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Ex racer - mounting problems... how do i train her to the mounting block?

6707 Views 16 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Nanette Levin, 
D
Hi there,

Here's a small history on my tb mare, she was raced as a 2 year old... only 3 races ... trotted past the finish line on the last race... then was sold, and sold on again to the owners i bought her from, who had no idea what to do with her as they'd only ever had ponies and they put her up for sale and a noivce girl came to ride her and kicked her in the side as she mounted and maisie bolted off and the girl didn't get back on so they sent her to a selling yard to be sold and get her schooled a little, this is where i pop up i when to view her and she was as good as gold so i thought yeah she seems prefect so i got her, bought her home and a few days later lunged her and when to get on, with a friend holding her as soon as i put my weight in to the saddle she reared up and bolted off...

after getting her back, teeth, and saddle check with no problems i put her on 2 months rest to make sure she settled in before stressing her, before winter i got on her a few time without much trouble a few rears and bucks but was alright then the winter came and had to stop work.... then spring reappeared and she's back to stage one, scared of the mounting block, saddle and riders

so basically i wanted to know how to start her back to being mounting and how i get her use to using a mounting block again....

I will say i've had her back, saddle and teeth rechecked and they are currently all good and also i have broken in ponies before but Maisie is a 16hh tb not a 12.2h pony :)

I've also purchased the retraining of racerhorses 'racing to riding' dvd but it's yet to come.... so am looking for tips and advice, ALSO has anyone else had this problem with there horses?
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tinyliny
I think you have to break down mounting at a mounting block into the necesary components, and work on them one at a time, getting full success at one before moving on to the next. If you try and force him, such as pinning him against a wall, i think you will end up having to force him for other things.

But if you work at having him do small things FOR you, earn a reward and then back away, he will start to think that HE controls this situation. He knows how to make you give him a treat. he will learn quickly and willingly with such a mindset.

What are the components of teaching a horse to stand at a mounting block?

Here's what I can think of, and I really would like other ideas.

approach something unknown , both following the human and being 'sent' by the human.
stand near "strange" thing, then walk off, rinse repeat.

STand still anywhere . Handler asks horse to just stand for a bit, where told to .

move shoulder over, move hind over, back up

Tolerate the pull of the stirrup on one side.

Tolerate something heavy on the back.

??? what else.?
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