[JustinMorgan]

I've been leasing this horse for 6 months now, a 26 year old Morgan mare she's never been the best horse to mount. At first, she would just walk off once I got on her but I fixed this. She was good mounting for a month or two, then she started swinging her hips away from the mounting block. She did this one or two times, then stood quietly so I just thought she was playing games. When I mounted slowly, she would stand perfectly still. But yesterday, she swung her hips away for about a half hour, since I only ride for about 30 minutes anyways (because of her age) I ran out of time and I couldn't ride. I tried to keep her head bent towards me, but that would just make her swing her hips out even more. Then I tried walking her around the mounting block a few times. This worked, but the second I pit my foot in the stirrup she would swing her hips away. What should I do?

 

[attackships]

im subbing so i can see other's replies. My mare did I similar thing when i first started riding her. I always used a mounting block and would have to follow her around in circles just to get on. The more i rode her the less she would do it though. She will still take a step or two away if we are in a new place but it doesn't take that long. I have no idea how i "should" be handling it, but i think an important thing is to make sure you do mount her by the end of the session. If she's learning to do it as evasion and you do not get on, its working!

Maybe a possibility is you are pressing your toe in her rib when you get on?

 

[JustinMorgan]

im subbing so i can see other's replies. My mare did I similar thing when i first started riding her. I always used a mounting block and would have to follow her around in circles just to get on. The more i rode her the less she would do it though. She will still take a step or two away if we are in a new place but it doesn't take that long. I have no idea how i "should" be handling it, but i think an important thing is to make sure you do mount her by the end of the session. If she's learning to do it as evasion and you do not get on, its working!

Maybe a possibility is you are pressing your toe in her rib when you get on?

Yeah I wouldn't normally just give up like that but I had to be somewhere so I was pressed on time... I lunged her for a few minutes so that she wouldnt be under the impression that doing that would get her out of work. I make sure that I barely touch her side with my foot, so I don't think that toeing her would be a possibility:?

 

[lauraetco]

What about jumping off in front of her and backing her up a long distance, every time she does it? Then walk her to the block and try again. That would be making the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult.

Have you ever heard of Clinton Anderson's "sending" exercise? I'm not sure how to explain it. Maybe someone else can. Do the exercise until she gets closer and closer to the block. Make her hussle until she's standing next to it. Then, let her relax.

Good luck

 

[lauraetco]

One more idea. Can you mount her from the ground? Put her against a wall so she can't move away and mount her a bunch of times. Give her praise each time and then get off and do it again.

 

[AlexS]

One more idea. Can you mount her from the ground? Put her against a wall so she can't move away and mount her a bunch of times. Give her praise each time and then get off and do it again.

That was going to be my suggestion as well, but you could still use a mounting block.

 

[lauraetco]

That was going to be my suggestion as well, but you could still use a mounting block.

Oh yeah. Dah! Just move the mounting block...lol. Use a fence if you don't have an arena but I wouldn't do it next to an electrical fence. I would think that would be too dangerous.

 

[tlkng1]

My new horse does this and just due to lack of an empty ring at the times I normally ride I haven't been able to do the training with him. While he stands perfectly still if the mounting block is in a corner, he will do the same thing, swing his back end away or step forward when the mounting block is in the center of the ring.

Laura mentioned Clinton Anderson's methods. Rather than the sending method, I use the hindquarters yield for mounting block issues. Essentially, when the horse moves, make her move. I hold the reins, step back to the flank and make the horse spin a few times. I stop them, give them a pat and move back to the block and try to mount. If the horse moves again, I repeat. Eventually the horse decides it is much easier and nicer to hold still then to go into those spins or be forced to work. Before doing this just make sure you have protective boots on just as a precaution. The spins don't have to be particualrly fast...just make her move her feet.

Another similar method might be to have a lunge line attached. If the horse moves, lunge at a good strong trot, go back to the block and try again..repeat as needed. The only issue there is that when you do finally mount you would have to figure out how to unsnap the lunge line

The last horse I had was a proverbial terror at the block and it took me 15 mins of the hindquarters yield exercise before he would finally stand still. He never moved off again and I could mount with a loose rein.

