# Mounting Blocks vs. Mounting from the Ground



## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

More than once I've heard, or have been told, than mounting from the ground all the time is "bad" for my horse. To be honest I very rarely use a mounting block. It's far easier for me to hop up on my horse's back from the ground than the get her in the right position to mount safely near a mounting block. Perhaps I should start. I can definitely see how a rider's motion and weight from mounting continuously from one side could cause some sort of strain. 

But... how bad is it? 

I'm also curious on what other riders do more frequently. Poll time! :lol:
Do you mount from the ground more or do you use a mounting block?


----------



## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

I mount from the ground usually, where I keep my horse didn't even have a set of steps until a week or so ago. Plus my horse is short enough where I'm not straining to get on her if she was say 17 hands.. I would have to use a block everytime:lol:


----------



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Train your horse for both.


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I'm now older, unfit and have dodgy knees, so I always mount from a block. When I was younger it was common practice to either use a block or to give people a leg up. 

This debate seems to get heated. LOL what debate on the horse world doesn't but for me personally, there is enough eveidence to say that using a block is better. Common sense says that using a block is better, less stress and strain on a horse. 

Style of riding makes a difference, at my barn ALL English riders in lessons have to use the block, western riders are encouraged to. 

When it comes down to it, if you can mount easily from the ground, and you are happy that you are not putting any extra strain on your horse, then great, go ahead. If it is a struggle, use a block, and Corporal has it right, you should train your horse for both, and on both sides.


----------



## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I'm 56, my knees have been jogging since I was 13, and I've split two pairs of jeans (in the thigh, not the rump happily) mounting my horse. Mounting block or high spot of ground for me! 

BTW - if your jeans split on the thigh next to an inside seam, and it didn't make too much noise, you can go ahead and ride without being caught.


----------



## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

I always mount from a block, but I'm also hopping up on a 4 year old and don't want to add that extra strain on her yet. In due time I'll teach her mounting from the ground is ok, but I'd rather not until I'm fitter as well! I can easily mount and dismount from both sides though, and have been mounting primarily from the right for a few weeks as per her chiropractor.


----------



## dernhelm1984 (Dec 19, 2013)

I always mounted from the ground (would always be sure to make very gentle contact with the horse's back when I did) until I gained weight. Now I use a mounting block because of my size.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I always mount from a block if one is available. Besides potential strain on the horse's back, I've also seen saddles with twisted trees from people habitually holding on to the saddle while mounting from the ground.

I certainly _can_ mount from the ground, and my horse is a good about standing still for it, but I'm definitely not graceful at it and I apologize to him profusely every time I have to do it


----------



## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

I prefer a block. Well, I really prefer a picnic table but one is not always available. Rubbermaid step stool, big rock, log, ditch.........
Less strain on horse and rider.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

you will change your point of view in 40 years, when your body is a whole 'nother country.

mounting block , or log, or trailer bumper or ? mounting from the ground is impossible for me now.


----------



## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I need to get a block. I have been mounting from the ground lately because the log I was using rotted out and last time I stepped on it, it split 
I do mount from both sides, though, to try and equalize the strain. Not ideal, I know. It's easy to get on Chief from the ground, since he is 14hh and I am 5'10", but getting on big ole Cruiser at 16hh takes some flexibility. I know he would appreciate me getting a block.


----------



## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

When I was younger and in lessons my trainer never allowed anyone to mount from the ground - it was use the block or get a leg up from another person or you weren't getting on her horses. 

With my mare I always use the block when I can. She is 17hh and I ride English, so to even get on her back from the ground I have to lower a stirrup and raise it back up again when I get on. But there is really no way for me to get that high up without pulling more than I like on her back, even though I don't hold onto the saddle when I do it. If I'm on the trail and there is something to step off of, I use that.


----------



## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

I ride drafts most of the time. A block is almost a necessity. 

I do hold the claim to fame that I successfully got on our barns Clydesdale once without a block though, but I heard joints making uncomfortable noises during the process, and it was *NOT* graceful. 

