Mounting in Outdoor Settings

 Goal(s) :

Accustom the horse to calmly position itself at the mounting block in a variety of different environments, making the horse practical outdoors.

 Process :

First, teach the horse to position itself and remain calm when the rider steps onto a mounting block and gives a pre-selected cue. Once the horse is comfortable with mounting in the training environment, challenge the horse by varying the locations where mounting is practiced and the objects used as mounting blocks. Move out of the training environment and offer the horse a mounting opportunity whenever possible (chair, steps, tree stump...).
Depending on the horse's progress, praise it when it positions itself correctly, remains still, or after touching/moving the saddle...

 Difficulties :

Keeping a horse attentive and calm outside of its comfort zone.