Horseback Riding 101

Lesson 3: Leading, Mounting and Dismounting, and Basic Position

How to dismount

There are two ways to dismount. One is more elegant; the other is, in my opinion, safer.

The more elegant way is the step-off dismount.

The safer way is the vault-off dismount.

But you may wish to know both. Vaulting off is preferably with a horse that tends to bolt or is a bit excitable. Stepping off is fine for all other horses (although ANY HORSE may do ANY THING at ANY TIME without warning, simply because it is a horse). And a step-off is useful to know in the event that you develop a physical problem that makes vaulting hard on you. (Although riding is a sport, and it takes a great deal of muscle tone to do right, it can also be done very, very well by people with a variety of physical differences that demand that they modify one or another skill needed. There are one-armed riders on the show circuit. Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan is a double amputee with prosthetic lower legs, so you can bet he’s not bouncing off one leg to mount, but rather using a mounting block; once on, he’s jumping four- and five-foot fences! How? I said you stay on with your legs and your balance. Actually, it’s mostly your balance; legs are just a convenience. If that were not so, we would not be able to ride bareback—and we do—because there’s no stirrup to depend on, just your bottom on the horse.)

Practice mounting and dismounting several times before you actually begin to walk on the horse.

Vault-off dismount

When the horse is standing still, gather both reins in your left hand and also grab a hank of mane. Slip both feet out of the stirrup irons. Lean forward over the horse’s neck. Supporting your weight on your left hand and stomach/chest, swing your right leg up and over the horse’s croup. As it clears, swing your torso around so that your face is looking over the off side of the horse. Simultaneously grasp the cantle with your right hand. As your weight shifts to the near side of the horse, either slide gently down the saddle, helping your self with both hands, until your feet touch the ground. Or, if you are more energetic, give a small push with your hands and spring slightly away from the horse, landing on your feet. Remember to absorb the shock of landing on slightly bended knees.

Step-off dismount.

When the horse is standing still, gather both reins in your left hand and also grab a hank of mane. Take only your right foot out of the stirrup iron. Grasp both reins in your left hand. Straighten your left leg until you are almost standing in the iron; at the same time, swing your right leg over the croup. As it comes across, as soon as you can, grasp the cantle with your right hand, continuing to use the mane for support with your left hand, which retains the reins. Now lean your weight onto the saddle using your upper thighs against the saddle for support. Supporting yourself with your thighs and both hands, slip the left foot out of the stirrup iron and slowly lower your weight to the ground, using the hands on the saddle and counterbalancing with your weight pressing against the horse’s side as you descend.

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