# Mount from both sides for your health!



## GamingGrrl (Jan 16, 2013)

It's also better for your horses health (and training) to mix it up and mount from different sides each time.
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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

When my friend's mare was being funny about me mounting, I would get on from the right because she didn't care about that. So that's how I learned! Ahaha

If you ride English, it also stretches your leathers evenly (if you're too lazy to switch them like me)
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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

We mount and dismount from the left and right side of our horses. I never did see a point in the standard left side except for tradition, and it can make for a poorly trained horse. I tack up on the left just because I tighten my cinch on that side, but I don't see why you couldn't tack on the other side if you reversed your rigging.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

It is very hard for me to lift my left leg very high, so mounting from the right (and I always use a block) is hard. But you are right, we ShOULD do both sides , to maintain versatility.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

You know, it's interesting because I always trained my horses to work from both sides, but I still always used the left most of the time. Old habits die hard I guess.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I can dismount on the off side but to mount you'd think I had polio.


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## DaraT (Jan 30, 2010)

I've trained all my horses to mount/dismount from both sides. I also use a block now to mount due to arthritic knees and yes I do look funny when mounting from the right. Even after all these years, it still doesn't feel natural.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

It's also a good idea from a tack perspective. Always mounting from one side tends to stretch the leathers.


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## EmilyJoy (Dec 30, 2011)

There was someone somewhere (possibly on here?) who explained how the mounting from the left got started... Something to do with knights and how with the armor it was easier to mount from the left????? If I remember right it had nada to do with the horse etc.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I've always trained my horses to both sides, even before I learned that they have 2 "brains."


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I may sound a bit ignorant... But I have never, in my life, mounted from the right .__. I don't think I would even know how... xD Ugh...


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Zexious, you should learn to do it!! Then, you will REALLY understand how a horse learns from both sides. =b


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