How Can I Get My Horse To Stand Still Until I'm Ready To Ride?

  QUESTION: What can I do to get my horse to stand still for me to get on and how can I get him to stand still until I’m ready to ride?

  ANSWER: This is a question that many riders ask and one of the most dangerous situations to be in. Not only are you at risk of being thrown off, but also there is a possibility of being dragged by the horse.
Most of the horses that are nervous, fidgety, run around you in circles, or even buck when you try to mount have not accepted you as the rider. This is because most of the time we don’t ask permission before we get on our horses. You probably never thought you would have to ask for permission to ride from a horse. Think about it for a minute. Would you ride your spouses’ saddle without asking permission first? Even though you feel partial ownership to it there could be grave consequences for using it. The same applies to the horse, just because you own him does not mean he has accepted you as his leader and partner.

  The worst thing you can do is throwing the saddle on, screwing it down tight, putting a foot in the stirrup, and swinging on. This is asking for trouble, and sooner or later you will encounter a horse that will buck, run off, or dance around while you are trying to mount. This is going to take off where we left off last month. After you have saddled your horse and are ready to mount don’t take the direct line approach and think you have to hurry and get on now. While standing on the left side of your horse, hold the rein in your left hand and grab a handful of mane with the same hand. However you have to put your left foot in the stirrup. Grab the horn with your right hand, not the cantle, and stand up in the stirrup helping to pull yourself with the right hand. Instead of swinging on right now rub your horse from neck to tail with your right hand while standing up in the stirrup. This is the asking permission stage. If your horse is uncomfortable and spooks, bucks, or runs off simply step down and gently pull his head around to you.

  After you have rubbed your horse from neck to tail, including swinging the stirrup, now swing on. Sit here for a minute or so and rub your horse before moving off. This takes a lot of patients and may not solve your problem in one session. Be consistent and have patients, remember you are the brains and the horse is the feet. The horse may not always do what you want them to, but they always do what you tell them to even if you don’t know your telling them to do it. Keep striving to build on the partnership between you and your horse; you will be amazed at how far it can take both of you. See you on the horsemanship trail!