My daughter usually uses the block for her pony as well. Just easier on the horse, and nothing to prove by anyone not using it at our place really.


----------



## Katz1411 (Jul 31, 2014)

At my age and flexibility I usually mount from a block 
But I can mount from the ground if I have to.


----------



## SummerShy (Aug 3, 2014)

I use a 3-step ladder I bought from Wal-Mart for like $34 bucks. It's not because I want to, but because I am too short and unsure of my weight to get er done from the ground. Can't wait for the day


----------



## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

Looks like most people are using mounting blocks- I had no idea! 

I think the more I do it the more my horse will become accustomed to it. She isn't naughty with it, just gives me weird looks when I climb on one. :lol:


----------



## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Because of my lumbar spine woes (two herniated disks and degenerative disk disease) I always used a mounting block, even though my horses were all 14.3 or under. But, I have heard, and do agree, that it can be hard on a horse's back (and shoulders).


----------



## Paintedponies1992 (Nov 17, 2013)

I usually use a mounting block, the only times I've gotten on from the ground was when the horse was 14.2 HH or shorter  My worries are that with my weight and weak knees, that I'll pull the horse's back out with my pulling since I can't bounce up easily on a horse taller than 14.2 HH.


----------



## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Actual block, no. Log, stump, big rock, or bank whenever they're handy, though I can mount from flat ground if I need to.


----------



## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

I hardly ever use anything to get on a horse. About the only time I do use something is to train a horse to accept someone getting on from one. I also use objects when starting a horse and getting them used to having weight on their back by leaning over them. Once they are used to me laying over them, I start training them to accept a rider jumping up. 

This may change as I get older but at 44, I can still easily jump up on a 16 hh horse bareback. My granddaughter, that is in high school, in basketball and is as tall as me at 5'11", can't do that. I was trying to show her how and I exaggerated my jump and almost went over the horse. She never really came close to jumping on.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Cielo Notturno (Sep 12, 2013)

I usually use the block, because I'm heavy and not agile, so when I mount from ground it's more likely that I hang too much on just one stirrup. 

I heard that "ideal" would be mounting without mounting block or stirrups, just "jumping on", but not many people are taught it (I wasn't) and not many people are fit enough to manage


----------



## BarrelracingwithSkipper (Sep 25, 2014)

I ride western so I mount from the ground plus my horse is young and has a strong back


----------



## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

I don't recall even seeing a mounting block until I was in the Army and sent to Europe. I rode mostly in western tack before that. As a teen, I practiced mounting and dismounting from both sides with the girth undone and draped over the saddle. I'm older, stiffer and heavier now. Ain't likely to happen no more. Up until a few (well maybe a few more than I'd like to admit) years ago, I could leap directly onto a fairly tall horse without any scrambling around. We did learn a few different ways to give folks a leg up. English style riders often got a leg up. 

And yes, a horse should stand for any type of mounting technique. You never know if you'll get banged up and need to mount from a log or something in uneven terrain.


----------



## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

I have what I call 'double trouble'...short legs and therefore short stirrups, which makes the distance I'm aiming for from the ground even further. Western saddle, and the stirrups arent easy to readjust once I'm seated up there,,so not really the option of lowering them for mounting, then shortening. 

Mounting block, fender, step, fence, log, tailgate, pretty much anything sturdy and stable enough to stand on. Sonny has learned to line up to whatever I'm standing on, and I can mount him from either side. 

I've thought about teaching him to let me neck mount, but that looks a lot more doable bareback, and probably takes more strength and agility than I have. 
If he ever consistently will lay down on cue,,and there's room to have him lay down...that's an option.:lol:
Has anyone tried those portable mounting aids? I've wondered if they're worth the price, esp. since I've never had to walk very far on the trail before finding a rock , log or something to stand on. Plus it's very rare to need to dismount on the trail.

