Mounting your horse is the first step to riding
and seems simple–just get on and go–but proper
mounting sets the tone for a safe and enjoyable ride.
During a mount, the rider is in a vulnerable position.
If the horse moves, the rider can become unbalanced
and must decide right then whether to continue
mounting or get off. This is the time when a rider
could get knocked over, stepped on, or get a foot
hung in the stirrup. Our hope is that this article will
help you avoid these dangers.
Mounting
and Dismounting
Once your horse is tacked up properly, pick a good
area in which to mount - preferably outside and
away from the barn door to reduce bad behavior
of a ‘barn sour’ horse. Also, do not mount on
concrete due to the danger of falling. Choose an
area with level ground and safe footing that is free
from obstructions. Check your equipment from both
sides to make sure everything is fastened, including
the curb chain or strap and pisador (attached lead
line on Colombian type bridles), and make sure
your reins are not twisted. Check your girth and
tighten it if necessary. Always walk your horse a few
steps after tightening the girth to make sure it is not
pinching the skin behind the elbows and to make
sure your horse is relaxed. He should be breathing
quietly and not tense in the body. Before mounting,
square up the horse’s feet by moving him as needed
or by rocking the pommel of the saddle a few times
- this will encourage the horse to balance on his feet.
A horse standing square won’t tend to move as much
as one standing crooked.
Cheri Prill Photo
By Charlie and Milda Minter
While you should be able to mount and dismount
your horse from either side for safety reasons, we will
discuss only the left side for this article. When you
are ready to mount, step to the left side of the horse
and stand beside the saddle at a 45 degree angle
to your horse, facing the withers, with your right hip
close to the horse’s side. Hold the reins in your left
hand, and place that hand either on the mane or
the pommel of the saddle; rest your right hand on
the saddle. This position allows you to watch the
horse’s head. His eyes should be soft; if they look
tense or worried, then your horse may be stressed
by what you are doing. The ears should be relaxed
and “happy” (pointing forward or moving back and
forth paying attention to you). If the ears are flat
back, your horse is either mad or worried and likely
won’t stand well when you mount. If the horse’s ears
are focused forward and watching something else,
he’s not paying attention to you and may be startled
when you get on, despite how settled he usually is. If
you see that your horse isn’t paying attention to you,
take a slightly tighter hold on your left rein and bend
the horse’s neck and head towards you. This practice
will bring back your horse’s focus and will allow you
to keep control if your horse tries to move when you
get on; your horse will move in a left hand circle
around you, allowing you to maintain your balance.
Continue to mount once the horse is paying attention
to you. Standing in the position noted above, keep
a small amount of slack in the reins; this keeps you
from pulling on the horse’s mouth while getting on
34 • PASO FINO HORSE WORLD • january 2012
but also allows you to have instant control of the
reins once mounted. A long draping rein allows your
horse too much freedom and is not safe. Use your
right hand, if needed, to turn the stirrup and put only
the ball of your left foot on the stirrup pad. Putting
more of your foot in the stirrup is dangerous in the
event you need to pull your foot out quickly. Next, put
your right hand on the pommel (front) of the saddle,
not the cantle (back). Using the cantle to pull yourself
up causes you to pull the saddle sideways, making
it crooked, and also causes you to move your hand
to the pommel midway through your mount, putting
yourself in a vulnerable position without a base of
support. Using the pommel keeps the saddle straight
and gives you a secure hold at all times. Once your
foot is in the stirrup and your right hand is on the
pommel, push off your right foot and stand in the
left stirrup. Again, your right hand should be on
the pommel and your left hand on the pommel or
mane, holding the reins. Hold this position for a few
seconds, as this is the time you must decide to get
on or get off, based on your horse’s reaction at this
point. If you feel that it is safe to do so, go ahead
and swing your right leg over your horse. Keep
your leg straight as you swing it over, and your leg
will act as a counterbalance, helping to keep your
upper body straight and upright. This keeps you from
leaning over your horse as you mount, which would
allow you to get bumped in the face if your horse
suddenly raised its head. As you swing your leg over
the horse, make sure not to bump the horse’s rump
(this is easier to accomplish with a straight leg, not a
bent knee), and sit down softly in the saddle. Sitting
down hard or fast is harsh on the horse’s back and
gives him a good reason not to stand still. Put your
right foot in the stirrup and your right hand on the
reins. Your horse should stand still and wait for your
instruction. Take a deep relaxing breath–you are now
ready to ride!
