Re-mounting on the trail

Practice will not help if you are not physically able. Some people are more flexible than others due to the way their bodies are built.

^Very true, practice is good but it has its limits...plus why would the right side be harder than the left? My horse is the same height on both sides!!! Haha...I know it could be a problem if you couldn't get your horse turned around on the trail or something, or maybe harder if you're not used to doing it, but I just thought that was funny :)

Oh yeah? Then try it yourself. I've never had problems getting on from the right side but I heard many people did. Then I saw a pretty neat video about getting on a horse where they specifically talked about getting on a horse from the rigth side and how many people think "yeah easy why wouldn't it be" while when they actually face a situation when they have to get on the horse from the right side (injury on the trail or somethig) they find themselves not knowing what to do at all. What did they suggest? Practise. I'm not saying it's oh so impossible to get on a horse from the right side. But it definitely is unusual and, well, just try it yourself. You might be one of the few people that can coordinate their body without a single problem but when I made my friends get on the horse from the right side just to see what their reaction was, first they had no clue what leg to put into the stirrup, then they didn't know where to put the hand, etc. It took them quite some time to coordinate and get used to it. That's why you need the practise. Me personally I have a problem getting on the horse from the left side now. I once found myself putting my right leg into the left stirrup. Then I had to stop for a second. "Wait..." and I realised what was wrong.

As far as the actual practising is concerned... if you really think it makes no difference, what can one do. When we were kids we were taught to get on a bareback horse (horses from where I come from are 17 hands on average) and we all learned to do it by practising. From the point of not being able to get on a horse with the saddle on we learned to hop on without any help. So if it isn't about practising then I guess we all had some kind of an amazing hidden talent. But then I don't know about all the other people having no problem getting on a bareback horse, and there are quite a few, do you really think practise played no role?

And of course I'm not saying practise WILL get you into the saddle no matter what. I could practise as much as I wanted but I'm not going to get on a horse from the left side ever again because I will never be able to bend my leg again. That still doesn't change the fact practise makes better (or did they say perfect?)

Well, today I took Big for a ride up behind the farm. And, just to see if I could do it, I lowered the left stirrup about six inches as an aid to mounting. What a difference! Amazing! The question, however, was would I be able to adjust the stirrup back up while in the saddle. The answer is yes. However, it's something that WILL take some practice! But I managed.

I think I might be able to drop the stirrup far enough to get my foot into it from the ground--but then it might be so low I can't swing over the saddle. Sigh.

At least it's a start in the right direction!

I'm glad to hear you found a solution to your problem. If you want, you can

Some people who ride might have been able to mount from the ground when younger, or leap on bareback, but things are different after three decades and so, young persons, please be tolerant . No amount of practice will make me able to lift my leg that high. And my awkward struggle will make my horse miserable.

^^Agree 100%!!!!

I agree about practice... but like Tinyliny said... decades do make a difference. When I was a kid I also rode bareback almost all the time and could mount several different ways. NOW.... I can't get my legs to work correctly mounting on the right side, I even cannot get on the 4-wheeler from the right side. My legs just don't know what to do!!!

This should be a lesson for younger riders... keep your weight down, and do everything to keep your knees healthy! Don't ever give up riding so you can keep that practice up!!

Rhonda

But if a 17hh horse is all withers than the back is not up any higher than some shorter horses, or if the horse is built to take up leg. I had a short 15.1hh quarter horse that was so thick the stirrups were up much higher than on the 17.2hh Saddlebred I used to ride.

At 5'10" I wouldn't think 17hh would be much of a challenge... not sure but I am 5'3" and 54 years old. I can still mount my 16.1hh paint from the ground. Your horse is only 3" taller than mine while you are 7" taller than me. I am thankful I am still very limber and can put my knee up to my chest for mounting

You know, at 6'1" I wouldn't think 16.2 horse would be a problem either. But I won't go into all the personal problems one might have that disable him from getting on the horse. What I was trying to point out was that you can't bash practice just because you have some issue practising won't unfortunatelly help you with. I would probably be very angry if somebody was telling me with practise I could get on a horse from the left side again without a problem while I know it won't be ever possible. But that doesn't change the fact that with practise I learned to get on a horse from the right side and all is well now. The OP solved his problem by prolonging his stirrups and shortening them once he's back in the saddle, which (as he said himself) will take him some practise but I'm happy he found his way up there.

And as you said, your horse is only 3" taller than mine while I'm 7" taller than you and you still can get on. I didn't come here saying "hey look how small I am and what a huge horse I have". I know I'm tall and my horse is plain average (in this part of Europe). It seems to me that many people understood me wrong and thought my point is to come here and tell everyone that no matter what you SHOULD be able to get on a horse without a talk. Which doesn't really have anything in common with what I said. Anyway I'm glad you can get on your horse and it even proves what I said before, you can be small and still be able to get on a large horse, even though it may not be really easy. And I wouldn't say it's because you just plainly have talent for getting on a horse.


Amlalriiee, you seriously think getting on a horse from the right side is funny? Maybe once you actually have no choice you won't be laughing anymore.