice until you develop the leg and abdomen muscles to allow you to 'spring and light' into the saddle.


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

What I'm saying mls is that moving the fenders PREPARES the horse to be CONFIDENT for me getting on. Sometimes horses will move because they are nervous so desensitizing them to the fenders being flung about is a great way to get them more confident.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Spirithorse said:


> What I'm saying mls is that moving the fenders PREPARES the horse to be CONFIDENT for me getting on. Sometimes horses will move because they are nervous so desensitizing them to the fenders being flung about is a great way to get them more confident.


How does moving the fenders make the horse confident?


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

When you slap the fenders on the saddle it can make the horse unsure, they'll usually walk around and try to get away from it. This is a "pre-flight check" before you get on. If the horse can't tolorate that then that is a hole that should be fixed. When you desensitize your horse to that kind of commotion he becomes more confident in more "extreme" situations. So when you get on, if something were to happen you can bank on the fact that the fender slapping the horse on the side, etc. would not spook him.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

It depends on the horse and what discipline you ride (only having to do with tack). Some horses, the bending the nose to the side will work and others will just start walking or trotting in a circle which can actually make it harder to get on than if they were going straight. If you ride in a western saddle, you can keep one hand on the saddle horn and pull on the reins while still hanging off the side. That would be pretty hard to do in an english saddle. One thing, I never dawdle while getting on or off. I just put my foot in the stirrup and get it done. Sometimes, if you hang on the side for what the horse considers too long, even a well fitting saddle can start to pinch and cause them to move. Make sure that you are not poking them in the stomach with your toe signaling them to move. Lots of times, a young horse just needs work (I always work with that after a long ride when they are tired. That makes them more willing to stand still). If the horse is older, it may be a learned habit that comes from riders that are asking them to go as soon a weight hits the saddle or maybe they were never taught to stand from when they were young. Once you get into the saddle, backing, bending, and circles will keep the horses mind off of "okay, your aboard. LETS GO!!" They will get used to standing still while you bend and flex them and will not be so concerned with moving. Spirithorse, that is always a good idea with a young horse because sometimes, it is the movement of the fender that spooks them and causes them to move, but it could also be 100 other reasons that they are walking away.


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## cowgurlskikass (Feb 23, 2009)

I've had my 7 year old since he was a yearling and when I started training him if he moved while I was attempting to mount I told him whoa and put pressure on the reins. I've never had any problems with mounting him, in fact he stands like a rock, until I tell him to move. I'm fairly short 5'1" and sometimes I have to really stretch to get my foot in the stirrup, so that has really always been one of my pet peeves.


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## onetoomany (Dec 10, 2008)

Spirithorse, I don't think OP is asking for ways to desensitize her horse. Also- what type of saddle are you riding in where your fenders would move around enough to spook a broke horse? If you've ever seen a broke horse have a problem with fenders, please describe it. Most broke horses are fairly accustomed to fender movement; I'm guessing that Jubilee is talking about a fairly broke horse that just walks off when mounted. I agree with smrobs that moving the fenders around on a young horse is good but I really don't think this is the case.

I tend to lean more toward the method mls describes, make the good thing easy and wrong thing hard.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Ah, this one horse at my barn does this. A LOT. He's stopped so far...but I think it's because as Appy said, it got too tedious for him. I did the same thing- if he moved, I'd re-position him until he stood still. He got a bit ancy about it, but finally started to listen.  He's improved a lot. It was so frustrating sometimes.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Thanks for your advice guys!

I realized I should have been more clear with my question. Jubilee is most of the time fine with standing still _while_ I get on, but she starts to move the moment _I'm in the saddle_. :?


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## centrestableswendy (Dec 21, 2008)

I had to laugh when I saw this thread. I fell of Stevie last night, and it was about 5 feet from the mounting block, lol. I was riding in my new saddle for the first time, and had breeches and tall boots on for the first time as well, so I was trying to get used to some major changes right off the bat. I had my left foot in the stirrup, and had just started to swing my right leg over. She decided to walk away before I was completely on. I swung my leg over, but didn't have a chance to pick up my right stirrup. I leaned over and wrapped my arms around her neck, and when I did, she casually turned left and I rolled off over her right shoulder and landed flat on my tush, facing backwards. It was very entertaining for everyone else, but my butt is now 3 different shades of black and blue, lol. There was absolutely no point to this post, I just thought everyone could use a good laugh!


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

onetoomany, you aren't reading my posts clearly. I said that moving the fenders PREPARES THE HORSE TO BE MOUNTED....because if the horse moves when you get on, then obviously a step before hand has not been done, otherwise the horse would not move. It's all about proper preperation. 

And a regular western saddle's fenders will move. I just hold the stirrup and flap it up and down. And if the horse is fine with it, great, I don't need to dwell on it. But it's ALWAYS worth a check, no matter how old or "broke" the horse is. There is no harm is checking to make sure your horse is okay with it.


