When mounting a horse do you use the horse's mane to pull you up If so do you rely solely on the mane to pull oyu up If this is correct it seems that it would cause the horse much pain?

Answer 1

== == No you dont .

this is what you do

Mounting a horse or pony is done from the "near" side, i.e. the horse's left side. (The horse's right side is known as the "off" side.) Facing the horse, the reins are held in the left hand and the left hand placed on the pommel of the saddle. The reins should be held tight enough to prevent the horse or pony from wandering off when you try to mount but not too tight that the horse or pony starts to walk backwards.

Then turning to face the rear of the horse, take the stirrup in your right hand, turn it clockwise to allow you to gently place your left foot in it so that the ball of your foot rests on the bottom of the stirrup An important thing to note is that whilst mounting you should be careful not to inadvertently kick the horse with your left foot as this will encourage the horse to walk forward and does not feel good.

They you should place your right hand on the center of the saddle.

You will need to move it as you sit down. Simply jump off your feet.

Try not to pull too much at the saddle while getting on. It isn't good for the horses back and can cause the saddle to slip under the horses belly.

Use a mounting block if you are having difficulty. ..

You should never hold the saddle to mount, you are just asking for it to slip and you could potentially not only hurt yourself, but the horse. The best way is to mount on a block or some sort of step stool, if you do not have one and must mount from the ground, it is perfectly acceptable to grab some mane. Horses do not have nerve endings in their manes. this is why people are able to "pull" horses manes to thin them. Therefore, it does not hurt to use the mane in as mounting assistance. They will feel a bit of pulling on their neck, but it will be much more pleasant than the wrenching of their backs that can happen if you hang on the saddle to mount. ___________________________________________

Horses do not have nerve endings, so it does not hurt the horse, however you can easily rip out your horses mane, which changes the aesthetics of your horse, which could potentially be harmful depending on what time of equestrian competition you participate in. You should not pull yourself up by the saddle, as it can twist on the horses spin causing serious back damage.