Fay


----------



## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I didn't vote in the poll because it's about 50/50. If my horse has a saddle on I mount from the ground. It ain't pretty but I manage and nobody seems any the worse from it. If I'm riding bareback I have to use something these days to get up there. Usually I climb on their water tank. I made it to age 49 (barely LOL) before I could no longer swing up from the ground when riding bareback.


----------



## SummerShy (Aug 3, 2014)

I'm going to teach myself that skip and a jump mounting maneuver.


----------



## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

Since I'm riding school lesson horses, my answer is it depends on the horse. I mount from the ground if I can. If I get a horsezilla, I use a block. 

We seem to be encouraged to mount from the ground if possible, so that's what I do, but reading here I can see that it might be better for my horse if I don't, so I'll have to give that some thought. 

As for what anyone else thinks, I couldn't care less if there are people at the barn that think mounting from a block is somehow "cheating" or something. I'm just happy to get on at all without my knees declaring a mutiny.


----------



## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

When I first started riding I would never even think of a mounting block, could get on any horse from the ground easily. Don't even remember anyone using a mounting block.
Now that I am 73, bad back, bad knees, I use a mounting block almost all the time, figure my knees are only good for x more times getting on so spare them all I can. I can and often do mount from the ground when out riding on the trails and get off to do some clearing etc. When I had a bigger horse always looked for a rock, stump or something to give me a bit of an advantage but my mare now is only 15h so no problem getting on her. I also have worked with her to stand quietly for mounting from the off side as well.


----------



## Cielo Notturno (Sep 12, 2013)

Thinking of it, "how to get on" became a thought just after I bought my horse and left the world of riding centers. 

When I took lessons, everyone in every place had just *one* way for you to get on: with the "leg" and the help of another person. (like this guy does at 3:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ha7ChtteI ) can someone tell me how you call this in Eng? So next time I won't have to look for a video 

Anyway, apparently inside riding centers _everyone_ could do it (it's easy really), whilst outside of them _no one_ was able to help me that way (and no one could do it if I helped from ground), no matter how many times I explained. So I had to get on on my own :lol:


----------



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I got in the habit of using a mounting block when I worked at the Girl Scout horse camp. We weren't allowed to mount from the ground.

I'm also not incredibly limber, even when I'm skinnier, so mounting from the ground is always a chore.

My gelding was 15.1hh when we broke him out. I started using a mounting "block" (actually a bench) because I didn't want to sore his back. Now that he's close to 17hh, I _have_ to use a block...and a three-step one, at that. :lol:


----------



## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Cielo Notturno said:


> Thinking of it, "how to get on" became a thought just after I bought my horse and left the world of riding centers.
> 
> When I took lessons, everyone in every place had just *one* way for you to get on: with the "leg" and the help of another person. (like this guy does at 3:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ha7ChtteI ) can someone tell me how you call this in Eng? So next time I won't have to look for a video
> 
> Anyway, apparently inside riding centers _everyone_ could do it (it's easy really), whilst outside of them _no one_ was able to help me that way (and no one could do it if I helped from ground), no matter how many times I explained. So I had to get on on my own :lol:


In English we call that giving the rider a leg up. I would be amazed if anyone outside of horse folks would have any idea of what you were talking about, much less how to do it.

We also learned another way that doesn't require as much upper body strength from the helper. The helper locks both hands together and squats about halfway down. The interlocked hands are braced against one knee. The rider uses the cupped hands as a sort of stirrup. The helper keeps his hands braced against his leg and rises to a standing position. The rider then completes the mount. Hope that was a good explaination.


----------



## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

Anyone ever tried one of these: 
Saddles Tack Horse Supplies - ChickSaddlery.com Mounting Stirrup <>


----------



## plomme (Feb 7, 2013)

I'm 5'3" and my horse is just about 17hh. Mounting from the ground would be quite a feat.


----------



## Rideabighorse (Jan 12, 2014)

I'm old and have a 17 hh horse, but I have long legs so I can mount from the ground if I have to. I seldom use a block because several years ago I taught my horse to stand next to me if I climb up on something. Often use a fence, but lately have been tacking up out of my trailer so I just get up on the fender and step on. No strain on either of us except for me having to get onto the fender.


