Reader Questions: Mounting and Horn Wraps

I am having a hard time answering questions that come across as comments on the Functional Horsemanship YouTube channel, so I'll use this forum to answer a couple of short questions from readers.

Ladyirish1860 has made a comment on Correcting a Horse that Moves when Mounting.wmv: ”My horse does the exact opposite of what most seem to be asking about. He backs up!!! How do I correct that? Backing him more? Walking him in circles? Learn to jump into the saddle fast like Ninja? This is really the only problem I have with him. Thanks!

I’ve tried that Ninja stuff once without any luck. I think that your horse backing up when you mount is the same bad manners or avoidance behavior as moving away. When a horse moves away from you when you are trying to mount, the idea of pushing him around in tight circles causes him some pressure, then you can stop and offer him a chance to stand still, which is the release. When you move him around put some energy into it making him move, again this is the pressure. He gets his release when you stop and offer him a chance to stand and when he stands still then you can mount.

I recently helped a woman who horse was moving forward when she was trying to mount. Same thing. I had her put some energy in moving her horse around in a tight circle for three or four rotations, then she offered him a chance to stand. She had to do this a couple times, but within a few minutes her horse got the idea and it was easier to stand still and stood still for her to mount. Then her horse wanted to move off before she cued him, so I had her back him a few steps quickly, then offer him a chance to stand still until she cued him to walk off.


Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Horse Training – Wrapping Your Saddle Horn": ”Can I modify this and use sheet rubber? I don’t plan on using it for roping; I tore up the leather on the horn of my aussie saddle (long story) and hoping this would keep the leather from deteriorating further.”

Many team or tie down ropers will use rubber wraps on their saddle horns as this not only protects their saddle horn, the jerk on the rope when dallied is slowed down by the rubber compressing. If you would rather use rubber to wrap and protect your saddle horn, then I suggest either using the store bought horn rubbers or getting a bicycle inner tube and cutting it into a long strip to wrap much like you would with a conventional horn wrap.

I prefer the cut strips of bicycle inner tube. You can wrap these around the horn then feed the end through wrap, or wrap in the conventional horn wrap method.

National Ropers Supply offers many different rubber horn wraps. One of their products is called “The Better Dally Wrap” and another is the “Dura-Wrap”. You may it easier to use the Better Dally Wrap as the Dura-Wrap is like a giant rubber band and the last wrap is tough to get on the horn.

Horse Training – Correcting a Horse that Moves Away when Mounting

A friend of mine, Tony, approached me the other day asking me what to do about his horse that tries to move away from him as he tries to climb into the saddle.

I went through the reasons the horse may be moving away:
1. The Horse is just not ridden enough - this may be a problem that a lot of wet saddle blankets may solve.
2. The Horse may be getting much too much energy from excessive feed. I've seen people feed 25 lbs of Alfalfa a day plus 5 lbs of Sweet Feed, cracked corn and such. Too much high energy fed makes for a hot horse.
3. You could be putting too much foot in the stirrup and, in effect, kicking the horse in the barrel – which would certainly make the horse try to move away from that pressure.
4. Could be that you are leaning back when trying to mount, in effect pulling the horse towards you which would cause the horse to compensate by moving away.
5. Whatever the cause, this is a human problem, not a horse problem.

Try this: As you start to mount, short the rein on the side you are mounting, tipping the horse's head slightly to that side so if the horse tries to move off as he is mounted you can easily pull the horse into a circle. If you pull on the horse's head as you mount he will move his hindquarters away, so make sure you are not doing this.

Remember those old Cowboy movies where the actors are mounting and their horses are moving in circles cause their heads are being pulled around?

As you mount your horse, be sure not to stick too much foot into the stirrup, not only to keep from booting the horse, but as a safety measure too, in case the horse bolts and get away from you - no use in being dragged. I have a friend who mounted without holding the reins and the horse took off flipping him over his butt. He received a spiral fracture of his wrist - could have been worse.

As you mount keep your body close to the horse and use your legs to push yourself up into the saddle. Some people lean way to far back and use their arms to try and pull themselves up into the saddle, in effect pulling the horse off balance and the horse will react by moving away from the pressure.

If you do everything correct and the horse stills tries to move away from you, then dismount and put some energy into moving the horse in a couple tight circles. Then offer to him to stand still and try mounting again. It make a couple times and a couple circles but this usually works as the horse understands standing still is much easier and preferable to moving quickly in small circles. Ray Hunt called it “Make the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy.”

Some people like to put the horse up against a fence blocking his movement away. I don't do this and think it is unnecessary as it only leaves the horses the option of moving forward or into you. Ever had you foot stepped on by a horse?

If you mount and the horse begins to move forward without a cue, then back him a few steps. If he tries to walk off as you get in the saddle he probably also does other things he has a mind to without cues from the rider. Fixing him on the mount will make him better.

Hope this helps. Safe Journey.