(Writing this on behalf of a friend ) basically my friends 14.3 ish is being a pain to mount like she won’t walk to the block then once she’s at the block she will just walk off . She’s had a vet check last week and nothing was Wrong . She got a new saddle and bridle a month ago so it can’t be that . I think it’s just her behaviour any tips for making a horse stand still at the block . The horse is still 5 so it can be a bit cheeky and impatient
Ideas
- Thread starter Aandceq
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I hope you don't mind but I've moved this to where it's more likely to be seen.
Is this new behaviour? If so I would be looking for some reason why she's started doing it.
Training wise I'd try to get a helper on the ground to begin with. Stand the helper where the horse's head will be and ask them to just stand there, not hold the horse. If you don't have a problem with treats then a pocketful of nuts or similar can be useful. Lead the horse up to the mounting block, and if safe walk backwards in front of them and stop every couple of steps, it gets them thinking of halt and also puts you in a good position to line them up correctly. Lead them up to the helper, halt and praise with the helper giving a couple of nuts. I find it helps if you have the block positioned so you line up the horse and then go up steps by the horse's head, many horses don't like a rider going up steps before they are at the block.
When getting on the mounting block the rider has the reins, not the handler. Handler's job is to provide a visual block and keep the horse relaxed. Make sure not to tighten the inside rein as that will turn the horse into the block and swing the quarters away -you don't want to mount over the head! At this point the rider needs to calmly get on with it, not faff or be slow. Make sure not to dig the horse in the ribs with your toe, kick it on the rump, pull on the saddle, or crash down into the saddle. Get on and praise, get the handler to give some treats and praise too. Personally I like the rider to lean forward and give a particularly tasty treat because then they learn to wait for that one. Feet quickly but carefully in stirrups and then ask to walk away, to begin with don't make a point of standing too long just get the mounting sorted, you can work on waiting around later.
Obviously the person on the ground has to be sensible and aware, although a visual block they don't want to put themselves in a situation where they may be run over! Sometimes with a very bargey horse a rider on a bigger horse stood diagonally across the front of them is a better bet.
Repeat and repeat and repeat, with the handler gradually moving to the side. If the horse moves away just calmly turn him away from the block and start again. To begin with allow yourself plenty of time, this isn't a lesson to be rushed.
Is this new behaviour? If so I would be looking for some reason why she's started doing it.
Training wise I'd try to get a helper on the ground to begin with. Stand the helper where the horse's head will be and ask them to just stand there, not hold the horse. If you don't have a problem with treats then a pocketful of nuts or similar can be useful. Lead the horse up to the mounting block, and if safe walk backwards in front of them and stop every couple of steps, it gets them thinking of halt and also puts you in a good position to line them up correctly. Lead them up to the helper, halt and praise with the helper giving a couple of nuts. I find it helps if you have the block positioned so you line up the horse and then go up steps by the horse's head, many horses don't like a rider going up steps before they are at the block.
When getting on the mounting block the rider has the reins, not the handler. Handler's job is to provide a visual block and keep the horse relaxed. Make sure not to tighten the inside rein as that will turn the horse into the block and swing the quarters away -you don't want to mount over the head! At this point the rider needs to calmly get on with it, not faff or be slow. Make sure not to dig the horse in the ribs with your toe, kick it on the rump, pull on the saddle, or crash down into the saddle. Get on and praise, get the handler to give some treats and praise too. Personally I like the rider to lean forward and give a particularly tasty treat because then they learn to wait for that one. Feet quickly but carefully in stirrups and then ask to walk away, to begin with don't make a point of standing too long just get the mounting sorted, you can work on waiting around later.
Obviously the person on the ground has to be sensible and aware, although a visual block they don't want to put themselves in a situation where they may be run over! Sometimes with a very bargey horse a rider on a bigger horse stood diagonally across the front of them is a better bet.
Repeat and repeat and repeat, with the handler gradually moving to the side. If the horse moves away just calmly turn him away from the block and start again. To begin with allow yourself plenty of time, this isn't a lesson to be rushed.
I would advise on the first instance your friend joins. Otherwise we are giving suggestions to someone who doesn't own the pony and they maybe able to expand a bit more.
I’d do as @carthorse suggests, though I rarely have a helper so generally do the standing nicely bit with lots of praise and no attempt to mount, then progress to standing nicely and going onto the block and praising them standing but again no attempt to mount, then fiddling with the saddle, maybe tugging on the stirrup and praise for standing, then finally actually getting on. I don’t progress from any phase until they are consistently standing and accepting it. It may mean a week of not riding to get there but it should make future years of riding much easier on everyone without mounting stress.
Treat training works well. I've done it with all of mine. It is a fundamental expectation to expect then to stand quietly whilst I mount and it rarely takes more than a 45 mins sesh in the school with a portable mounting block. Broken down, what you are aiming for is the "stand" at the block, the stand when you climb the block, lean over the saddle and treat on the offside (so they are bending they head to the right and therefore can't swing their quarters away), then a treat after mounting. Treats at every stage to start with until they catch on and if they move, just reposition to exactly where you want them. They very soon pick it up when there are *treats involve. G stands like a rock at the mounting block, but these days only gets a treat once I'm actually in the saddle.
* treats can be little cubes of carrot so it doesn't need to be expensive!
* treats can be little cubes of carrot so it doesn't need to be expensive!
I taught Suze to stand at the block by helping her by creating a corridor. I have a wooden one, so i moved it next to a stable wall so there was a gap and then asked her to come into the space and stand. i can sit on the top of the block and move her one step forward back etc and then we do a lot of scratching and rewarding her. She was unbacked at the time, so i wanted her to understand before i tried anything further. at first i used to make her stand and bring the block to her and walk up it and she was fine, but then we refined it so that she would come into the space herself and reverse, walk forward, stop, all the basic groundwork she had been doing but with the block involved. If she is cheeky and impatient, it would help to reinforce her behaviour from the ground and get better acceptance of that while she is still very young.
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