----------



## wildandfree (Feb 24, 2012)

Until I hurt my back I would just hop up from the ground, even though I don't ride as much right now when I do I use a block. It hurts my back less and from what I've read it's a bit better for the horse (and the saddle).


----------



## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

RegularJoe said:


> Anyone ever tried one of these:
> Saddles Tack Horse Supplies - ChickSaddlery.com Mounting Stirrup <>


Couldn't help but notice when the girl in the advertisement gets on, she should have the bridle on the horse's tail.:lol:


----------



## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

The only time I can get onto my horse from the ground m, he's like 15hh, is if he's downhill a bit and I'm uphill. Or if he has a saddle. Sometimes if he's bareback I'll lead him up to a panel, log, rock, etc. if the land is too flat.

I mount from the ground with Zan and she's 16hh! The only time I've used a mounting block is when I ride bareback. I can barely get on my 15hh, how would I get on a 16hh??

I don't see how mounting from the ground is stressful. You're only putting weight in one stirrup for two seconds unless you're training or the rider is slow.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

I've always mounted from the ground, to get in the saddle or to mount bareback.

When I was a child, the nearly 17hh mare on whom I rode independently for my first two years after riding school used to assist in the process of getting on her bareback by kindly lowering her neck and then I'd lean across it and she'd elevate me up!  That happened spontaneously the first time I tried to get on her bareback on my own; I was just thinking, "How on earth am I going to do this?" when she appeared to size up the situation and lowered her neck until I had a lightbulb moment. Followed by her gently raising her neck until I slid on her back. I was maybe 35 or 40 kg at the time so this was no strain on the big mare, and it's actually only looking back on it I realise this was probably a bit out of the ordinary.

The Arabian mare I bought at age 11 didn't come with a built-in elevator, but by the time she was old enough to ride I had grown tall, and her mere 14.2hh seemed positively pony sized compared to my prior mounts. 

My current horse (the big mare's great-grandson) is 15.2hh so still small by world standards, but my friend's 17hh TB presented no issues when I had a spin on him either. Long legs (in the human, not the horse ) are an advantage for mounting (but a disadvantage for showjumping ;-)) and that's part of what makes it easy for me, but I've seen tiny adults, and children, just glide up as if by magic - and the secret really is to have momentum from the start and make it one continuous move.

The riding school I learnt in was populated mostly by tall Warmbloods and an even taller Draught children had to do the splits to ride, and children weren't given a ladder to get on them: It was just, "Right, up you get!" and we were light and eventually learnt to kind of leap on (but they also taught gymnastics as a standard thing in Central European schools, and this included vaulting onto the so-called vaulting horses, cushioned wooden things on four legs, from the time you were 6 or 7). I think if that's how you learn and you remain reasonably athletic, that's often how it continues. My 75yo father still ground mounts without dramas, although he prefers driving in the cart!

I have absolutely nothing against people using mounting blocks. I have a good friend with knee problems whose life is made so much easier by one, etc. There are many good reasons people have for using them. However, I disagree with any generalisations that get made about ground mounting always being bad for the horse or saddle or both. If it's done fluidly, it doesn't even put enough pressure on the stirrup to start to displace the saddle. (Interestingly, some old-school riding instructors made students mount from the off-side also, and alternate, because neither horse nor rider should, in their view, be encouraged in preferring one side over another...)


----------



## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

Houston said:


> More than once I've heard, or have been told, than mounting from the ground all the time is "bad" for my horse. To be honest I very rarely use a mounting block. It's far easier for me to hop up on my horse's back from the ground than the get her in the right position to mount safely near a mounting block. Perhaps I should start. I can definitely see how a rider's motion and weight from mounting continuously from one side could cause some sort of strain.
> 
> But... how bad is it?
> 
> ...