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## TwendeHaraka (Oct 5, 2008)

Jubilee Rose said:


> Thanks for your advice guys!
> 
> I realized I should have been more clear with my question. Jubilee is most of the time fine with standing still _while_ I get on, but she starts to move the moment _I'm in the saddle_. :?


Ugh, mine used to do this all the time.

What I did was the same as what I would have done if he was moving while I was trying to get on... If he moved, I'd back him a step or two, make him stand, get on. If he moved before I was ready, I'd hop off, back him, make him stand, get on. And over and over. It took him five or six times that once to get it, and only once the time after that. Don't get frustrated with her, just keep doing it calmly and as many times as you need. Sooner or later, she should stand still. This worked with mine.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

one thing that I did notice about both Montana and Vega is that, if I took up rein contact while I was mounting, there was a greater chance for them to walk off when I got on.
So what I started doing was grab near the buckle, have my had on the reins and then hold onto the pommel (of an english saddle) and gently get on. It has worked every time (unless they are really frisky, but a quick "whoa" and sometimes a squeeze on the reins is all I need. And if they do that, I'll wait a bit longer and really get situated before I tell them its ok to go.

I would experiment with a few different things to see which she and you like better.


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## happygoose123 (Jan 19, 2009)

Chucky use to be a shocker to mount!!!! To teach him to stand still i flexed his nose to my toes while i was getting on. If her moved in a circle i would wait for a few steps, if her kept going i would use voice command, and if he still kept going in a circle i would give him a wack on the shoulder. He eventually learned to stand still and now he is easy to get on. However, he has been sick so i havent riden him in about 6 months. I can start riding him again in a few weeks so ill have to start all over again with everything!!!! ugh!!! and he started off with so many bad habbits!!! Hopefully he has forgotten most of them!! lol oh well!


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## barefoothooves (Sep 6, 2007)

One tip for you, as a rider, is to settle in your saddle and ALWAYS hesitate a moment before you ask your horse to move off. It teaches them to wait for you to cue them. 

In the mean time, practice, practice, practice, getting off and on, without going anywhere. If he walks off before you cue him, make him work hard. Circles, yields and backing up, then stop, wait, dismount, and try again. He'll get the point,eventually, but you will both be tired if he's stubborn. Initially you may even have someone hold him while you mount, and then work to having them just standing there, then to going farther away, while you mount/dismount and he stands. If he makes a mistake, go back to the step that worked just previous. Also, make a habit to sometimes mount and dismount without going anywhere. Lead him somewhere else, mount, wait a minute, then ride. 

Something I alwasy do when I mount up, besides hesitate before I ask for movement, but right after that, I always ask my horse to yield his head to either side once or twice each, more if he isn't soft, and yield his hindquarters over. This is the foundation for an emergency stop, and it's a little reminder for your horse. A sort of "checking your mirrors before starting the engine". The younger or more energetic the horse, the more diligent I am in this. It also supples them for the ride, a limbers them up, and seems to put them in the "working" mind frame. 

At the end of the ride, when he's most tired is a good time to work on this, as well. He's more willing to stand still. Get off/on a few times before you put him up. Reinforce his lesson!


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

I agree with barefoothooves. I was very diligent about this with Walka, and have had zero issues with mounting. I got a bit slack with T and had to go back and reinforce prior training. All is good now. It all comes down to that simple saying, make the right thing easy and the wrong choice difficult. They catch on very quickly.


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## Jenna (Feb 24, 2009)

When I first got Lui he would move off before my bum was in the saddle, simply because that's what he'd done before. I hate that though, I like to get my self settled, stirrups and reins sorted, before the horse moves off, so what I did was simply stopped him and backed him up, right back to the mounting block, sat there quietly for a moment or two, then let him move off. It didn't take many repetitions for him to learn that it wasn't what I wanted and actually there was no point in moving off as it didn't get him anywhere!

I taught this to Kira right from the start - before I even introduced her to tack I would make her stand next to the mounting block and praise her lots for standing quietly. When I first introduced her to tack, and before I ever got on her, I'd get her to stand there with me on the block jumping up and down! 

She's an impatient little madam at the best of times and doesn't like standing still - she'd much rather get on the road - but she DOES stand still, both to be mounted and once I'm on board and waits for me to tell her to move.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Thanks again everyone for all your suggestions!


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

Usually Spirithorse I disagree with you. I think you're finding so much resistance here because when you follow Parelli with only his explanations, it's hard to explain it to people who don't understand. I'm not saying he's wrong, just trying to look at what you're doing and why--and come up with reasons for it that have NOTHING to do with Parelli's catchphrases and tidbits.

