Mounting and Dismounting, or How to Get On and Off a Horse

In All The Tie Rail, Ground Work, Horsemanship, Riding by Eric Ancker

I see it all the time, people mounting in a way that makes their hose scared or uncomfortable and puts them (the rider) in danger.

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Don’t be this guy.

When getting on or off a horse, there are a bazillion options of where to put and organize your body parts. But keep these rules in mind when deciding how to do it:

Here are the rules I live by when mounting:

  1. Always mount from the ground. A mounting block is fine, if you always have one. If you’ve never mounted from the ground and find yourself looking for a makeshift mounting block, you’re looking for disaster. *There will be arguments about stress on a horse’s back when mounting. I’m willing to hear them but it’s safer in my opinion to always mount from the ground.
  2. Don’t let go of the reins while you’re mounting—it’ll be hard to control the horse if you do.
  3. If using a Western saddle, don’t pull on the saddle horn when you mount. You just might pull the whole darn thing off. Grab the mane instead. (Grab it!)
  4. Sit down gently; don’t let the whole of your body weight drop down on your horse’s back—it’s just not nice.
  5. And don’t worry about that right stirrup until you have your seat figured out, and for goodness sake please don’t lean over to put your stirrup on your toe. It’s dangerous!

Here are the rules I live by when dismounting:

  1. Don’t let go of your reins!
  2. Remove both feet from both stirrups before getting to the ground.
  3. Try to land facing the front of the horse.
  4. Bend your knees when you land.

I encourage you to find your own way but here’s how I do it:

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If you have to get off of a horse in a pinch, it’s best to have a game plan beforehand. Watch this now—you never know when you just might need it.