Mounting and dismounting are among the most routine interactions between horse and rider, yet they are also among the most common sources of training problems, unsafe situations, and tension that erodes the horse's willingness and the rider's confidence. A horse that stands quietly for mounting — because it has been trained to understand that standing is the correct response — is safer, more pleasant, and more professionally prepared than one that must be held, backed into a corner, or mounted quickly before it moves. The first moment of mounting is also when many horses first express tension, resistance, or pain — cinchiness, cold-backed reactions, and movement away from the block are all communication from the horse that deserves attention rather than management. The answers below address the correct training approach for mounting and dismounting, how to fix horses that walk off or are difficult at the block, and what leading natural horsemanship practitioners teach about the safety and communication dimensions of this foundational skill.
All Questions
29 answersQ 01 of 29
What are the keys for mounting the first time?
The first mounting of a young or green horse is either a non-event or a crisis, and which one it becomes is determined almost entirely by the quality of preparation that preceded it. A horse that has been correctly prepared accepts the first mounting with curiosity and calm because nothing…
Read full answer →Q 02 of 29
How does Anderson teach the one-rein stop as it applies to the moment of mounting?
Clinton Anderson's one-rein stop is one of the foundational safety tools in his program, and its application to mounting specifically is something he teaches from the very first ride on any horse. The principle is that a rider who has one rein picked up at the moment of mounting has…
Read full answer →Q 03 of 29
How do you teach a helper to assist with mounting safely and what are the risks of doing it incorrectly?
Clinton Anderson addresses assisted mounting because it is commonly done incorrectly in ways that create problems rather than solve them, and because a helper who does not know their role can make a difficult horse more dangerous rather than less. The most common incorrect helper behavior is standing at the…
Read full answer →Q 04 of 29
What about mounting with a helper is that a good idea?
Mounting with a helper — a person on the ground who holds the horse's head, steadies the stirrup, or provides some form of assistance while the rider mounts — is sometimes genuinely useful, sometimes genuinely counterproductive, and often used as a habitual crutch that prevents both the horse and the…
Read full answer →Q 05 of 29
How should a rider position their body correctly when mounting to avoid pulling the saddle or unbalancing the horse?
Correct mounting position is something Clinton Anderson addresses specifically because poor mounting technique is one of the most common causes of horses moving during mounting — the horse is not being disobedient but is responding to the pull on the saddle, the pressure on its back, or the unbalanced weight…
Read full answer →Q 06 of 29
To dismount should I jump off or slide off?
The question of whether to jump off or slide off a horse is one where neither option as typically described represents the correct technique, and understanding why correct dismounting matters practically helps motivate the development of a consistent dismounting habit that serves both horse and rider well throughout a riding…
Read full answer →Q 07 of 29
Why is putting weight in the stirrups a good idea before mounting a young horse for the first few times?
Putting weight progressively into the stirrup before ever swinging a leg over a young horse is one of the most sensible and effective preparation steps available to a trainer, and it is a step that experienced horsemen use consistently precisely because it eliminates one of the most startling aspects of…
Read full answer →Q 08 of 29
Why does Clinton Anderson teach mounting from both sides and how do you train a horse to accept it?
Clinton Anderson teaches mounting from both sides — both left and right — as a standard practice based on a straightforward argument: a horse that can only be mounted from the left is only half trained, and there are many practical situations where mounting from the right is necessary. A…
Read full answer →Q 09 of 29
What does Clinton Anderson teach about what to do the moment you land in the saddle?
Clinton Anderson's instruction for the moment a rider lands in the saddle is specific and directly connected to safety: do not immediately ask the horse to walk off. He teaches sitting quietly for a moment, finding balance in the seat, and asking the horse to stand before anything else is…
Read full answer →Q 10 of 29
Is it good to use a mounting block as a tool for training horses?
The mounting block is one of the most underappreciated training tools in everyday horsemanship, and it is underappreciated specifically because it is so commonly treated as a convenience for the rider rather than as a training tool that, used thoughtfully and consistently, teaches specific skills and develops specific habits in…
Read full answer →Q 11 of 29
Is it safer to use a mounting block and does it make the horse lazy or dependent on it?
The concern that using a mounting block will make a horse dependent on it or lazy is addressed directly by Clinton Anderson, who dismisses it as a misconception that causes unnecessary wear on horses and handlers. Anderson's position is straightforward: mounting from the ground with poor leverage pulls the saddle…
Read full answer →Q 12 of 29
How does Pat Parelli's pre-ride preparation differ from simply getting on and going?
Pat Parelli's pre-ride preparation is built on the principle that what happens in the first few minutes with a horse sets the tone for everything that follows — and that a rider who simply mounts and starts riding has skipped the most important part of the session. Parelli teaches that…
Read full answer →Q 13 of 29
How can I keep my horse from stepping forward when I go to mount?
A horse that walks off when you try to mount is one of the most common problems in everyday horsemanship and one of the most consistently undertrained. It gets tolerated in a way that almost no other behavior does — riders hop alongside their moving horse, grab the saddle horn,…
Read full answer →Q 14 of 29
What is Clinton Anderson's pre-mount safety check and why does he do it before every ride?
