Horse Information - Aussie Horsemen

Statistically, when riding, more people get hurt getting on or off a horsethan at any other time. When you consider how big, fast and reactive horses are in general,I find this an interesting fact. The truth is though, that a great many of us are guilty ofallowing ourselves and our horses to get into bad and potentially dangerous habits, so whenwe do get hurt in these instances, we really only have one person to point the finger at.Us!

As horse riders, many of us would have experienced the horse that won’t stand still for usto get on, or who walks off as soon as we swing a leg over. Less frequent are the horses whowon’t let us get off, but if you’ve ever ridden one of these, they can be one of the mostfrightening horses to ride. This is the horse that can’t handle you up there and that youdesperately want to get off of, but who is making it almost impossible for you to do safely... spinning around in circles as soon as your foot comes out of the stirrup or scootingsideways while you are unbalanced.

In both of these situations we find the reasons that so many people get hurt in these cases.With your own feet on the ground you are pretty safe. Once you’re safely on board, balancedand back in control, you’ll be pretty right also. Its that in-between stage though, when youare stretching up perched on the toes of one foot, or with one foot in the stirrup and oneleg swinging over your horses back, that you are off balanced and at your mostvulnerable.

For some it is just a little annoying to have your horse move ... for some even a thrill.For many though it is a moment of faith when you hope that nothing scares your horse or offbalances you or him, leaving you on your head, flat on your back, under his hooves or beingdragged behind him.

What then is the cause and how do we go about fixing it?

The Cause
Put at its most plainly and simply, a horse that won’t stand still for you while you get on(or off) is one that hasn’t given you permission to be up there. Permission, you might say?Why would I need permission? He’s my horse! As with all things, it’s important to look atthings from the horses point of view. Remember ... he’s a prey animal, so having a predatorstrapped to his back is not necessarily a thing that he looks forward to. Especially if thatpredator behaves like one every time they are on his back. Doing things like growling athim, kicking him to go, pulling on his head with the reins, slapping (patting) him on theneck, might all be accepted behaviours in our world ... that of the predator ... but to ahorse, it just marks us evenly more clearly as exactly what we are ... the ultimatepredator. If, however, we have built a relationship built on trust, rapport and mutualrespect, we have a better chance of success when taking our relationship one step furtherand into a ridden partnership.

In some cases it’s a learnt behaviour ... a horse that moves or walks off as we try tomount. Remember that horses learn by release, so if you go to mount and your horse moves andyou stop and step down ... you’ve given him release and taught him to move. You only need todo this 2 or 3 times and you’ve created new behaviour. The same applies if he moves off assoon as you get on. If you let him do it, pretty soon he starts to move off before you evensettle your butt in the saddle, which can quickly escalate into a dangerous habit.

I met a young man once who told me he’d taught his horse to move toward him as he gets on... that way the horse swings underneath him as he mounts! Seems logical you may think,however lets not forget ... with you in an unbalanced position you are at your mostvulnerable at this time. Horses can move or change direction in a heart-beat and if they arenot properly prepared and they do move, with you with one foot in the stirrup, things can gobad very quickly. Ideally you want your horse’s feet to be rock solid on the ground whileyou are getting on.

The Cure
So ... how then do we fix it? The great news is that it is a pretty easy thing to fix givena bit of time. The first thing to do is make sure you have built a great relationship andthat your horse trusts you and is happy to have you on his back. All the ground-work we doin the QS programme, prepares us for a happy, safe ridden partnership.

Many times it is actually the saddle that the horse has trouble with, rather than the rider... so prepare him for both events to occur.

*Begin by making sure you can rub him all over while he stands still. If he moves, make sureyou go with him, still rubbing until he stops. Remember ... it’s the release that teachesthe horse so if you quit when he moves, you’ve just taught him to move.

Next make sure you can swing your lead rope or stick and string over his back. Again heshould stand still and if he moves, the same principle applies ... go with him, stillswinging the string until he stops. Its important that he has a low head when you are doingthis, to show he is relaxed and accepting what you are doing and not just putting up withit.

Once he is happy with this, try swinging your saddle pad up and over his back ... make sureyou do both sides. Rub it all along his back, down his legs, over his rump until he iscompletely accepting. If he shows he is quite comfortable with this, then its time toprogress to a saddle. This is of course heavier than the pad so a bit hard to rub all overyour horse. You can however stand along side his shoulder (facing backward) and swing itaround you from his nose to his side, so he can see what’s happening. Do this 3 or 4 timesbefore you swing it up on to his back. Make sure he has checked the saddle out first andaccepted it and that you let him see what’s happening. Again do both sides.

Once you’ve saddled safely and moved your horse around to iron out any wrinkles or stuckspots, it time to get on. Before you do, try jumping up and down along side the stirrup forten seconds each side to see how he feels about it. Many horses when given the chance willmove away when you do this, so it’s a great indicator of how they really feel about youbouncing around there trying to get on. Again, if he moves, keep jumping and go with himuntil he stops. Putting one arm over his back while you do this will help him settle morequickly.

Next, put your foot in the stirrup and again bounce up and down a few times. He may wellmove however again make sure you go with him. This is the real test here. If he can learn tostand still here and now, he’ll stand still for you to mount in the future. So it’simportant to do a good job here. Make sure you are facing forward, you have a good firm gripon the rein and a hand full of mane to keep you balanced and in control and the other handon the front of the saddle. This side-on position is the safest, strongest and surest wayfor you to stay safe and avoid injury when mounting. If you face your horse and dragyourself up by pulling on the saddle, you are an accident waiting to happen. Keep in astrong position and keep control of your horse.

If he’s standing still, its time to step up ... but don’t get on yet! Noswinging your leg over like John Wayne. Doing so puts you in a very vulnerable position andits then that you are most likely to come off badly if he moves or gets a scare. For somehorses, seeing your foot suddenly appear in his other eye, is enough to cause him to jump orstart. Keep facing forward and lean you hip against the saddle. You might like to lean overand move the opposite stirrup around and rub his shoulder just to make doubly sure he ishappy with you on his other side before you throw your leg over. If you’ve done all this andhe’s stood nice and still for you, chances are he is accepting you and giving you permissionto come aboard. If he moves while you are stepping up, get your hip on that saddle as quickas possible ... this is a strong position if you do it correctly and you’ll be safe thereuntil he stands still and then get OFF! Yep ... don’t get on and give him comfort formoving. Step down and begin again. Pretty soon he’ll get the idea to stand still for you.

Once you’re on, don’t be in a hurry to go any where. This is what teaches horses to walk offwhile you are getting on. Just sit there for a bit and relax ... give him a rub and getsettled before you ask him to move off. It’s a great habit to have and one that will haveyour partner putting effort into helping you to get on and stay on safely.

All of these things will help to improve your relationship, build rapport between you andprevent you from becoming a statistic.

*See Lessons 1 and 3 of the Road ToHorsemanship programme for more detail

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