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Post by phoenix77 on Jul 22, 2012 6:25:27 GMT
Hi All My horse has a habit of walking off as soon as I get my bum in the saddle. Does anyone have any tips on getting him to stand still until I'm ready ? I often ride on my own so don't have anyone to help me. Any tips from anyone would be a great help  Thanks x |
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Jul 22, 2012 7:58:39 GMT
Train him to stand still by anything you want by getting back down again and putting him back in exactly the same place again every time he moves. Tedious but it works! I wasn't able to get on from the ground for years and years, so mine had to stand while I climbed up the nearest fence, fallen tree or whatever from which to clamber aboard, so they had to learn to stand. And when you have got on, fiddle with your gloves, adjust your stirrups, make something up to do before he is allowed to walk off, only at your signal.
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Post by workingcob on Jul 22, 2012 9:29:27 GMT
If you could organise to have a helper, say for a weekend of practice, then I would do some intensive sessions with their help. We have a new horse on the yard who fidgets at the mounting block and then walks off (an annoying and potentially dangerous habit) and we did a session yesterday of get on/walk a circuit of yard/get off and repeat, repeat, repeat with the helper and then without
I know a friend of mine in your situation (ie no helpers) had trouble getting her exracer to stand still so designed a little pen round the mounting block to help him stand still and square to do practice sessions in. She would get on, stand for a while then get off and back him out, circle round and do it again. She then backed him out while sitting on him and repeat the exercise. He learnt quite quickly to stand still at the block without the help of the pen. I'd only do this with a horse who won't rocket forward and jump/fall over the pen though!
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Post by aengusog on Jul 22, 2012 9:34:35 GMT
Teach him to 'stand', in-hand on the ground, and this will let him understand the command, so that when you are in the saddle you can use the 'stand' command along with the rein to persuade him to remain where you want him.
When you mount, if he starts to move off, momentarily check him with the rein and give the 'stand' command, then give him the rein when he responds by stopping. If he again attempts to move off, take up the rein and repeat the command, then give when he responds by halting. Repeat until he stands...then fiddle with your gloves, etc...if you want to.
If you try to hold him by constant pressure on the reins he will fidget and will not learn to stand. He must learn that any attempt to move off will be checked immediately, but there will be peace from the rein if he stands.
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Post by auntiebarb on Jul 22, 2012 9:52:31 GMT
This will not go down well with high school riders, but my appaloosa was a pain to mount when I got him and I am old and had really stiff shoulders at the time.
(I know, I shouldn't have bought him but I loved him). I would show him my mints, put them in my pocket and tell him once I was on and had feet in stirrups he could have a mint. He knows what 'mint' means. He is a dream now. I tried the same thing with getting through our gates onto the lane. Once I had to get someone to drive a couple of miles to help me on and shut the gate. Now I can do it all myself. Gym thinks doing gates is great now and he doesn't always get a mint.
Just mentioning mint gets his attention, whether I am mounted or not. If he is really naughty, I eat one myself and don't give him one - well not until he has done something to deserve it.
OK, I am a dotty old lady! But this works.
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Post by Louise Dixon on Jul 22, 2012 10:09:07 GMT
Auntiebarb, I am not a fan of feeding treats/rewarding with food/bribery whatever it can be called, but I have also used the same method as you with a great deal of success! I used it with a horse that was 'damaged' I suppose you could say, once she was physically healed, we began riding, and her instinct was to bolt when you got on, although once she stopped, and you reassured her, she was fine, and an absolute sweetie to ride, her problems were just with mounting (bad memories of previous pain etc.). I was thin and fit then, so could stay up off her back with just one stirrup until she stopped, then get my other stirrup, and sit down gradually once she'd warmed up, but it was tedious. Over about a month, using the method you describe, she learned to stand still, and then (this was the best bit) to be relaxed about standing still. Had I had her since a baby, that is not the method I would have used, but it worked in the situation we were in.
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Post by tuppence on Jul 22, 2012 13:12:40 GMT
I always use the "Mint Method". I have had a string of Ex-racers and they don't understand about standing still to get on. I generally find they get the idea in about 3 days.
They make me laugh because once they get the idea they stand still looking very smug while I get the mint out of the packet. Sometimes I forget to offer the mint and they turn round to look at me!
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Post by angelena on Jul 22, 2012 15:24:58 GMT
Not read the replies, the one thing that worked for my old pony was to stand her facing the wall then get on, took no time at all. I could get on her holding no reins after that.
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Post by phoenix77 on Jul 23, 2012 6:02:11 GMT
Some great tips. Thanks everyone. I'm not as agile as I used to be so I have to use the mounting block to get on but I am going to using a mixture of your ideas. Thanks very much  x |
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SMG
Junior Member
Posts: 96
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Post by SMG on Jul 23, 2012 6:10:22 GMT
This will not go down well with high school riders, but my appaloosa was a pain to mount when I got him and I am old and had really stiff shoulders at the time. (I know, I shouldn't have bought him but I loved him). I would show him my mints, put them in my pocket and tell him once I was on and had feet in stirrups he could have a mint. He knows what 'mint' means. He is a dream now. I tried the same thing with getting through our gates onto the lane. Once I had to get someone to drive a couple of miles to help me on and shut the gate. Now I can do it all myself. Gym thinks doing gates is great now and he doesn't always get a mint. Just mentioning mint gets his attention, whether I am mounted or not. If he is really naughty, I eat one myself and don't give him one - well not until he has done something to deserve it. OK, I am a dotty old lady! But this works. I am an instructor and think this is the best way ! I have told people to do this if they are on there own ! Ps your not dotty ! Great way our horses do anything for food ! |
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Post by robrocksforsure on Jul 23, 2012 7:37:16 GMT
My 17hh warmblood was like this-I could get on him if I didn't touch the reins but clearly this wasn't very safe - so mint/pony nut method - he would stand and look up at me as if to say "I'm waiting". When I was a little girl i had a pony (in his 20s so was never going to change)who was terrified of tractors (due to an accident)and you really had to dismount, turn him into you and interest him in your packet of polos - the tractor would go by without drama. Polo's are crucial and p.s I don't believe in random tit bitting!
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Post by speedysally on Jul 23, 2012 20:03:59 GMT
what i did with mine when she would not allow me to mount was make her walk round until she eventually gave in! it was a big issue, it was probably due to her being raced and just made to jump on and get going, but now she always stands still and whenever she doesn't and has to walk round, she easily gets bored and gives in!
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Post by hunter on Jul 23, 2012 20:17:47 GMT
food
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Post by Julie(luke3) on Jul 23, 2012 20:58:14 GMT
I agree with this! Right or not, I taught my cob(who would just keep on walking) to wait for a polo  I hate bad manners! He doesn't always get one now, but it did teach him that if he stood still for as long as I asked he would get a reward  Now he will stand for any length of time whenever I ask x |
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Post by tom1313 on Jul 23, 2012 21:00:03 GMT
If you can find a really scratchy place (ideally a scratchy bum) stand him by the mounting block and scratch him till he relaxes and starts enjoying it, then put your foot in the stirrup and carry on scratching till he relaxes again, then add a little weight and get him to relax again.... till you get on, then straight away turn round and scratch again, doesn't work on all horses, but on ones that like a scratch it takes all the stress out of getting on (for both of you!)
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Now he will stand for any length of time whenever I ask x