Clinton Anderson performs a specific pre-mount safety check before every single ride, and he teaches it as a non-negotiable habit regardless of how well-trained the horse is or how familiar the situation. His reasoning is that horses can change significantly from one day to the next — a sore back,…
Read full answer →Q 15 of 29
How do I get my horse to stand still for mounting?
A horse that will not stand for mounting is one of the most common and most correctable ground manners problems, and it almost always traces back to the horse having been allowed to move during mounting enough times that it no longer considers standing still a requirement. The correction is…
Read full answer →Q 16 of 29
My horse moves away every time I try to mount — how do I fix it?
A horse that consistently drifts away as you prepare to mount has been successful at avoiding the mounting process often enough that the behavior is confirmed. The correction requires that you never complete the mount while the horse is moving — if you get on a moving horse, you teach…
Read full answer →Q 17 of 29
My horse walks off as soon as I get on — how do I correct it?
A horse that walks off the moment the rider is seated has not been taught that standing is required after mounting — it has learned that mounting is the cue to move, and in many cases the rider inadvertently installed that association by immediately applying leg and asking for forward…
Read full answer →Q 18 of 29
How do I teach a horse to stand quietly while being mounted?
A horse that stands still for mounting is not simply being obedient — it is demonstrating that it trusts the process and has been trained to understand that standing is the correct response. Many horses that fidget, walk off, or swing their hindquarters during mounting were never truly taught to…
Read full answer →Q 19 of 29
What are the key things Pat Parelli checks before he considers a young horse ready to be mounted for the first time?
Pat Parelli's checklist for a young horse being mounted for the first time reflects his principle that the first ride should be an event the horse is genuinely prepared for, not a milestone achieved on a calendar date. His criteria are behavioral rather than time-based. The horse must hook on…
Read full answer →Q 20 of 29
What is the correct way to hold the reins when mounting and why does rein position matter?
Rein position at mounting is a specific safety and training detail that Clinton Anderson addresses because incorrect rein position at the moment of mounting is one of the most common causes of horses spinning, bolting, or backing when the rider mounts. Anderson teaches holding both reins in the left hand…
Read full answer →Q 21 of 29
Should I hold the reins and saddle when mounting?
Mounting correctly is one of the most fundamental skills in horsemanship, and how you hold the reins and saddle in that moment sets the tone for the entire ride. The short answer is yes — you should hold both, but the way you hold them matters enormously. Done correctly, your…
Read full answer →Q 22 of 29
Should you always mount from the left and what do Anderson and Parelli say about this tradition?
Both Clinton Anderson and Pat Parelli address the tradition of mounting exclusively from the left and both teach that it is an outdated convention with no practical justification in modern horsemanship. The historical origin — mounted cavalry soldiers carrying swords on the left hip needing to mount from the left…
Read full answer →Q 23 of 29
What is the correct emergency dismount and when should you use it?
The emergency dismount — sometimes called a bail or a controlled fall — is a skill Clinton Anderson teaches as a genuine safety tool, and his position is that every rider should practice it in a controlled setting before they need it in a real situation, because a skill practiced…
Read full answer →Q 24 of 29
How do you mount a very tall horse safely and what adaptations are needed?
Mounting a tall horse safely is primarily an equipment and positioning problem rather than a training problem, and Clinton Anderson addresses it practically without suggesting that riders simply struggle through unsafe situations because of pride about ground mounting. The primary recommendation for consistently tall horses — warmbloods, drafts, and horses…
Read full answer →Q 25 of 29
My horse won't stand still for mounting?
A horse that will not stand still for mounting — that walks forward before the rider is fully seated, swings his hindquarters away from the mounting block, fidgets and shifts during the mounting process, or requires someone to hold him while the rider quickly scrambles aboard — is one of…
Read full answer →Q 26 of 29
I am uncomfortable mounting from the ground?
Feeling uncomfortable mounting from the ground is more common than most riders admit, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with acknowledging it and finding a better solution. Mounting from the ground puts significant strain on the horse's back, torques the saddle sideways, and for many riders — particularly those with…
Read full answer →Q 27 of 29
What are some tips for mounting a horse the first time?
Mounting a horse for the first time is one of the highest-stakes moments in horsemanship precisely because it is the moment where the horse's preparation is tested against reality rather than against training scenarios, and where any gap between what the horse was prepared for and what he actually experiences…
Read full answer →Q 28 of 29
What does Warwick Schiller say about a horse that is barn or gate sour specifically at the mounting location?
A horse that behaves well everywhere except at the specific location where mounting occurs — swinging its hindquarters away, walking off, becoming tense — is something Warwick Schiller addresses as a location-specific conditioned response. The horse has learned to associate the mounting location with something it wants to avoid, and…
Read full answer →Q 29 of 29
What does Warwick Schiller say about a horse that rushes off the moment the rider mounts?
Warwick Schiller addresses the horse that rushes off immediately after mounting in the context of his broader teaching on nervous system activation — and his diagnosis is that this horse is in an activated state before the rider's foot ever goes in the stirrup, and that the mounting is simply…
Read full answer →📹 Mounting & Dismounting Training Videos
