At 18:05:05 on 03.11.09, Marly wrote:
I have an irish draught x gyspy cob age 4 years old. When I take him to the menage to exercise him, he won't stand still for me while I get on the step on get onto him. What is the best way for me to train him to stand still while i get onto the step?

At 19:32:40 on 03.11.09, plodalong wrote:
hi Marly,this is how i would fix the problem. i would take conner into the menage with a long rope and halter and send him out into a circle for just a couple of laps each way. you are not lunging him, then ask him to go sideways and then back him up then circle him again, i suspect that it wont take long as he is a cob and probably doesnt really want to do much, now only let him rest at the mounting block. if he still wont stand continue to ask him to work until he is ready to stand you may find that he will quickly understand where his safe place is.dont get on the first time he stands but reward him with rubs or a treat if thats appropriate you may need to do this several times before you get on him.i believe that conner may not be giving you permission to get on him, i know that you havnt had him long and it may take a little while for him to trust you.hope this helps.

At 19:39:51 on 03.11.09, plodalong wrote:
forgot to say when you do mount just hurry up and do nothing for a short time, this will encourage conner to stand until you say he can move.then you wont ever have the problem of him moving off until you are ready.you have to take the time it takes, if you have the mindset that you have all day to get the job done then, it will only take a short time.if you are thinking that it will only take a short time then it may take all day,hope that makes sense.

At 19:55:20 on 03.11.09, Marly wrote:
connor is fine once I am on him. I have to have someone to hold him while i go onto the step to mount him. I can't get on him without the step as I am short and connor is 15 hand 2. lol...I guess it all time and patience and I'll get there. thanks for your advice, appreciate it xx

At 21:23:51 on 03.11.09, horse tails wrote:
hi plodalongs advice is very good, the idea is to keep his feet moving and busy. Then when you mount dont ask to walk off right away, back him a step then ask for walk. Worked for me :)

At 00:30:13 on 04.11.09, char wrote:
When I first got my horse she would stand stil at all! So once I'd got on I would ask her to stand still and then back up a step, same thing on the ground, if she barged me I would ask her to back up a couple steps. She's alot better now, still getting there though.

At 06:07:15 on 15.02.10, Twisted x Talent wrote:
Hey there Marly. I get where you are coming from. Forgive me if I repeat anything anyone else said. I didnt read the other comments. When I first got my horse Panther he wouldn't stand. He never made it to the track but he had the commercial race horse fidgets and ticks. He used to walk perfectly to the block stand then as soon as my foot lifted to get on the block he'd flick his tail. Then I'd get my body up and his body would side step away and he'd look at me like 'HA Try me...' This was all shortly after I got him out of biting. So he thought he knew it all. What I did was I found he always stepped away from me cause I was on the left side he was so used to it. So I changed the side of the mounting block. He almost had a hary coniption when he figured out what I did. And he still side stepped into me and the mounting block... but I still got on him no problems at all. I did this a few times then went back to the normal left side. He still continued to side step but what I desided to do next was to get a dressage whip and put side reins on him. I made the inside rein tighter so it arched his neck in towards the inside of the arena and away from me. This way he wouldnt be able to balance his step away from me. Then I got on the stool and touched his rump with the whip, NEVER hitting him, only touching so he knew it was there and I mounted perfectly fine. I released him from the side reins and dropped the whip. I did that till he got it. It took him about a week or so to catch on. Maybe less. And now he stands quietly and still. It's something to try. I'm not a fan of using object like whips to help me but as long as you use it right it shouldnt make them shy away.

At 19:53:10 on 28.02.10, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
T-Touch worked for me try it out it will make him totally relaxed.

At 22:35:08 on 04.03.10, Yonina wrote:
I just have one extra thing to add to the other ideas above, which is something I tried with a gelding that would act in a similar way - stand still until your foot was approaching the stirrup, or was just in it, then would move off. I did some similar groundwork, as described above (actually Linda Parelli's "squeeze" exercise, then I mounted him again and again and again - about 25 times in quick succession, only getting off when he was standing still. Eventually he was just standing their relaxed whilst I got on and off. The next time I did this he was relaxed after about 10 and now he stands still every time. I enjoyed the owners reaction when she first rode him after this - I had been riding him whilst she was away and had not told her I had worked on this. She couldn't believe it and, as she easily popped on board she said "what have you done to him?" with a great big grin on her face!