Embarrassing- can’t mount in my dressage saddle

[Alterration]

I bought mine at Schneider’s but it looks like smartpak has them $30 cheaper. It was pricey ($349) but worth it.

[Alterration]

Ok. Weird experiment time. My poor husband thinks I’m insane doing this after I eat TG dinner

I can stand up and swing my leg in an upward and circular motion, and put my foot on my very tall bed with no issues.

I cannot bend to the side or forward and lift my leg more than a foot. It feels blocked.

It strikes me then that the facing the tail, swing the leg around (more forward than straight out to the side) may work. I can’t ride today due to weather but I’m going to give this one a shot tomorrow!

[Jenerationx]

Is your right knee bent at a 90-ish degree angle as you mount? I put my left hand maybe 1/3 up the neck, grab mane, and then once my left foot is in the stirrup, lean on my left hand so that my belly is over the pommel and right hand joins my left (kind of like my upper body is when over fences)
as my knee goes out and over… like ummmm… a male dog lifting it’s leg with a bent knee… if that makes sense.

You’re right it’s hard to describe mounting!

[Willesdon]

Maybe try some exercises in a swimming pool? Resistance but non-weight bearing.

[eightpondfarm]

@blue_heron

Was going to say. I practically vault off my horses in my dressage saddle. I’ve gotten broken bones from the half on-half off unbalanced moment. I want to spend very very very limited time hanging off the side of my horse.

dismount… i swing over and just hang there and slowly ease down with both feet touching earth together. The taller the horse, the harder it is for me to even consider anything else. Well…except riding over to a gate(and of course use the hinge side ). I do that sometimes … Oh, and sometimes, just for funzies, i ride back to the mounting block and dismount from the right side. What i don’t do is vault. Gosh, even the idea of it makes me twitch! mostly because my knee has reached it’s expiration date lol.

[Arlomine]

I think you are posting on the wrong thread…

[eightpondfarm]

ooops!!! thanks!

[BigMama1]

@eightpondfarm

dismount… i swing over and just hang there and slowly ease down with both feet touching earth together. The taller the horse, the harder it is for me to even consider anything else.

I do the same, plus use the strap I have on my pommel to slow my descent back to earth lol

[IdahoRider]

I am getting better at dismounting. I use to kind of scoot over in the saddle and then kind of fling myself off the side. Now I can drop down. It is a drop like a sack of potatoes, but at least I am not vaulting off the side anymore!
Sheilah