As an explanation for the sending exercise, it is sort of like a lunge on a quarter circle (or a straight line). Rather than have the horse circle around you, you "lunge" in one direction until the hindquarters pass you then stop the horse. Change directions and lunge the horse in the other direction, again, stopping them just after the hindquarters pass. The horse should never get to your side or behind you when doing this exercise. I used to have fun with this one with my last horse, doing this same exercise wihtout stopping with him going back and forth in front of me while I was walking from one end of the ring to the other.

 

[rob]

jm,you stated that you have the nose bent to you,reverse it.bend the nose away from you,preferably with your reins in your right hand,and bring the hips to you.

 

[TheLastUnicorn]

I, personally, don't like wedging a horse against anything for mounting. After training tons of green horses I have found it the best way to get a massive explosion. Generally horses fidget at mounting because they are excited, stressed or fearful... None of those are "acceptable" mounting energy, to me.

Rob's suggestion works really well for horses who are toying with you a bit... Their butt goes in the opposite direction of their head... Turn the head away and the butt should come to you. This only works if the horse is not nervous about the block or being mounted though... Otherwise you can wind up with the horse on the block with you.

Alternatively, spend a day at the block. Stand on it and ask the horse to move around it... Like lunging from up high, you need not get them fired up, you don't want mounting to be a high energy exercise, just move their feet at a walk, they must walk calmly around it with some slack in the lead or reins before you stop, Then ask them to go the other way... Then ask them to stand quietly... Alternate between having the go around the block and halting until they halt straight, Then ask for them to move the hips away, and back towards you (use a dressage whip or horseman stick... Or flag or whatever is handy and works) - use the outside rein to help bring the hindquarters towards you if need be.

Do it until you can put that horse where ever you want it... THEN get on... And off... And on... And off, until they will line up and stand. Some horses this takes half an hour, others will take you the afternoon.

 

[Skyseternalangel]

My horse does this.. now there's two ways I personally go about it.

If he swings them towards me, he gets a cupped hand whap. It makes a lot of noise and doesn't hurt and he swings away from me. I do this because it's dangerous behavior swinging his butt at me!

Now if my horse swings away from the mounting block, I move the mounting block and keep prompting him to do a turn on the forehand, then the haunches, then I back him up and then send him forward. This is usually enough to get his head spinning with the thought of "WOAH where did all this work come from?" So he tries again, and I repeat in a different order. Sometimes I go on the other end and make him do a sidepass or turn on the forehand until he learns his lesson.

So long as you end on a forward note and make sure the mare doesn't anticipate your next move. If she starts turning around because you move sides or towards her hip when you didn't ask, then undo the move she just did.

What also helps is mounting with a pole on the side she swings out to, it's a lot more work to lift and get over.

There's lots of ways to fix it.. just don't do something out of anger, always focus on teaching wrong answer vs. right answer.

You could also stand on the mounting block and direct her via inside rein where to go. Don't stop her until she's standing near the mounting block to where you can get on.

Now if she's nervous about the block, it doesn't hurt to desensitize her to it.

Good luck

 

[Mstar]

At 26 and a lease horse, she's probably just a smart ol' gal who knows how to get away with things like that, and not just being fidgety. Yes you are turning her head the wrong way. The horse is like a ship, if you turn their head one way, the hind end is going to swing the opposite direction. Since you are trying to keep her hind end towards you, you can try turning her head to the right. But what it all comes down to is respect. She doesn't respect you, as you say she walks away as well. You need to make her understand when you say WHOA, you mean WHOA. No letting her walk off when you get on. You mount up, make her stand there for a few minutes. If she tries to walk forward, correct her immediately and make her back up to where she was. If she takes ONE STEP sideways, don't just try to climb on anyways, put her back in place. I'm guessing once she figures out you mean business she'll give up. Lots of good advice from the others as well.

 

[JustinMorgan]

One more idea. Can you mount her from the ground? Put her against a wall so she can't move away and mount her a bunch of times. Give her praise each time and then get off and do it again.

