nervous when mounting

[michael oneill]

Hi

I am new here, I was brought up with horse when younger and was very confident around and on horses when younger. unfortunately I had a really bad fall and this put my confidence down to a all time low and it was many years before even thinking about getting back on a horse.

Luckily i found a great riding school who when i told them what happened took me right back to the start and allowed me to take baby steps back to riding and as a result of this my confidence has grown and i now have a horse on fulltime longterm loans.

he is a lovely chap and kind and gentle in every way but he does take some steps backwards when i mount him at the moutning block and this for some reason has made me frightened when mounting.

I feel so stupid cause i know this is a minor problem but to me its becoming a real issue and is ruining my riding cause i keep getting really nervous the closer the time comes to ride.

Any hints or advice greatly appreciated

thanks

michael x

 

[Trewsers]

Hello and welcome
There are quite a few on here that have resolved mounting issues so hopefully they'll see this thread and respond.

 

[Dannii5691]

Oh I can relate. My poor cob used to stand like a rock for me to mount and I used to mess about going through my checklist

He had to stand in the exact right place. Not move while I tested his saddle with feet in stirrups. Recheck girth. Gather up reins. Check no one was moving around him to spook him. Repeat 50x ...

If he moves I'd recommend teaching him to stand. Clicker training maybe? Knowing they aren't going to move helps alot! I started to rationalise things to remove some of the things off my check list - I've checked his girth once I don't need to check it another 10x. I've got my reins where I want them, I don't need to faff on any more.

Good luck

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Hiya, welcome to the forum!
Like danni, I had the same fear with my lad. He wasn't allowed to move a muscle before I mounted, but he sensed my fear and would shuffle around, swing his bum away, move back or forward a tiny bit just making things not quite perfect and I therefor couldn't mount.
I tried heaps of different ideas and activities to help improve things. I had a few falls just as I was getting on (horse would spook and leg it before I got my offside stirrup). The worst day was when it took me an hour to mount up, I just couldn't commit to swinging my leg over as it felt like I was relinquishing all control. Terrifying!

1. Your horse will pick up on nerves so set yourself up for success. If the yards too busy, if the wind is blowing the wrong way, if your girth isn't tight enough, wait until these things are sorted or feel right. I'm not saying don't get on, just take your time and maybe do some groundwork beforehand to calm your nerves and help you acknowledge your horse is listening to you and you're in control. Backing up, yielding hindquarters, carrot stretches, walking about in the school randomly changing direction and stopping, making sure your horse stays with you and does as you do.

2. Practice without tack when you have no intention of riding. Take your horse to the block and reward for standing. Get up on the block and give your horse some positive feedback then make like you're putting your foot up to the stirrup. At any point during this process if your horse moves, get off the block and out back where he should be. Some folk have different opinions on this. I found that my horse always backed up or swung away, and the only thing that worked was to back him up even more, he didn't like that, anytime he moved, he got backed up and then represented at the block. Other folk will stay on the block and make the horse circle round, I guess you've got to find what works for you and the horse!
The one thing I would definitely recommend not doing, is moving the block to your horse. Always move your horse to the block!

3. I'd really recommend clicker. I've spent five years working on this problem, and the above worked pretty well, but even last year, I was still having to back up once every so often. Then I incorporated clicker into my training and now I present him at the block, he stands like a rock, i don't even gather my reins, get on, and the whole time my horses head is bent round waiting patiently for me to give him the treat I always give him once I'm comfy with my girth all sorted as well.

It will take time, I'd even recommend practicing the bit without tack, pretending to mount on the offside as well - it can help with ingrained behaviour to reset the experience! Maybe have a few sessions where you focus on mounting, just get on and off repeatedly. I also recommend videoing you mounting up successfully. I have a video of this and watched it regularly just at home or wherever, it helped me visualise it happening without problem and helped heaps with the nerves!

Sorry for wittering on, I was a trembling mess crying at the mounting block do its something close to my heart. You will get there!

 

[michael oneill]

Thanks ladies

It's been a nightmare and I feel a bit stupid getting stressed about it when everyone else at the yard just jumps on without batting a eye lid.

What is clicker training? Sounds like it's worth trying

X

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Clicker training is all about positive reinforcement for behaviours you want. I think it's based on operant conditioning theory in learning psychology (although may be wrong, my student days are a long time ago!)
Basically you get the horse to learn an association between a noise 'click' and a treat. Generally we horsey folk use a target - like a cone (I used a frisbee) or some object to get the horse to touch with their nose. First off you make it really simple and almost inevitable that they will touch it - ie put it under the nose lol! Then immediately click and treat when. Repeat this and you'll see the horse's lightbulb go in at some point and they will start to find the target and touch it as they realise they get a treat. Next move the target higher up, lower down, round about and get him or her to move to touch it, adding a command if you like.
You can then use this sort of process to teach your horse lots of things - I taught mine to give me a kiss (big mistake lol), carrot stretches and to move sideways with a touch on his girth. The most important thing is to take your goal behaviour and break it down into the tiniest stages to make it easy to understand and achieve for the horse. If they don't get what you want, you've probably asked too much too soon..
With mounting, once my horse understood clicker, I used to get him to the block then when I was stood on the block and then again once I was in the saddle. Initially I probably spent a lot of time on just the first stage of this, not actually mounting up in my sessions.
Eventually I linked the stages together so that I was always clicking at him for achieving the little bits of the process but not actually giving him the treat until I was in the saddle.
You will find heaps of info on YouTube and by searching Alexandra Kurkland I think was her name.
Be careful of mugging, but you can teach how to deal with this.
Also low fat treats = spillers do grass nuts which are palatable, small and come in a huge sack!

 

[horseandgoatmom]

I always give mine a pc of carrot after I get on.
It works for me - I feel there has to be something in it for them too.....
Your horse will learn to wait for the carrot and won't move off.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Eventually I linked the stages together so that I was always clicking at him for achieving the little bits of the process but not actually giving him the treat until I was in the saddle.

Yes that's Important!