Troubleshooting
One thing to be aware of is the position of your
left foot as you mount. Depending on the location
of the stirrup against the horse, you may need to
point your toe underneath the horse’s belly or put
your foot alongside the horse’s arm or foreleg. Either
one of these positions will keep you from poking the
horse in the elbow, which would cause discomfort
and make him less likely to stand quietly. A short
rider would need to point the foot forward, parallel
to the horse’s body. A taller rider whose stirrups
hang below the horse’s girth could point the toe
underneath the horse instead.
Make sure to avoid pulling on the horse’s mane. You
should hold just enough to stay secure during the
mount. If you are an athletic person and don’t need
to hold the mane, simply balance your left hand
over the horse’s neck just in front of the saddle, but
be careful to not pull on the horse’s mouth with the
reins. Some horses are very sensitive and could get
aggravated if the mane is pulled. A heavier rider
could unbalance a horse by pulling on the mane and
could cause the horse to step on or bump the rider
as he is trying to mount. If you find yourself tending
35 • PASO FINO HORSE WORLD • january 2012
to pull too much on the horse’s mane or the saddle, your best
solution would be to use a mounting block.
If your horse tries to move when you mount, keeping the left rein
tighter will cause the horse to turn around you. Most horses will
try a few steps, find themselves in a tight turn, and then stop. If
you are in the middle of the mount and balanced over the stirrup,
you should be able to wait until your horse stops his feet and then
finish your mount. Keep holding the left rein tighter until you are
securely seated in the saddle and have both hands on the reins.
Never use a right hand turn when mounting from the left, as this
pushes you away from the horse’s body, thereby causing you to
lose balance and control.
If your saddle slides, there are a few things you could try. Make
sure before you mount that your right hip is close to the horse so
that you can push straight up and can balance over the top of the
saddle. If you stand farther away from the horse, you won’t have
the power to get up smoothly and you’ll pull the saddle sideways.
You’ll also have to bounce off your right foot several times, which
creates the possibility of a misstep. You may need to use a
breastcollar to keep your saddle in place, especially if you have
a horse with low or round withers. You should also check your
girth to make sure it isn’t too stretchy, especially if you have one
with elastic ends that may have worn out. Some saddle pads may
be slicker than others, so experiment with different pads to find
one that has more grip. Finally, make sure you don’t put a coat
conditioner or shining agent on your horse before riding, as these
will make any saddle or pad slip on your horse’s back. Using a
mounting block will also put you in a better position to step onto
your horse without moving the saddle.
When it’s time to dismount, you essentially reverse the mounting
process. We suggest you “wiggle” the saddle first, as this
becomes a sign to the horse that the rider is going to dismount
and allows the horse time to square its feet for balance. To
dismount, put your reins in your left hand (taking a little hold of
the left rein if necessary, for the same reason you did at mounting)
with your left hand on the pommel or mane and your right hand
on the pommel. Remove your right foot from the stirrup. Make
sure your left foot is as far back in the stirrup as possible so that
it won’t get caught if your horse tries to move or jump. Stand up
in the left stirrup, with weight on your right hand, and swing the
right leg over your horse; again, keep your leg straight and make
sure not to bump the horse’s hip or rump. Pause for a moment,
and if all is safe, step down. An alternative dismount: after
you swing your right leg over the horse and are standing in the
left stirrup, you can lay your upper body over the saddle (you’ll
have to move your right hand to the cantle), remove your left foot
from the stirrup, and slide down, landing on both feet. This last
technique is better if you have a very tall horse or otherwise can’t
step down, or if you feel safer removing both feet from the stirrups
to avoid the chance of getting hung up. After you dismount, you
can loosen the girth slightly to take the saddle pressure off the
horse’s back until you’re ready to untack.
Mounting is literally the first step to riding and sets the tone for
a good experience with your horse. Dismounting hopefully is
the end of a good ride. If you start and stop with calmness and
control, you have set the stage for your horse to be calm and
controlled throughout. The way you leave your horse after a ride
is the way he will come out the next time. We hope that these tips
will be helpful to you. Be safe in all your riding.
