How to avoid hanging self by belt when dismounting?

[MyssMyst]

[QUOTE=goodhors;7879357]
Must be old fashioned training, but I always put my left hand on the horn with the reins in hand to dismount. Right hand on the swell to start swing of right leg over the cantle and step down. If horse is tall, I stop when right and left legs are together on one side of horse, move right hand to cantle, lift body slightly to get left foot kicked out of stirrup and then slide down with feet together to land beside horse.

With left hand ALWAYS on the horn, you won’t snag your belt buckle or bottom of a vest or jacket. Hand prevents stuff passing over the horn to catch there. I don’t want any kind of “lean forward” if possible, because I have seen a number of bras get hooked on the horn. This is also the reason I don’t put my left (with reins) hand on horse neck, it makes me reach/lean forward to possibly snag on the horn. I am then also off-balance, with arm reaching ahead of saddle to horse neck instead of arm straight down under my shoulder to saddle horn, for getting off straight downward.

I would not advise getting a big plate buckle since it is not going to prevent hooking the horn when you lean forward to lift up for leg swing and get ahead of horn. There just is nothing to prevent that buckle, hem of untucked shirt, jacket or even a bra from snagging the horn during such a dismount. You need your hand with arm on the horn to prevent “articles of apparel” from ever getting over the horn to catch and hang you up on the saddle.

Maybe it is a new fashion, but I was taught to hold the horn for stability, preventing my body movement from getting in the way of horse digging out on his way thru the barrels or poles. Again, clothing can’t hang up if horn is covered with a hand and arm.[/QUOTE]

This is what I do, except I always land with feet together (I’m short AND clumsy, so attempting the step down is just not my thing). And I have HUGE boobs, so not holding the horn is a guaranteed bra-getting-caught situation, lol. I made that mistake once and only once. There is no graceful way out of that situation

[goodhors]

[QUOTE=secuono;7896663]
I push away from the horse right as I drop, so that I land 3in or so away.
Or just keep the one leg in stirrup and step down.
Are you supposed to just slide off…?[/QUOTE]

I only slide off from tall horses. Tall is over 16.2 hands, since I am fairly long legged. I can step off solidly from a horse 16.2H, reach the ground to put my right foot down then remove left foot from stirrup.

Getting off horses taller than 16.2H, my right foot is just “feeling around” in the air, can’t reach the ground. So stopping to get feet together after right leg swings over cantle onto left side of horse, then kicking left foot free to slide down, is better for me as a dismount. I land evenly, not under the horse or off balance.

Most of my present horses are 17H, with only one being 16H, so I am sliding down for dismounting much of the time these days. Heck, stepping off the 14.2H or 15H horses of my past was EASY, no work involved!!

[kaitsmom]

I think the reason he recommended western belt buckles is that they don’t buckle, most just hook through a hole so if it gets caught it will unhook by itself and if not all it takes is a quick tug on the buckle to get it unhooked and free yourself. It doesn’t matter how big the buckle is as long as it is just a hook type.

I am a firefighter and we were simple flat leather belts that have the hook closure and some even velcro to close. I wear mine to ride a lot because my horse is very tall and I often get hung on the stirrup by my belt. It is called a duty belt and you can get it at any law enforcement supply site. Galls.com comes to mind. They are not very wide and are simple back leather so it might not give you the look you are going for in the show ring, but would be fine when you are riding alone.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

[QUOTE=kaitsmom;7901126]
I think the reason he recommended western belt buckles is that they don’t buckle, most just hook through a hole so if it gets caught it will unhook by itself and if not all it takes is a quick tug on the buckle to get it unhooked and free yourself. It doesn’t matter how big the buckle is as long as it is just a hook type.
.[/QUOTE]

I think you’re right. :yes: I met my nieces for lunch in Asheville over Thanksgiving, and found a store that sells vintage belt buckles (that’s about it, too - oh, and custom made sandals - very Asheville, no? ) . Anyway, I picked up three off the bargain tray for 10 bucks a piece. I feel much safer now.

Although today I was riding, and it was warm, so I unbuttoned my jean jacket. And then managed to get it wrapped around my hand and the horn as I dismounted. Only briefly, but damn. I think I need to start riding in my wetsuit. Nothing to get hung on.

[Shammy_Davis]

I like Beverly ’ s suggestion. When I started riding in the early 50 ’ s I was taught to buckle my belt offset to my right hip. Had to be a small buckle though. It was always out of the way mounting and dismounting. Can’t speak to the issue of the bra. That would be very foolish of me.

[Bicoastal]

Torque on horse’s back

(I rarely post over here so brief credentials: grew up riding Dad’s retired team roping horses, Dad never went far with it. When I turned 10yo, he put me in dressage-based lessons so I could ride both disciplines and away I went.)

Do any of these methods take into account torque on the horse’s back? My dad steps down. I think I recall my then-new english instructor directing me to kick both feet out so as not to torque the horse’s back. That was ages ago, so I don’t remember perfectly.

Depending on horse’s height and rider’s weight, it seems that could be less than ideal. I’ve seen horses brace or take a step to (counter?)balance.

[The_Crone_of_Cottonmouth_Count]

Another timely CoTH thread. Just got my first Western saddle in over 30 years. Mounted up OK, but when time came for the dismount I just sort of sat there and laughed because I couldn’t remember how to manage it. The Legend of the Bra Disaster echoed in my mind. After a few abortive attempts that my horse didn’t care for at all, distant muscle memory finally kicked in. But it was definitely touch-and-go there for a few moments. Nothing worse than hanging in that nether-world between saddle and dry land.

[Beverley]

@Bicoastal;7909186

Do any of these methods take into account torque on the horse’s back? My dad steps down.

IMO whether western or English if for whatever reason your procedure causes your horse to have to take a step to counter balance, you should use a mounting block (or if possible work on the strength and balance needed to mount and dismount ‘lightly’). It ‘should’ be less of an issue dismounting since one is aided by gravity. I managed to hog up each of my knees at different times this year and to avoid further injury I dismounted onto the mounting block for those spells.