[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” type=”legacy”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”true” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_sizes_right=”” first=”true”][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” font_size=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]Last month, out of the blue, Niko developed mounting problems (and dismounting problems, sigh). Getting on and off your horse isn’t something you really even think about… until it goes really wrong. It all started on week day when I brought Niko out to the outdoor ring for a normal, everyday hack. We had the arena to ourselves and he’d been sleeping in the crossties while I groomed. I lined him up with the mounting block, put my left foot in the stirrup and just as I was swung my right leg over his back, he walked two steps and began bucking. I hit the dirt pretty hard (thankfully missing both the arena fence and the mounting block), but it took me a second to stand up and catch my horse — who had bucked all the way around the ring.

At first, I was confused. What had just happened?! Then I pissed at his totally random blow-up. After I caught him, I checked him all over to make sure he was okay and thought maybe he’d gotten bitten by a bug or stung by a bee. It was just so out of character that I figured it HAD to be some fluke thing like that. He seemed a little bit up, but stood rock still at the mounting block when I re-approached it, so I swung aboard (this time without issue). The entire ride Niko was very tense, and when another rider wanted to come into the ring, I decided that the ride just wasn’t getting any better and that maybe I should just get off and lunge, rather than ruin someone else’s ride too. I halted in the middle of the ring, and swung my right leg over… when Niko bucked again and went galloping across the ring. Luckily I landed on my feet this time, but man was I pissed!

I immediately spoke with my trainer about Niko’s mounting problems and while we initially thought he might need to go to a trainer for some remedial training, we decided to try fixing it ourselves first. My trainer has dealt with mounting problems before, but she’s just not young and spry enough to ride out any potential bucks herself anymore. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt, but since he’s my horse and we had a show coming up, I figured I might as well try myself.

Fix Mounting Problems with Groundwork

The first step to solving our mounting problems was groundwork. We put Niko in a rope halter and introduced him to a training flag (which is basically a long dressage whip with a square piece of tarp at the end). We rubbed it all over his body, flicked it gently all around it body (starting at the front feet, moving up towards the head and then back towards the rump). First we did this on the left side, and then on the right side. This is when we noticed that things moving from the left eye to the right eye seemed to bother Niko. We’d just had his vision checked, so I knew it wasn’t a physical issue, just a mental one. So we did a lot of doing something in the left eye, then crossing in front of him and doing the same on the right.

Then we moved on to doing it all at the mounting block. At first, as soon as I walked up to stand on the mounting block, Niko would move his haunches away… so I’d have to get down and use the flag to move him back over. After we fixed that, I used the flag to simulate my leg swinging over his back, as it would when I mount. Wash, rinse, repeat until he stood quietly and calmly. Then we did the same on the right side (as if I was going to mount from the wrong side). This was much more difficult for Niko, so I didn’t expect perfection — but I did expect improvement, which I got. We did this routine with groundwork and the flag for several days, at several different mounting blocks in different rings.

Fix Mounting Problems with a Helper

After groundwork, it was time to actually do the thing and get on my horse. I tacked Niko up, and added a halter over his bridle, looping the reins through so I could still use them once mounted to ride. I then clipped a lead rope to the left side of the halter for my helper (my trainer). We went out to the mounting block, and lined up with his right side along the fence, but his body STRAIGHT. Not L-shaped, not facing the fence. This way Niko felt less trapped, but his energy was channeled straight forward, instead of backwards or spinning — if something bad happened, my best chance would be if he stayed straight. My trainer held the lead rope and gave Niko a treat while I stood on the mounting block to distract him a little bit. Then I used my right arm to swing over the saddle and tap on his right side, just like my leg would do.

The key is watching your horse and evaluating where their attention is. You want them slightly distracted, but not fixated on something going on outside the ring. The key for Niko was ensuring his ears were pointed back, towards me (listening) and that his head was ever-so-slightly cocked to the left. Once he didn’t react to my arm swinging and had the right expression, I was able to mount. If Niko seemed to be worried about me mounting at any time, my trainer would distract him by rubbing his nose or doing something softly and quietly to redirect his attention. Once I was safely in the saddle, we walked forward a few steps and my trainer unhooked the lead rope — then I proceeded to ride as usual. Once I was done, it was time to dismount. My trainer clipped the lead rope back on, and I again used my right arm to simulate a leg swinging over. I moved it up and down slowly, and if Niko showed no reaction, I dismounted and promptly gave him another treat.

As I got better at reading Niko’s expression, we slowly graduated to no halter and then to my Trainer just a few steps away… and then farther away… until I could mount all by myself. I still feed a treat before getting on and upon immediately getting off. I’m also still using my right arm to remind Niko that something is going to move around behind him, from his left eye to his right.

And that’s exactly how we fixed my mounting problems![/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]