Belated Dismounting Question

almost_mozart · 11-24-2006, 11:18 PM

This happened a few years ago, but I'm still puzzled over it and would like your opinions.

The owner/trainer at the place where I board got his leg broken by a colt, and his son didn't have time to have all his clients' horses ridden, so he offered me a job riding a few of the saner ones. I was bored, and the pay was good, so I agreed. Now, I'm by no means a professional trainer, and don't claim to be (OK, maybe a little, but I think all of us horsepeople are guilty of that sometimes

). But I am a good rider.

One of the horses was a ten-year-old Foxtrotter mare. She'd been broke, but hardly, and she was there to have a lot of riding put on her. I rode her the first time on trails and loved her. I mounted her, no problem, took her out in the pasture, she did fine. I brought her back to the barn and dismounted and she flew to the right, acting very spooked. I didn't think anything of it. She calmed down immediately.

I rode her the next day. She was perfect again (stood still for mounting, rode without any problems). I dismounted. Same deal. It was as though she was panicking. I thought that was really weird.

By the next couple of rides, I was terrified of her. I still loved riding her and never had any problems, but I was so afraid that when I got off she'd jump just a little too quick, and my foot would be caught in the stirrup and I'd be dragged. I tried waving my hand so she'd see me before I got off. I tried bouncing up and down before dismounting. I tried swinging one leg over but staying on. She only reacted when I actually got off, and nothing seemed to work.

I finally decided that I wouldn't ride her anymore. She just scared me too bad. I was just petrified of being dragged by the stirrup. I had to really work up my nerve to dismount.

What do you think about this funny little issue?

gingerfleguel · 11-24-2006, 11:24 PM

yeah something is definately weird because 'usually' most horses are more than happy to stand still and get off their backs...(er is that just mine) Sounds like something happend while being dismounted. I notice myself that sometimes with my Gelding when i go to get off of him....my spurs rub on his side as I dismount...and I am actually more careful now....something like that might have hurt her before? Im just guessing.....I suppose maybe they need to go back and just simply practise mounting and dismounting several times.... Again thats just my opinion.

gingerfleguel · 11-24-2006, 11:25 PM

I wonder if you tried dismounting from the other side...would the horse do the same thing.......

crzyhorseranch · 11-25-2006, 01:05 AM

What I would have done was take both feet out of the stirrup and kinda slide off, maybe she was reacting to the sudden sight of you bein on the ground....who knows its time like that it would be nice to be able to know what they were thinking. But, wish in one hand...

beckyp · 11-25-2006, 02:18 AM

It sure sounds like something happened to her when someone dismounted that causes her panic. I useto leave one foot in stirrup,but have now switched to kicking both feet out and sliding down-that way if my mount was to spook I wouldn't get hung up in stirrup.

JoAnne · 11-25-2006, 06:22 AM

much safer to take both feet out of stirrups and slide out. probably the mare could have been helped if you had a partner on the ground anyway all that riding diff horses sounds like great experience!

almost_mozart · 11-25-2006, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crzyhorseranch

What I would have done was take both feet out of the stirrup and kinda slide off, maybe she was reacting to the sudden sight of you bein on the ground

That is how I dismount, which is why it's so weird....

Probably was some traumatic memory from the past, though.

Littonian · 11-25-2006, 08:58 PM

We have a horse with the same reaction in my barn right now. He belongs to one of my boarders, and she has me ride him occasionally to sort out some problems. He can be a difficult horse, and he came from a barn with a fairly nasty reputation.

His owner had witnessed one of the "trainers" at the barn dismounting to beat a horsen and at about the same time she noticed her horse developing the habit of bolting when her feet hit the ground. That was about the time she decided it was time to move, and came to my barn.

We wonder if the "trainer" at the other barn may have been part of the problem, even though she wasn't supposed to be working with the horse.

My solution when he freaked out with me was to calm him down, get back on and reapeat. I must have gotten on and off of him about 30 times before he figured it wasn't going to kill him, and it was more entertaining for him to just stand there and wonder about the "silly humans."

It seems to have taken too. I explained to his owner what I had done, and if he jumps or flinches at all when she gets off, she just settles him and gets on again. She doesn't ask him to move or work at all, just lets him stand, then slides off.

He's now perfectly happy to stay put when we hop off.

It can be scary though, when they move that quickly. And in the process of getting off, it puts you in a very vulnerable position. For me, it's one of the most tense moments of breaking in young and green horses. Gives me the heebie geebies sometimes!

