Horsemanship and Equine Training
Develop Your Domain Names
Mounting Your Horse The Right Way
When a riding academy ran its instructor certification clinic, the first thing the clinician did was have all the instructor candidates mount their horses from the wrong side. The reason, she said, was to remind them what it's like to be a beginner again. Even the most experienced of the bunch was humbled by having to take a moment to think it through.
Proper mounting is an oft overlooked but very important procedure in riding. Doing it correctly mean preserving the horse?s back while contributing to your safety.
Before you mount your horse, ensure that you have your helmet on securely. Make sure the harness is buckled.
You can mount your horse three different ways, all of which will be performed on the left side of the horse except in a very rare case when a horse may be blind on that side:
> A leg up (done for English riders): another rider or your instructor assists you by giving you a leg up. You will face your saddle, bend your left leg so your knee is at a 90 degree angle. The person giving you the leg up will grasp your knee and calf in both hands. The two of you will count together 1-2-3, you will bounce on your right leg on 1 and 2 and give a good bounce on 3 as though you were trying to jump up to the saddle.
On three is when the person lifts your left leg as you jump up and lightly swing your right leg over the horse?s rump. Most adult beginners are uncomfortable with this method because they think the person will be handling too much of their weight; however, you can help the person giving you a leg up by counting together so you are working together, hopping on the other foot to give you lift and going with the momentum of the other person lifting you by the leg.
From the mounting block: a mounting block can be a plastic or wooden one or two step box where you will lead your horse to so that you face him on the left side while standing on the mounting block. The mounting block should be very sturdy and not shift as you step up. Using items like buckets in place of a mounting block can cause rider injury or a horse to spook if the item tips while you are standing on it.
Some horses are particularly ornery about lining up at a mounting block; if your horse is, you can ask someone for assistance by holding his bridle on the right side. You can align him on the right side, then, as you mount the mounting block on his left side, take up a little more contact on the right rein to turn his head slightly right, keeping him from swinging his hindquarters away from the block. Have your reins in your left hand placed firmly in his neck where it meets the wither.
If you are not very balanced, grab some mane in your fingers so you don?t pull on the bit as you mount. Facing the saddle but with your body almost facing his rear, turn your stirrup with your right hand and place your left foot in. Grasp the cantle (back of the saddle) in your right hand. Bounce off your right foot and pull yourself up and swing your right leg over the rump without hitting him. Sit very lightly in the saddle so as not to hurt his back. Don?t flop into the saddle like a sack of potatoes. Your horse isn?t warmed up yet and his back could be quite sensitive. (If you notice his back drop out under you and his head shoot upward, you may have sat too hard on him.)
From the ground: you should be able to mount from the ground; however, understand that it places particularly more strain on your horse?s back. To alleviate that strain, have an assistant hold down the right stirrup while you are mounting. (She will hold the stirrup in her hand and apply pressure down to the right to balance the saddle from being pulled to the left.) At the horse?s shoulder, you will turn to slightly face the rear. Take your reins in your left hand and place it firmly on the horse?s neck.
Grab mane in your hand to keep you from pulling on the bit as you mount. With your right hand, turn your stirrup as needed to align with your foot and place your left foot in the left stirrup. Grasp the cantle in your right hand, bounce lightly on your right leg and gently gracefully swing your left leg over the horse?s hindquarters. Sit lightly and place your right foot in your right stirrup.
The reason you face toward the horse?s rear is if he starts to walk off with you, you are able to turn your body to keep up with him as you?re mounting instead of getting left hopping behind with one foot in a stirrup.
Now you know how to mount and are ready to learn how to ride!
For more great equine information please visit our resource links below and ad them to your favorites! So you can visit often. We thank you for telling all your friends about our great sites.
Ron Petracek was raised in Southern Idaho with horses and the great outdoors. With this continued passion He now shares through a a vast equine network. Learn more by clicking the links below. Amazing Equine Network System - Buy Sell or trade anything equine related. Get More Horse Classified coverage and distribution with less cost and work. Award Winning Horse Forum
Betalay Horse Racing System
ALL YOU NEED TO SUCCEED IS:
1) Access to the internet
2) A little working capital to start with
3) The betalay horse racing system
Horse Betting Profits
Discover The Secrets To Turning $15 Very Safely Into $157.28 This Afternoon
MORE ARTICLES:
Material Handling Safety Tips
Historically, family had to be somewhat self-sufficient, growing or making most of the things it needed for itself. As society evolved, it became apparent that some folks had talent toward one task or another and they began to specialize in certain goods or services. Implementing the concept of specialization meant that everybody started manufacturing what they were best equipped to produce. Since various goods where now being made in several places, a system had to be devised to move things around to where they were needed. Shipping and receiving has been a vital part of the economy since the inception of doing business.
Managing Horse Pasture
A major part of a horse's diet is hay or pasture. A horse weighing 1000 pounds will eat about 500 pounds each month.
Racing System Revolution Horse Racing System Review
The Racing System Revolution is a series of sports betting manuals that teach you how to make the most out of the online U.K. betting exchange Betfair. Betfair is a ludicrously rich operation and this interesting compendium of eBook manuals shows you how to beat these outrageous odds and get a piece of the profit.
Types of Material Handling Products
Recession-proofing your facility requires careful consideration of all time and safety issues pertinent to your process flow With the correct material handling products, you can ensure that your production is being accomplished with maximum speed and efficiency and minimum risk of injury
How To Load A Horse Into A Trailer - Easy As Pie!
If there is an art to getting horses to load in a trailer, then this it.The first thing that must happen is communication between the horse and his handler.
Horse Racing Tips: Beyond the Crystal Ball
The Crystal Gazer
Riding the Web Innovation Bandwagon
What started out as one of the most mundane way to use the internet has become one of the most prolific aspects of today?s web 20 or what we commonly know as the social internet
Freestyle Motocross and Championship Bull Riding Collide in Red Bull X Fighters Commercial and Event
Red Bull is producing a commercial featuring CBR President Tuff Hedeman, two CBR bull fighters and three bull riders along with freestyle motocross champions and world record holders Travis Pastrana and Robbie Maddison.
Horse Racing System: Testing Your Self-Discipline
Learning Horse Racing Tricks
Ground And Weather Conditions As Important Factors In Horse Racing Results
A horse race must be run outdoors This makes for extreme variability in ground and weather conditions, which affect horse racing results
