I need help getting on

My horse is 16.2, and I'm 5'4.

I'm not as young as I once was, and I haven't been able to get on my boy without a fence or a mounting block, which was fine until now. I want to take him on a long trail ride in a month, and I'm concerned about getting on him in public without my mounting block.

The stirrups on my western saddle are above my waist. How do I do this?

Try doing some streches (sp?) to make sure your body isn't stiff. Also try lowering your stirrups, get on, then you can do it from the saddle or someone else can help you raise them.

You might have to get one of those mounting aides. THey go through the stirrup (baiscally a stick of wood about 6 inches lone with a loop of rope hanging down with another stick of wood , which is your temporary stirrup. ) you put this through the stirrup, then turn it lenghtwise so it wedges tight with the temporary stirrup hanginbg down another foot. Get on from the ground and then reach down and twist the stick so that it can now fit back through the stirrup. I have never used one. I always find something to get on from. I can't get on from the ground, no how no way!

My trailer is old enough that it has fender wells out from the main part of trailer that cover the wheels. I've used them a lot to mount my horse at small shows and such.

Defiantly start stretching! Im 5'4 and my boy is a tad over 16.3. I get on with no problems. Youve got a month, if you stretch everyday you'll see an improvement....or you could buy a mounting aid

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These are two different mounting aids. The first one you put your right leg in, lift up until you put your left foot in stirrup, swing right leg over then remove the gizmo from the horn,

The second is self explanatory

I am 53. I am very , very flexible for my age, BUT due to injury and a way too fat tummy, I cannot lift my left leg up to the stirrup, no matter how much I stretch. Even getting it there doesnt' mean I can then get enough bjounce to get up without really reefing terribly hard on the saddle. Very uncomfortable for my horse.

I am 4'10 and can't get on my 14.3 hh boy either! I have used picnic tables, tree stubs, rocks, and fences. I woud love to know what you figure out.

Whenever I struggle mounting (and since I'm not even 5'3" I have a LOT of trouble sometimes) I just lower the stirrup on the left side a couple of notches and shorten them again when I'm up.

Works great in an english saddle... Not so much in a western

I haven't been to a place yet that didn't have a rock, tree stump or picnic table to mount from. I also have a 16.2 horse and feel your pain. Worse case scenario, lengthen the left stirrup so you can mount and bring it back to normal length once you're on.