Do you have a horse that walks off the minute you put your foot in the stirrup? Here’s a tip I learned that helps my horse relax and stand at the mounting block.

By Jennifer Klitzke

When my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, was four years old, I took her to her first gaited dressage clinic with Bucky Sparks. I was so excited to be there and begin our gaited dressage journey.

I love Bucky’s teaching philosophy. He blends traditional dressage with practical elements of natural horsemanship. The former is what I came to the clinic for. However, I am forever grateful for the latter as I don’t know we would have learned much of the former if it hadn’t been for the latter.

You see, most of the time Makana stands perfectly at the mounting block until I get on, unless she is nervous. When my lesson time I was unable to get on. Every time I put my foot in the iron, Makana would walk off.

Thanks to Bucky, he showed me a helpful tip that worked that day and has helped me any time Makana doesn’t want to stand at the mounting block.

Watch: How to get on a horse that doesn’t want to stand

How to get on a horse that doesn’t want to stand:

1. Teach the horse to turn their head and neck to the side by slowly and gently drawing one rein to the saddle. Reward the horse by releasing as soon as the horse follows. Relaxation is the goal, not making the horse turn. Signs of relaxation include a lowering of the head and neck and when the horse licks and chews.

If the horse has tension in the poll, neck or shoulder, address these areas individually to release the tension before expecting a soft and relaxed turn to the side.

2. Once the horse understands how to turn to the side and is soft and relaxed, then turn the horse until the horse chews and lowers its head and neck. Then release the rein for a reward. Repeat this a couple more times.

3. Then turn the horse’s head and neck to the saddle and keep the horse turned while repositioning the mounting block and getting on. Then release the rein as a reward and encourage the horse to remain standing.

If the horse continues to walk off while turned to the saddle

During the clinic my horse kept walking off while in a turned position.

Bucky said, “You can’t make a horse stand.”

Don’t punish the horse. Just remain calm to encourage relaxation, keep the horse turned and gently follow the horse around. Pretty soon the horse will discover it is a lot easier to stand in a turned position than to walk around in a turned position.

Sure enough. It didn’t take long for my horse to stop. I repositioned the mounting block, got on, and released the rein. Then we moved on to the gaited dressage lesson I had signed up for.

This tip worked for me at the clinic and continues to work for me each time my horse doesn’t want to stand.

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