I've found that there are two basic views about mounting blocks. One looks at mounting blocks as an aid for riders who are not flexible enough to mount without one. The other is that using a mounting block is better for the horse.

Poor mounting can cause a horse discomfort and even damage its back in two different ways. 

If a rider places both hands on the saddle and pulls himself up from the ground, he can put a great deal of rotational stress on the horse's back. If the rider always mounts from the same side, chances of damage increase. How much this could damage a horse depends on the force of the rotation, how strong the horse's muscles are, and how often the mounting is performed. Of course, this is not the case if a rider can leap onto the horses back from the ground. Positioning one hand on the horse's withers and hopping on one's free foot to gain momentum for rising can both help mitigate rotational stress.

Mounting from a mounting block -- including using a stump, rock, pile of dirt kicked together, or mounting from the uphill side on a hill -- can make mounting easier for both rider and horse. However, I have see riders still pull on the saddle to mount even from a mounting block. I have also seen small children swing a leg over and drop their seat onto the horse's back with more force that a 200 pound man. 

When using a mounting block, the rider should lean as far over the saddle as possible before mounting. This will place the rider's center of gravity closer to the horse's center of gravity and minimize rotational force. The rider should swing his leg over the horse's rump trying not to strike it and let his seat down as lightly as possible.

I tell new riders that horses are very gracious to carry us around on their backs. It is only right that we should show them some respect.


----------



## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

I always mount from the ground - unless the horse is being a butt or he is too tall - then I jsut find a tall fence or get a boost up from someone.

But whether I ride english, western or bareback, I mount from the ground.


----------



## SummerShy (Aug 3, 2014)

Roman said:


> The only time I can get onto my horse from the ground m, he's like 15hh, is if he's downhill a bit and I'm uphill. Or if he has a saddle. Sometimes if he's bareback I'll lead him up to a panel, log, rock, etc. if the land is too flat.
> 
> I mount from the ground with Zan and she's 16hh! The only time I've used a mounting block is when I ride bareback. I can barely get on my 15hh, how would I get on a 16hh??
> 
> ...


Well the story is it's the repetition that does it. I watched a video study showing a bright color when they broke down where the pressure is applied during mounting, and added up over time that can be some pretty harsh physical strain. It's real, but I mean, yeah, just how bad is it? Just like anything ignorance or incompetence can make something worse.


----------



## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I am thoroughly impressed by all you who can mount bareback from the ground. I know the trick to it, and understand how to do it, but I have never been able to pull it off. This girl just can't jump high enough, and I end up bouncing off the side of the horse. I can clumsily manage it on Chief, since he is just 14hh, but it isn't pretty or fluid.


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

karliejaye said:


> I am thoroughly impressed by all you who can mount bareback from the ground. I know the trick to it, and understand how to do it, but I have never been able to pull it off. This girl just can't jump high enough, and I end up bouncing off the side of the horse. I can clumsily manage it on Chief, since he is just 14hh, but it isn't pretty or fluid.


I will now give you leave to laugh at what occasionally happens to me when mounting bareback: I sometimes overshoot and hit the ground on the other side, usually to the sound of riotous laughter from my husband, and the sight of puzzled looks from my horse.  In fact, this is the most common way I fall off a horse these days. It's not riding, or riding bareback, but getting on bareback. That's happened several times in the past three years. Last proper fall was over a decade ago when a horse fell with me.


----------



## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

TXhorseman said:


> If a rider places both hands on the saddle and pulls himself up from the ground, he can put a great deal of rotational stress on the horse's back.


I can't quite see this. If you mount, as I do, with hands on saddle & withers, then the pressure is straight down, just as it would be when you're in the saddle.

OTHO, if you grab the saddle and exert a lot of sideways pressure (wish I could draw a picture here!), you're mostly pulling the saddle sideways. Worst case, if you didn't tighten your girth quite enough, you wind up with the saddle hanging off the side of the horse. (Yeah, been there, done that.)