36 • PASO FINO HORSE WORLD • january 2012
r
e
b
m
e
M
e
h
t
t
e
Me
Shirley May
Age 75
sin
From Milton, Wiscon
How did you get in to horses/
the Paso Fino breed?
y, a horse in 1975;
We bought our daughter, Trac
aloosa who was spotless,
we were told he was an App
hope. Then we bought
although Tracy never gave up
Thinking it wise to learn
the farm and two Arabians.
nded a course at the
something about horses, I atte
trip was scheduled to
local technical school. A field
their Paso Finos. I
Huebner’s Pasador Farm to see
had responded to a
nearly didn’t go, as earlier I
vian Paso, and I was
Peru
magazine ad featuring the
least expensive horse
r
thei
disenchanted to learn that
’s had no Pasos for
bner
Hue
g.
was a $20,000 weanlin
Robert Magnus
the
of
ber
num
sale but gave me the
farm (later
o
Lag
El
Por
nja
family and their Gra
e, WI. In 1977, I bought
Lakehar t Farm) in Elkhart Lak
o from them, and she
3-year-old Marina Por El Lag
later had four daughters.
Tell me about your horses.
partial to mares. Pieta
I presently have three – I’m
that couldn’t be more
and Atalissa are half-sisters
in Limited Distance
different. Pieta was doing well
were in a very
we
9
endurance rides, but in 200
er thinking “oh
emb
rem
I
boggy area, and pulling out
This summer
e.
sinc
ever
R’
– oh.” She’s been on ‘R&
successfully
she
ly
slow
back
I began bringing her
ber. Then
Octo
in
ride
ce
novi
completed a 15-mile
Ferdinand who preferred
there’s Atalissa, like a classic
t bulls. However, to her
to rest under a tree than figh
n-plus rides, but always
credit, she’s completed a doze
Last year, shor t on horses,
the turtle or very nearly so.
a habit of loaning/
Tracy lent me Twinkle. She has
horses. At age 12, pudgy,
eventually giving me elderly
saddle only a half-dozen
low-mileage Twinkle, under
petitor showing those
times, proved one gutsy com
h., 620 lb. Paso can
long-legged Arabs what a 13.3
n on a recent ride.
ditio
Con
do. She even copped Best
g with your horses?
What do you most enjoy doin
endurance rides. I’m stuck
Since 2003, I’ve been doing
be I will try a 50 mile one
in the 25 to 40 milers. May
12 hours seems very,
in 2012 with Twinkle; however
had a great time team
very long. In past years, we
best time at the Midwest
penning; in 1994 we had the
rin of all the Quarter
Horse Fair much to the chag
ber we won the team
tem
Sep
Horse teams. Then in
ls.
iona
Nat
at
penning competition
mplishment in 2011?
What was your biggest acco
Point Paso Endurance
Twinkle was named the High
Tracy Por ter - Owner
Horse in 2011. The plaque says
has the blisters. AERC has
but we all know whose butt
me another vest in 2011
advised me that Twinkle won
and again placed in
for mileage in our Midwest area
now given me
has
y
the top 10 for UMECRA. Trac
I haven’t yet made
as
y,
tedl
Twinkle, although a bit bela
the change official.
peting against younger
How do you feel about com
exhibitors?
; I’m 75 and the oldest
I’d better not have a problem
rides!
person competing in UMECRA
t is your favorite thing
When you’re not riding, wha
to be doing
ski until I
I used to water ski and snow
several
did a number on my left knee
to
years ago. The doctor refused
ent,
consider me for a knee replacem
ate
oper
claiming that he’d never
. Or,
on a person that’s not in pain
g
ntin
dau
perhaps, he found it
that he would first need to
remove the hardware in my
leg from a broken femur in
2002. Six years ago I bought
40 acres across the road –
I’m fighting a never ending
battle with Canada thistle
in the prairie and removing
buckthorn and box elder
in the wooded areas.
We have riding trails in
the wooded areas and
around the perimeter
of the prairie – terrific
for conditioning
endurance horses.
37 • PASO FINO HORSE WORLD • january 2012