Exercises to help with mounting

amen to that

Do you think my husband can help me with this

You can always make up something simple like this to make it easier to get a toehold!

MARK TODD STIRRUP MOUNT

While I'm a firm believer that every rider should use a block to mount, whether they need it or not, so much kinder to a horses back, and yes all horses should learn how to stand and be mounted from a block, that is not the whole story.

Speaking as an overweight out of shape rider I think it is my responsibility to do everything I can to make my horses job easier, so while I'm working at the long term goal of weight loss, and increased fitness, finding some specific exercises that will help the mounting procedure from the block or the ground is a good thing.

Mounting blocks are great. I own and use one. Mounting your horse solely from a mounting block limits where you can ride. If you always have to have a mounting block, if your horse doesn't like you mounting from the ground, then you are sorry-out-of-luck going trail riding...or trail competitions..
Or ANY outside-of-a-ring-that-has-a-mounting-block-to-use, type of riding.
Just thought I'd point this out. =/
RE: making the job easier for my horse, quite frankly it's been YEARS since I've asked my horses to do anything like real work, like the jobs that the Amish have their horses do, which I get to see everytime I visit Arthur, IL.

I think most of our horses here work very part-time, IMHO.

Which I why my horse is taught to mount both from ground and block...and I do agree...horses are very much leisure animals compared to what they used to be. Although I tend to work my mare pretty darn hard; there is rarely a work out that she doesn't end up in a good sweat...I wish we could herd cattle, or that sort of stuff, because she is an active horse, and I think she could thrive in that sort of environment, arena work bores her and me to death, hahahaha.

E-Z MOUNT WESTERN STIRRUP EXTENDER HELPS MOUNT HORSE NWT (754888035127) | eBay

I just bought one of these. Gives me about a foot more. Comes with a neat little sack you can hang on the horn.

I'm short so to mount from the ground id have to lower my stirrup so long its not worth it.

cool I will have to look into this too

When I took Hunter lessons in the 1970's MY instructor taught us not just HOW to, But TO learn to readjust our stirrup length while mounted. It is a VALUABLE skill, and you can teach your horse to tolerate this calmly in an arena if he doesn't stand still outside. You can do this, too.