Okay. I’ll admit it. I have trouble mounting from the ground with a treed saddle. The combination of aging (my impending birthday makes me feel older), residual stiffness from last year’s fall, and Zelda’s large size conspire against me. I have a three step mounting block (bought after my injury), which is perfect and otherwise I’m good at spotting tree stumps and large rocks.
However, there are times when you MUST mount from the ground. This looks like a workable solution. I’ll try it. Soon. But boy, that saddle looks small and high up when I’m standing next to Zelda.
I mount from the ground in treeless saddles all the time and I just use a breast collar and mount like any other horse (though I’ve done it without a breast collar too). When in doubt, you can bend the horse towards you which will prevent sliding regardless of what kind of saddle you use…
That assumes you are limber enough to get your foot in the stirrup. I think I need a shorter horse. Which treeless saddle do you use?
Well, yes, you have to be able to bend and push off, but that’s regardless of saddle type haha. I ride in whatever the horses I catch ride go in. Most recently I’ve been spending a lot of time in the Sensation.
How do you like the Sensation? It’s on my bucket list of saddles to try. I have Ghost treeless right now and like them well enough but everyone raves about the Sensations.
I’d simply be happy if my horse stood in 1 place when I mounted! I sent her to training to get this and to get goof proofed, the goof proof worked but the trainer didnt understand how important that the standing quietly at the mounting block was!
Zelda is very good about standing at a mounting block — or a big rock. Thank goodness because she’s big. Freedom is less than stellar about it, but he’s smaller so I can mount him from the ground in a pinch.
What a well behaved horse Cruiser is. I always mount from a block, as I have hip and back issues. I’ve also read that it’s easier on the horse…but as you say, there are times when one has to mount from the ground. When I had a 14.3 Arab that was easy…but Warmblood Raven is 16.2 and it’s a heck of a climb up. I could, I suppose drop the left iron down, with the tongue of the buckle in the lowest available hole, giving me lots of leather…but it’s a pain in the butt to re-adjust the leathers to the hole you use when riding.
I kind of wonder about putting one’s foot on the leg. I’m not sure if some horses wouldn’t take it as a cue of some sort…