Does your horse come to the mounting block in a relaxed way indicating that he/she is ready to be ridden? Or does your horse move away or start walking as soon as you put 1 foot in the stirrup?
My horse Jajão was NOT ready to be ridden when he first came to me....
Do you recognize this?
Does your horse turn away when you want to mount or start walking when you put your foot in the stirrup? This can range from just annoying to plain dangerous!
Having your horse stand still while you want to mount is one of the basic things to establish before you start riding. Some people think that having a horse standing still next to the mounting block is like a “button” that you can put on a horse. But it is not a button, and when a horse doesn’t stand still for mounting it is often because there are underlying issues, reflecting the connection and communication that you have with your horse.
I try to see what is underneath the fact that the horse is not standing still, when, for example, a horse walks away the moment you put your foot in the stirrup. Is it about a real current situation like wind or certain objects in the environment that weren't there before? Or is it a reaction of the nervous system, responding to a previous, unpleasant situation?
When there is a real current situation, you might just want to wait, breathe and try again. When your horse is responding to a previous situation and the flight response of the nervous system is activated, it has probably become a habit and it might take a bit longer to change your horse's mind.
Leaning over my horse in a different environment to find relaxation for mounting.
I think there are a couple of steps you can take to prepare your horse for a relaxed ride. It goes without saying that you make sure there are no physical issues and that you have a saddle that fits.
With Jajão I started with daily walks in the forest to get to know each other. Then we continued with groundwork and really connecting with each other, breathing and synchronizing together. We were building 2-way communication, which means I have to see and consider every subtle signal he is giving me as well. We have been playing at liberty from the start, so he always has a choice to walk away, and I have (re)introduced the saddle to him, starting from scratch.
I also noticed that he was more tense in the indoor arena when he was saddled. When I climbed on a fence in the place where we usually just play at liberty, I could hang over him and even mount him without a saddle in quite a relaxed way. I guess that was because there was no association with this kind of mounting. It's something you could try as well, to mount your horse in a different location than where you normally ride your horse. Be creative to find different ways to help your horse gain confidence in you!
Would you like to learn more about how to invite your horse to come to the mounting block and ask him/her to wait for you to sit and be ready, so you can start your ride together in a relaxed way?
I created an online course on mounting your horse with over 50 videos with 4 different horses! My horse Seni is the perfect demo horse, so with him I will explain step by step the 14 steps that you can take to prepare your horse to 'park' next to the mounting block. With 2 other horses, I will show how to deal with traumatic issues regarding mounting or riding.
You can read all the details about the course when you click the button below. There is no risk as you can watch the course for 2 full weeks and if it's not for you, I will refund the full amount. I hope to see you in the course!
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Vorden, the Netherlands
info@lucieklaassen.com
(31) 641 206 107
My dream/mission
I want to make a soulful and inspirational contribution to the horse world where welfare, connection and communication between human and horse are the basis of everything we do with our horse.
My Philosophy
I believe everyone can learn how to connect to your authentic self to become the human your horse WANTS to be with. Understand and feel the depth of the breath, listen to the wisdom of your body and connect from the heart. From that place help your horse become stronger, more balanced, flexible and collected so that you can enjoy a happy and healthy life together!
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