11-24-2006, 11:18 PM
almost_mozart Started Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: .....transitioning..... Posts: 2,423	Belated Dismounting Question This happened a few years ago, but I'm still puzzled over it and would like your opinions. The owner/trainer at the place where I board got his leg broken by a colt, and his son didn't have time to have all his clients' horses ridden, so he offered me a job riding a few of the saner ones. I was bored, and the pay was good, so I agreed. Now, I'm by no means a professional trainer, and don't claim to be (OK, maybe a little, but I think all of us horsepeople are guilty of that sometimes ). But I am a good rider. One of the horses was a ten-year-old Foxtrotter mare. She'd been broke, but hardly, and she was there to have a lot of riding put on her. I rode her the first time on trails and loved her. I mounted her, no problem, took her out in the pasture, she did fine. I brought her back to the barn and dismounted and she flew to the right, acting very spooked. I didn't think anything of it. She calmed down immediately. I rode her the next day. She was perfect again (stood still for mounting, rode without any problems). I dismounted. Same deal. It was as though she was panicking. I thought that was really weird. By the next couple of rides, I was terrified of her. I still loved riding her and never had any problems, but I was so afraid that when I got off she'd jump just a little too quick, and my foot would be caught in the stirrup and I'd be dragged. I tried waving my hand so she'd see me before I got off. I tried bouncing up and down before dismounting. I tried swinging one leg over but staying on. She only reacted when I actually got off, and nothing seemed to work. I finally decided that I wouldn't ride her anymore. She just scared me too bad. I was just petrified of being dragged by the stirrup. I had to really work up my nerve to dismount. What do you think about this funny little issue?

11-24-2006, 11:24 PM
gingerfleguel Kid Safe Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ottawa Posts: 5,494	yeah something is definately weird because 'usually' most horses are more than happy to stand still and get off their backs...(er is that just mine) Sounds like something happend while being dismounted. I notice myself that sometimes with my Gelding when i go to get off of him....my spurs rub on his side as I dismount...and I am actually more careful now....something like that might have hurt her before? Im just guessing.....I suppose maybe they need to go back and just simply practise mounting and dismounting several times.... Again thats just my opinion.

11-24-2006, 11:25 PM
gingerfleguel Kid Safe Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ottawa Posts: 5,494	I wonder if you tried dismounting from the other side...would the horse do the same thing.......

11-25-2006, 01:05 AM
crzyhorseranch Yearling Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Mineral Wells, Texas Posts: 643	What I would have done was take both feet out of the stirrup and kinda slide off, maybe she was reacting to the sudden sight of you bein on the ground....who knows its time like that it would be nice to be able to know what they were thinking. But, wish in one hand... __________________ If there were no horses would we be riding cows?

11-25-2006, 02:18 AM
beckyp Seasoned Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: utica,ky Posts: 4,122	It sure sounds like something happened to her when someone dismounted that causes her panic. I useto leave one foot in stirrup,but have now switched to kicking both feet out and sliding down-that way if my mount was to spook I wouldn't get hung up in stirrup. __________________ If not at home try the barn.

11-25-2006, 06:22 AM
JoAnne Started Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 2,442	much safer to take both feet out of stirrups and slide out. probably the mare could have been helped if you had a partner on the ground anyway all that riding diff horses sounds like great experience!

11-25-2006, 08:58 PM
Littonian Weanling Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 338	We have a horse with the same reaction in my barn right now. He belongs to one of my boarders, and she has me ride him occasionally to sort out some problems. He can be a difficult horse, and he came from a barn with a fairly nasty reputation. His owner had witnessed one of the "trainers" at the barn dismounting to beat a horsen and at about the same time she noticed her horse developing the habit of bolting when her feet hit the ground. That was about the time she decided it was time to move, and came to my barn. We wonder if the "trainer" at the other barn may have been part of the problem, even though she wasn't supposed to be working with the horse. My solution when he freaked out with me was to calm him down, get back on and reapeat. I must have gotten on and off of him about 30 times before he figured it wasn't going to kill him, and it was more entertaining for him to just stand there and wonder about the "silly humans." It seems to have taken too. I explained to his owner what I had done, and if he jumps or flinches at all when she gets off, she just settles him and gets on again. She doesn't ask him to move or work at all, just lets him stand, then slides off. He's now perfectly happy to stay put when we hop off. It can be scary though, when they move that quickly. And in the process of getting off, it puts you in a very vulnerable position. For me, it's one of the most tense moments of breaking in young and green horses. Gives me the heebie geebies sometimes! __________________ Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO - what a ride!"