Can't get on, then can't get off

[Bristol_Bay]

[QUOTE=ACP;8217346]
Woo Hoo! a FOUR step mounting block! My sister and daughter are sharing the cost with me, so it wasn’t too bad. I am really looking forward to getting more fit, and being able to ride.

http://www.freedomrider.com/Mounting-Ramp-Plan-Non-Skid-Step-Stool-Block.html[/QUOTE]

For the issues you describe, that looks unsuitable. You have trouble dismounting, so having to aim for such a small step at the top sounds like you’re asking for trouble.

The RV or boat steps with the larger platform at the top as well as a handrail seem the safest.

We have a custom built mounting block that has a handrail as well as steps on both sides so you walk up to mount and can walk down the other side when you dismount or need to start over. It’s a godsend.

[ACP]

I should have said “I am really looking forward to getting more fit, and THEN being able to ride.”

The mounting block is for this fall, at the earliest.

[Bristol_Bay]

I am really fit for my age, but use the mounting block to dismount to save my feet and knees from the jarring (horse is 16.1). My horse is a rock at the mounting block. However, I would still consider it way too risky to dismount to such a narrow step. Really look at it. It’s 9" wide.

Okay, I’ll go home now.

[ACP]

I don’t know that I will need to use the block to dismount. Once my left leg can hold me up, I will swing my right leg over Legend’s croup, take my left foot out of the stirrup, and ooze slowly to the ground. He’s a rock, and stump broke. I was taught a long time ago to slide down, since stepping down might result in catching one’s foot in the stirrup and causing a fall.

[pony-girl]

For those of you who would like to try yoga but are maybe worried about your fitness level or flexibility (or age) Peggy Cappy does a series on PBS that is called "Yoga for the Rest of Us). It focuses on doing poses seated if necessary and helps build up the fluid in your joints to alleviate arthritis.

Best of luck in your recovery.

[ACP]

[QUOTE=pony-girl;8227050]
For those of you who would like to try yoga but are maybe worried about your fitness level or flexibility (or age) Peggy Cappy does a series on PBS that is called "Yoga for the Rest of Us). It focuses on doing poses seated if necessary and helps build up the fluid in your joints to alleviate arthritis.

Best of luck in your recovery.[/QUOTE]

I will check this out. Right now I am just walking a good bit, and going to the barn to help feed, scrub water buckets, and do hydration therapy on THREE horses. Nothing serious, a glancing kick or two, an insect sting, and a bite mark, but we want to make sure they are comfortable. We have a show in Raleigh on Jul 25-26. I am looking forward to it, and I hope it will help me stay motivated.

[Simbalism]

My friend got a 4 step mounting block and although she didn’t need it, there is a place to attach a hand rail. We love it and it is light enough to throw in the back of the truck.

[walkers]

Horse can be taught to lay down on their side ,you get on and they slowly stand up. I had a friend who was a grad and his horse did this, just like a trick horse in the circus and not hard to teach. After reading this thread i think its a much safer way of mounting but of course takes the right horse and trainer but a good natural horseman trainer could do it in a few weeks with a well broke horse. That way you remain independent not hauling a big step around or needing help to mount. I’m older to just got a much shorter horse and that helps yet honestly i am embarrassed by the little guy yet he keeps me riding and such a pet…

[Gamma]

Since this got bumped… The best exercise is doing whatever your goal is to be doing. Can you rig up a barrel/hay bale/fence arrangement with a saddle and practice getting on and off of it? You’ll strengthen exactly the muscles you need and also be able to figure out workarounds for what you can’t do (maybe you need an assist at a specific point), and the barrel doesn’t care how many times you kick it.

[LLee]

I’ve got a plastic 3-stepper from Tractor Supply. It’s OK but as has been mentioned already, the treads are a bit narrow. OK for getting on, but a tad iffy when dismounting. But it’s very portable. Unless filled with water to make it more heavy and not so noisy.
My FAVORITE suggestion of all the above is the mobile home steps. Wide, handrail, safe, easy! If I had bigger bucks and a handyman, I would build a mounting ramp, but for now I will start saving for the mobile home steps.

[In1]

Here’s a list of PATH Centers in NC. I would personally recommend a Premier Center, if possible:
http://www.pathintl.org/path-intl-centers/find-center

I wish you were closer - I’m a PATH instructor but 3+ hours away in Colfax. It would be lovely for you to connect with a PATH instructor to play around with the different types of mounts we use more frequently in therapeutic riding. Not only the steps/ramps/etc - but a crest vs croup mount and dismount.

Something to consider…