> When using a mounting block, the rider should lean as far over the saddle as possible before mounting. This will place the rider's center of gravity closer to the horse's center of gravity and minimize rotational force. The rider should swing his leg over the horse's rump trying not to strike it and let his seat down as lightly as possible.


I'm certainly no expert, but that's the way I've always tried to mount, even from the ground - at least after experiencing the first couple of saddle rotations


----------



## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

jamesqf said:


> I can't quite see this. If you mount, as I do, with hands on saddle & withers, then the pressure is straight down, just as it would be when you're in the saddle.
> 
> OTHO, if you grab the saddle and exert a lot of sideways pressure (wish I could draw a picture here!), you're mostly pulling the saddle sideways. Worst case, if you didn't tighten your girth quite enough, you wind up with the saddle hanging off the side of the horse. (Yeah, been there, done that.)
> 
> ...


Like TXhorseman said, if you're "pulling" yourself up, you are putting a sideways force on the saddle. The exact same as your comment of "if you don't tighten your girth up quite enough."

I've seen several people that still pull the saddle sideways with the cinch tight. Instead of using a block or learning how to get on better, they just tighten the cinch up more.

A good test to see how well you get on is to just set the saddle on the horse without cinching it up or at most with it still loose. If you can get on without the saddle moving or just slightly, you aren't putting sideways pressure on the horse. I know I couldn't do it when I first started riding but I tried it recently to see if I could do it. It is possible.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

jamesqf said:


> I can't quite see this. If you mount, as I do, with hands on saddle & withers, then the pressure is straight down, just as it would be when you're in the saddle.
> 
> OTHO, if you grab the saddle and exert a lot of sideways pressure (wish I could draw a picture here!), you're mostly pulling the saddle sideways. Worst case, if you didn't tighten your girth quite enough, you wind up with the saddle hanging off the side of the horse. (Yeah, been there, done that.)
> 
> ...


The only way for pressure to be straight down when mounting would be for the rider to be directly above the horse.

The only way to get sideways pressure would be for the rider to be pulling outward horizontally on the saddle.

You will always have some rotational torque on the saddle if you mount from the side. The way to mitigate the stress is to start from a closer position, a higher position, or both.


----------



## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

Woodhaven said:


> Couldn't help but notice when the girl in the advertisement gets on, she should have the bridle on the horse's tail.:lol:


I think it's meant to have her step up on the mounting stirrup, place the correct foot in the real stirrup and then swing her leg over... I think I'd be likely to get my legs tangled and fall on my butt to be honest though :lol:


----------



## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

TessaMay said:


> I think it's meant to have her step up on the mounting stirrup, place the correct foot in the real stirrup and then swing her leg over... I think I'd be likely to get my legs tangled and fall on my butt to be honest though :lol:


Oh I get it. Just didn't see it like that at first.
Thanks for pointing that out to me, I'm a little slow I guess.


----------



## DreaMy (Jul 1, 2014)

I mount from the ground, but always grab the mane and the cantle -- NEVER the pommel and the cantle. Also I mount from both sides..


----------



## Avishay (Jun 14, 2014)

Mounting from the ground can be a strain on your horse's back and neck, for sure, but it's also quite detrimental to your tack. I am sometimes asked to evaluate and appraise saddles, and I always check the tree. Frequently, older or more cheaply made saddles show signs of being warped from mounting from the ground or from a block that has too much disparity between the rider's height/weight and the horse's height.


----------



## Hang on Fi (Sep 22, 2007)

Horses are trained for both, but I always use the block. I'm fluffy, I don't need to wrench their spine trying to get on.


----------



## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I voted mounting from the ground even though since I am getting older and my wrecks are catching up with my body and not as limber as I used to be I will give myself the advantage when possible. Even if it is a low dip in the ground to put my horse in or standing on some sagebrush just an inch to be closer to the stirrup.

