Should you use mounting blocks or the arena rail? Can younger students mount and dismount unassisted? What is the proper mounting style?
Riding instructors often have trouble teaching their students to mount and dismount because they’ve broken the rules so many times themselves. How often have you used the arena rail to swing up on your horse? And how often do you let your horse walk off before you’ve managed to find your right stirrup?
Yes, experienced riders do break mounting and dismounting rules, but your students shouldn’t. They need to know the proper methods before they start swinging out of saddles while the horses are still moving.
Creating the Ideal Environment
It is extremely difficult to teach students to mount and dismount with an uncooperative horse. If the lesson horse you’re using tends to walk off before he’s asked or if he likes to swing his nose around and bite the hapless rider, he’s not a good choice.
Go with a school horse that will stand still, looking forward, while riders practice mounting and dismounting. It will make life easier for everyone.
What to Stress
Make sure your rider faces the back of the horse when e mounts and dismounts. He should grab the reins in his left hand as well as a fistful of mane, and he should learn to find his right stirrup before he settles down in the saddle.
A mounting block is perfectly acceptable, especially for younger and shorter riders. It increases confidence and allows them to accomplish the task without assistance. It is not, however, a good idea to allow students to use the fence rail to mount and dismount. There are too many opportunities for accidents.
When your student dismounts, he should be taught to kick both feet free of the stirrups before sliding down. I recommend dropping both stirrups while still straddling the horse, then swinging the right leg back, suspending on the left side, then dropping down on the student’s right side. But you should go with your preferences.
Raise Awareness
I mentioned above that you should use quiet horses when teaching students to mount and dismount. However, failing to tell students what can go wrong is a disservice, so make sure to bring up the possibilities.
Teach students what to do if the horse walks off while they are mounting or dismounting. Explain why it is important to grab the stirrups as quickly as possible, and make sure they realize that they have to keep hold of the reins at all times.
You might also like:
- Teaching Your Students to Mount and Dismount
- Teaching Students Soft Hands
- Teaching Students to
Use Their Corners - Teaching Students to Post the Trot:
Part One - Teaching Students to Sit the Trot
About the Author: Laura Jane Thompson is the Chief Equestrian Officer of Riding Instructor University and the Feature writer for the horses section at Suite101. She believes that any horse business can succeed provided its owner practices smart strategy.