But, I too use Parelli's method of mounting. I've never seen it not work, on young, old, and problem horses (ones that would bolt when you put your foot in the stirrup).

You flop the fender on the horse only the first few times, to see if you get a reaction. Someone said, 'have YOU ever seen a broke horse that reacts to the fenders flopping around?' ...Yes I have. Most trainers put the saddle on the horse, and then DON'T make it loud or scary because they don't want to associate the saddle with scary things. Start doing this with broke horses, and you'll see what I mean.  You walk up to the fender and make it loud and flopping and annoying and scary--most horses aren't confident about the saddle (This is why they squirm when you saddle them! Just because they let you do it doesn't mean they are confident about it.) Most horses will move away from the fender because that Thing on their back is making nose.

When the horse stops, you stop. These teaches the horse that there is a way to find relief--when he stands still, despite what's going on. So then you move into the position you'd mount from without lifting your leg into the stirrup. If the horse moves off... he's not confident about you getting on, or every time you've gotten on you've asked him to move off right away. Every time your horse walks off, take a step back, stop him kindly, then start again. Don't let your horse just mindlessly walk away, but you don't hold him in place. Holding him doesn't teach him to stand still just like holding a child up doesn't teach him to walk on his own. You cannot support him.

Once you get past that, then you put your foot in the stirrup. If the horse wants to walk off, circle him with your foot in the stirrup. When he stops, take your foot out and praise. Then try it again. Then you move to jumping up and down beside the horse (This is when most horses will walk off, because now they KNOW you are getting on). So you hop and follow your horse, and when he stops, you take your foot out. This is the classic technique of approach and retreat. Since most trainers DONT do this with their babies when they break them... a lot of horses are unconfident about mounting.

When you can jump up, you lay on the saddle halfway. If the horse is still, you get on. If he's not, you ask him to stop then you get off.

This has never taken me very long with any horse. A huge thing to remember is when you finally DO get on... don't just walk off! Sit in the saddle, pet your horse, and remind him that you getting on does not mean just walk off.

Horses learn this much better then 'hold your reins tighter as you get on', because you're teaching him to stand still rather then holding him there. I can get on my horses without any rein contact, but it is always smart to make sure they are not droopy just in case they get spooked.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Mayfieldk, I don't believe that is just a Parelli method. John Lyons also uses that method, as that is how Walka was taught and I used JL methods. Great trainers think alike! :wink:


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

I know, it's more of a 'natural horsemanship' thing, but spirithorse does parelli as well and there were many parelli catchphrases in her posts. I'm not just harping on him; it's just that the catchphrases make non-parelli people go 'what in the world are you talking about?!' s'all.


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## jazzyrider (Sep 16, 2007)

as you know gracie i only have dial up at the moment while im waiting for broadband to get set up so i havent taken the three hours needed to load each page of this thread to read all the replies.

my method is backing them up. if they move when i try to get on i will back them up. and not just slowly but they have to back up at a reasonable rate. then i stop, move them back to where we started from and try again. most horses hate going backwards so they soon learn that standing still is a much easier option. 

always make sure once you are on that you sit still for a moment too. too many people let their horse walk away as soon as they get on which can also exacerbate the standing still for mounting problem. 

hope that helps unless ive repeated something others have said


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

Whatever "catch phrases" I might have used are true. Plain and simple. Really I don't see why you are on my case about it?......


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

I just went back and read each of my posts on this topic and I see no "catch phrases."


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## jazzyrider (Sep 16, 2007)

^^^ then just ignore that which is not true  its not worth your energy


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

Sigh, you can't make any comment about Parelli that isn't 'OMG i love it!'

Honey I'm not on your case about it. I'm just letting you know that when you preach Parelli and people go, 'Flapping the fender has nothing to do with mounting!!! duh!' That is why. Just trying to help you come across better to readers who do not do Parelli, that is all.


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## WalkerDreams (Mar 1, 2009)

There are some really good tips here, thanks! I will have to try them out on my young horse, Bailee!


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## Redrabbit (Oct 7, 2010)

My horse is trained to walk up to the mounting block, line up and stand quietly until I say walk all through by clicker training. Check out this video to see how. It's a great lesson and skill for them to have in case you have a tall horse and get tossed on the trail!

Here's the "mounting a horse" video I made last week: YouTube - Mounting a horse.m4v







So, all that's left is swinging your leg over, which I skipped here becasue I'm recovering from a concussion--(not horse related).

First... teach the horse to come to you when you stand up on something (a mounting block, a log, a big rock, a fence, etc). When he walks to you, click when you see his intention, then give a treat. 

Move the block and see if he comes to you again. Then gradually withhold the click for position. Take it in small steps and eventually you will have a horse who comes to where you need him to be and stands quietly for mounting! 

Email me for details if you want to know the steps to teach this. It only takes about an hour!


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