I feel bad that I _used_ to giggle at my mom for needing a stump or ditch to get on a horse.(snotty teenager!) Last spring I bought a running bred horse that is quite a bit taller than my usual horses and can be a little woofy on the ground requiring getting on safely rather than my lazy way of mounting reminding me that I am not as agile as I was in my teens. I now apologize to my mom every time I get on him


----------



## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

This is an old thread, but it shows how NOT to mount and a good discussion of techniques for western riders. I would agree with its comment that if you can damage a western tree by mounting from the ground, then you need to throw the piece of junk saddle into the garbage and get a real one.

From Feb 2010:

http://www.horseforum.com/western-riding/mounting-using-horn-47065/

FWIW, this is what I was taught years ago for western, and I think it works if your horse knows what to expect:

Shorten the reins on the near side. Put your hand with the reins on the withers. Facing the rear, put your left leg in the twisted stirrup. Now go straight up, rotating your body around to swing your leg over. Be careful not to drag your toe across the horse's side - easier said than done. 

If the horse goes, he'll likely spin in the direction you are spinning, and your hand is on his withers and nothing else is blocking you to slow you down. Since your mounting leg is directly against the horse's side, it minimizes rotational force on the saddle and gives the muscles of the left leg the optimum position for pushing your body up.

When I stick my left foot in facing forward, my left leg is twisted at a big angle and cannot thrust me up, so I'm relying on the leg on the ground to get me up.

However, the one time I tried it with Mia, years ago, she darn near jumped out of her skin. Of course, back then, almost anything made her jump out of her skin, so maybe I ought to try it again...maybe on a day when the weather encourages long sleeves or a jacket. Those help when I slam into the ground...

The idea was kind of like this:



















I'm a bit concerned it might be followed with some of this: :lol:


----------



## Bondre (Jun 14, 2013)

I always use a block. My horse isn't huge (15.3) but my left hip isn't as flexible as it used to be, so mounting from the ground without a leg-up is a bit of an ordeal for me and the horse. 

As a youngster I always mounted from the ground, and always from the near side. No-one ever suggested that learning to mount from the off side could be useful; in fact it was seen as incorrect and considered a sign of ignorance on the rider's part.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I value my horse and my saddle too much to mount from the ground on a regular basis. That puts a considerable strain on their spines, as well as twists the saddle over time.


----------



## horseNpony (Sep 27, 2013)

I usually mount from the ground for several reasons.
-I usually mount in the arena, as its easier to get ready in the centre than block the entry, Im usually supposed to get ready in the arena. 
-I want to learn how to mount from the ground as im not always going to have a block to use, especially when i will ride out. At the moment im decent, but want to improve, so I mount from the ground.

Usually if the mounting block is nearby ill use it, but otherwise its from the ground. My instructor will usually hold onto the stirrup on the other side so that the weight doesnt pull down one side of the saddle and hurt the horses back (as im a little clumsy with mounting at the moment)


----------



## BreakableRider (Aug 14, 2013)

I mount from the ground the vast majority of the time. I mount from both sides of my horses equally to reduce any strain on my horses back and do so in a way that's easy on the horse. I prefer to mount in different areas of the arena so my horses never associate one place with being mounted and dismounted at. Since i'm also usually riding green or retraining problem horses, I also don't want to develop any bad habits. I won't mount from a block until I have a horse broke enough to side right up to it and stand like a rock for me to mount, and then walk off calmly. One of my biggest pet peeves are people that have taught their horse that if they swing their butt away from a mounting block, they won't be mounted.


----------



## ecasey (Oct 18, 2013)

I always mount from a block or low wall or hill because I have little flexibility to hike my leg up that high and it's not good for my horse's back to yank that saddle to the side and put that pressure on her spine. She treats me really well so I try to do the same for her whenever I can.


----------



## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

bsms said:


> I'm a bit concerned it might be followed with some of this: :lol:


You know, I've always wondered how those guys managet to get their hats to stay on. I tried riding in a western hat a few times, when I was first starting out, right up to the time I did my first long canter down a trail, and the hat flopped down in front of my face. That's when you learn whether you really trust your horse


----------



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm short and fat and my horse is 16 hands. I mount from any advantage I can get on the trail.....ditches, stumps, rocks, ant mounds, anything is fair game. :lol:

I also practice mounting and dismounting from both sides. You would be surprised how hard that is after years of mounting from the left side, to mount from the right. However, I am now equally good at both sides.


