How to Mount a Horse

There's a lot more to mounting a horse than simply jumping on. A proper mount goes a long way in establishing trust between the horse and the rider.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Equestrian Equipment
• Horse Reins
• Riding Boots
• Riding Helmets
• Riding Tack
• Saddles

1. Take the reins in your left hand (drape the slack over the horse's right side). Grasp hold of the base of the horse's mane with your left hand as well.

2. Use your right hand to turn the left stirrup iron toward you. Put your left foot in the stirrup, parallel to the horse's side.

3. Grab the back of the saddle, or cantle, with your right hand.

4. Bounce on the ball of your right foot.

5. Push off with your right foot and put your weight on your left foot (in the stirrup), while simultaneously pulling on the saddle and the horse's neck.

6. Balance on your hands and left foot in a standing position, then swing your right foot over the horse as you release your right hand from the saddle.

7. Lower yourself gently into the saddle.

8. Put your right foot in the stirrup and take up the slack in the reins.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the reins in your hands at all times.
• Try using a block for mounting, or have someone boost you onto the horse if you are having difficulty.
• Always wear a hard hat and proper riding boots when you ride.
• Horseback riding is an inherently dangerous activity that can result in serious injury or death. We recommend that you seek proper training and equipment before attempting this activity.

[JL1543]

on 6/18/2009 Great tips for how to mount a horse! I've had difficulty with this in the past, so hopefully in the future this will help :). Great article 5*!

[lestigre]

on 5/14/2009 Nice tips and comment tips as well! Am moving to Texas and wanted to try out some riding down there but didn't know much at all. This helped, thanks!

[speckles98]

on 5/9/2009 I'm going to start horse back riding today and i don't know anything about horses so i came here to learn about it and it's helped me none!

[morganhorse]

on 4/22/2008 There is no reason why you have to mount a horse from the left side(so called proper side). You should be able to mount from either side as we do here on the ranch . THe reason for mounting from the left side died out when we no longer had to carry a sword.

[blueribbon]

on 10/18/2006 Wow, there is a lot of misinformation here. For a simple video instruction from one of the top professional reining trainers, go to horsecity.com. Look in the video section under Tod Bergen training tips. And be aware that you are dealing with a horse, not a person or a puppy. Coddling won't work. You need to give clear, direct cues to the animal. Timid, unclear cues will result in a bad-mannered horse and possible injury. Seek professional advice from a qualified trainer if you don't know what you're doing. You can't learn to ride a horse from the internet. Good luck.