Quiet Riding

"We ought to mount as quietly and lightly as possible."

"If a horse doesn't stand before you get up there and when you're getting ready to get on, why he's liable to be on his way as soon as your foot leaves the ground.... Getting on under those conditions is out of the question."

"If the horse moves off as you are mounting, once you are securely in the saddle, move him around in small circles, ask him to stand, then dismount and remount until he accepts your actions without trying to depart prematurely.

"If your horse fidgets at mounting time, or in other situations, it might be because every time you mount, the shifting saddle jams him at the base or side of his withers. (High-withered horses suffer the most often from this.)"

"Using a mounting block is one of the kindest things you can do for your horse."

"Before mounting, the rider should check the horse's tack."

"...practicing mounting from the offside (far side or right side) will prepare you and your horse for situations where that is the only practical way for you to mount."

"What you're doing, by circling the horse around you [when he tries to walk off when being mounted],...is making walking away more difficult than standing still. You're just giving him the opportunity to decide for himself what's easier."

"...if your horse doesn't let you mount, it's usually a sign that something is wrong or is going to be wrong. By fixing the problem right then, or at least acknowledging that there may, in fact, be a problem, there's no telling what kind of calamity you may be avoiding and what kind of stress, aggravation, and pain you can avoid putting your horse through."