Hhhhh
This is really part of good basic groundwork with your horse. “Picking you up” is not the starting point, proper leading, moving front and rear quarters, backing, moving quietly on a circle and turning correctly all come first. It will take time for you to teach yourself and your horse these things but the payback is huge.
Try videos or articles by Warwick Schiller, Buck Brannaman, or John Lyons, for example. Stay away from Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson and their disciples. They make it more complicated, IMO.
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Thanks for posting. Do you have some more specific advicr?
First you teach the horse to stand at a mounting block at home and use that to mount. You teach the horse to stand not motor off as soon as you are in the saddle. I find a treat works wonders here.
While doing this you will observe the many ways the handler can mess up placement of horse at block. I like to get a good straight line going so we end up properly placed. If you approach the block at the wrong angle it’s a mess.
You also need your horse to move haunches and forehand on cue both from the ground and in saddle.
Then you can do the Working Equitation excercise where you stand on the mounting block and walk the horse around, change directions, and move haunch toward block with a whip tap on the outside.
Then you can progress to using other things to mount on your property.
Do not expect the horse to magically help you mount. You need to build in the groundwork skills and manners that will let you position the horse where you want him.
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I am a believer in cookies when a horse is first learning, and also in stressful situations. When we trailer out to parks, I always put cookies in the trailer hay bag and let him get a couple while I am mounting. If someone comes up behind us, he is too busy eating his cookie to spook or get distracted.
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Scribbler has already given great advice, but I’ll chime in with a helpful cue. When I was training my horse, starting on the ground, I taught him “one step” verbal cue with some lead rope pressure. He caught on quick, and then it became just the verbal cue, and from anywhere I’m standing. Very handy when on a rock or log, “one step” and he steps over once (just say it again if needed!). Good luck!
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I just learned this last year- what a great skill! The way I was taught was to bring the horse over to the mounting block, you are on their left side. Have their head about where you would want it, and the reins over the neck as if you are ready to ride. Tug up gently on the left rein and at the same time use a dressage whip to tap rhythmically either on the back of the saddle or on their croup. The idea is not to whack them but to annoy them enough that they experiment with moving their hindquarters. If they move the hindquarters towards you, in the right direction, then immediately stop tapping and release the rein pressure as a reward. Repeat as needed to get them to move step by step. You are not tapping to move them in a particular direction, just enough to annoy them to get them to move a little. It is amazing how quickly they figure this out. I also offer a cookie on the right side when I get in the saddle to seal the deal.
I feel like I may have seen a Warwick Schiller YouTube video on this at some point too.
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I used this many years ago, forgot about it until someone shared it the other day.
My big guy got it in 5 mins, it was amazing!
The young mare I’m working with confounded me by not moving at all with the tapping, I thought my arm was going to drop off before she had any reaction. I have done 2 short, 10 minutes or so sessions with her, and she lines up and stands like a champion. Even more surprising as standing still at the block was one of her issues.
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This is perfect. Thank you!
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions also.
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