I might try the sending exercise if she does this again, I am tempted to just put her against the wall but if I have to get on without a wall I feel like I'll have more of a problem...

 

[tlkng1]

One caution on the sending exercise. Make sure you can trust the horse not to kick as you are getting the horse to pass in a more or less straight line which means the haunches are close when they pass in front of you.

 

[TheLastUnicorn]

One caution on the sending exercise. Make sure you can trust the horse not to kick as you are getting the horse to pass in a more or less straight line which means the haunches are close when they pass in front of you.

If your horse is nervous enough to kick at the block, it needs better ground training before you get on... Period. Horses almost always kick because they feel they need to get away from something, and can't... This nevousness will eventually blow up on you if it isn't addressed prior to mounting.

 

[PaintCowgirl]

subbing: i have this same problem with my mare. i know i can never let her win, but after chasing her and circling her and etc for an hour i finally just mount her as she moving away, so she doesn't "win". its aggrevating!

 

[Iseul]

What I did (I don't bother anymore, because her new owner is ruining her anyways, and I refuse to train her horse while I'm paying) was take my crop or a dressage whip up onto the block with me (did a similar thing on the ground to train her to ground-tie and stand when I said stand) and each time she would swing her hips out, she got a whack on the opposite flank that moved her back in. I only had to do it a few times and she'll stand absolutely perfect for me 99.8% of the time, even though she won't stand at all for her new owner (I know, I'm a horrible person by putting her down, but I tried the educating approach and got told how to train a horse I was asked to work with, with snide remarks).
If I'm still onthe ground after walking her up to the block, I'll just go ahead and shove her over, literally. She's gotten the idea.

I normally mount from the ground (which is the only thing I still work with her on, since owner refuses to mount without the block), and I generally take the end of my lead (or the dressage whip) and whack the leg she moved as soon as she starts to move it. I did the same thing for standing ground-tied. I found that (now) if I have her ground-tie, I can do whatever I want (walk away, go to the bathroom, have a smoke, run circles around her, mount, jump around, etc) and she won't do more than cock a back hoof. So, good ground-tying=good mounting. In my experience.
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[Skyseternalangel]

subbing: i have this same problem with my mare. i know i can never let her win, but after chasing her and circling her and etc for an hour i finally just mount her as she moving away, so she doesn't "win". its aggrevating!

The key to something sticking is to have the time to fight till the last second of the day.

What I mean by "fight" isn't rough or physical.. it's a game. You are in it to win it. Your horse will never change its ways if you time out before the game has been won.

Meaning, you have to have ample patience. You cannot mount the horse when your horse can't stand. She wins, and she learned nothing.

I'm not drilling on you, I'm just trying to help you see that it'll only get worse if you don't teach her to stand.

If that means making her stand for 10 minutes, 15, 45, an hour without moving, undoing every move she makes (like if she steps forward 2 steps, sideways 5 steps and turns on her haunches, then make her turn on her haunches the other way, go sideways the other way 5 steps and back her up 2 steps.) When she stands, then you've won that battle. Release pressure by sending her off to walk, or asking her to walk on as that is what she wants.. but only on YOUR cue. Not a second earlier.

Yes it's very lengthy and boring and whatnot, but you get results. You just have to be a rock during the process, and learn when to release pressure and step away on a good note. If that means you don't ride, then try again tomorrow. Just get the result, and end on a good note.

Patience, consistency, and more patience.

~~~

Same to the OP. Win the battle. Don't give up because you're frustrated. If you don't have time to win, then don't even take your horse out to mount. Do something else like ground work or an in-hand trail ride or a nice grooming session.

 

[WesternBella]

You pretty much just described ransom, he likes to do anything he can so I can't get on him..I just place him against the wall and walk him over to the mounting block (that's important) also, make sure that if he moves...you move him back to the mounting block (NEVER: bring the mounting block to him)

Hope I helped )
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[blessed]

Put wheels on your mounting block lol I personally would not do that but what I would do is back her to Florida every time she spun she will catch on that spinning ant going to get her nowhere