----------



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

jamesqf said:


> You know, I've always wondered how those guys managet to get their hats to stay on. I tried riding in a western hat a few times, when I was first starting out, right up to the time I did my first long canter down a trail, and the hat flopped down in front of my face. That's when you learn whether you really trust your horse


You know, if your hat fits good, it magically stays on your head. I wondered the same thing for years with cheap hats, and then I got a nice leather Aussie hat (which I rarely use anymore since I ride in a helmet now) but that darn thing stayed on like it was a suction cup.


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Maybe it was a suction cup in disguise? ;-)


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Alternative mounting techniques have not yet been considered on this thread:


----------



## bluethehuman (Sep 10, 2014)

I have also heard its bad for their back's. Apparently it causes strain so it's better to use a block. At the barn I go to, we only mount on a mounting block.


----------



## Wild Heart (Oct 4, 2010)

Even at 21, my knees are shot due to genetics and ACL injuries. So, mounting from the ground is usually out for me. Can I do it in a pinch? Sure, but I'll definitely be feeling it afterwards.

So, I am normally dependent on a mounting block.


----------



## atinyinfinity (Sep 6, 2014)

I mount from the ground when I ride Western. My horse isn't very tall and I can do it easily with a Western saddle. However, if I'm going to ride bareback I never get on from the ground; then I use a mounting block. 

When I ride lesson horses I get on using a mounting block. Most of the horses I ride are taller and I'm short; plus the stirrups are shorter. I probably could get on from the ground but it's easier to use a mounting block.


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Saw this, had to share


----------



## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

When I was a teenager, I'd swing up easily from the ground. I could mount either western or english without a cinch, or swing up bareback on large horses with no problem. Now? I HAVE to use a mounting block, and even then it's sometimes a strain and I have to haul myself on. Thank goodness Nibbles is patient, bit I apologize to her frequently!


----------



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> Saw this, had to share


Do you have any idea how many of my horse friends shared that on my Facebook page when it made the rounds? Yeah, pretty much all of them!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

Golden Horse said:


> Saw this, had to share


I've done that one a time or two, every time while thinking " Oh of these days I'm going to regret this..."


----------



## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

RegularJoe said:


> Anyone ever tried one of these:
> Saddles Tack Horse Supplies - ChickSaddlery.com Mounting Stirrup <>


I have one of those. It doesn't help me at all. Then again, I have a disability that makes mounting difficult.


----------



## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

I've seen a lot of ground-mounters who think it an accomplishment to mount from the ground while all the others (who are now apparently sneer-worthy) "need the crutch" and use the block.

In that case, it seems to me that it's an ego thing.

I'll use the "crutch" and save the horse, thank you very much. I mount from the ground if there's absolutely no other option.


----------



## womack29 (Oct 30, 2011)

I have my mare trained for a mounting block but mount from the ground. I use a mount once in a blue moon just so she remembers it. I am shoet and ride a 16.1 mare and am aging so I know in a few yrs I might need the block


----------



## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

When I was younger and more athletic, I never even thought of using a block. It wasn't in my vocabulary. It never caused the horses I rode any issue. 

It is tugging and pulling and awkward mounting that seems to annoy them. 

I think that if you are athletic enough to bounce up easily, it if fine to mount from the ground. Otherwise, you should use a block whenever it is possible.


----------



## HagonNag (Jul 17, 2010)

The ONLY time I mount from the ground is when I have my horse standing in a ditch! 
Combine old, fluffy and short and you get someone who is definitely addicted to tailgates, picnic tables, stone fences, fallen trees, stumps, ditches and anything that will stay still long enough for me to stand on.  Blossom and all my other horses learned to stand next to anything I put them next to. Actually, I think they were grateful I wasn't hanging off their side!


----------

