ASKHQ: STANDING AT THE MOUNTING BLOCK

Q: My horse never stands at the mounting block. I didn’t mind initially, but now it’s really making me nervous. What can I do to fix this?

A: First and foremost, rule out pain or discomfort as a reason for this behaviour. It’s possible he is moving around to avoid pain when you get on. Consult a vet and saddle fitter before moving on to training him. Assuming pain has been ruled out as a possible cause, think about the process as similar to training a dog. He has already learned this habit, so now you have to do quite a bit of groundwork for him to unlearn it.

Start with desensitising him to the mounting block. Lead up to the mounting block, jump around next to him and get on and off the block, but don’t actually try and mount. When he is used to this, teach him the word ‘stand’. Lead him up to the block, stand him, tell him to stand, and then treat him and pat him. Slowly build on this over time. For example, stand one foot in the stirrup and when he doesn’t move, reward him. The next step can then be putting weight into the stirrup and rewarding him. Continue in this way to break the process down into the smallest steps you can think of until you eventually get on.