Let’s Discuss: To mount or not to mount from the ground
Centaur Biomechanics posted this fascinating video shot at 300 frames per second of a woman mounting her horse from the ground.The video shows in fine detail how the saddle shifts to accommodate the rider’s weight when mounting.
Riders generally have strong opinions about mounting from the ground. Some say you should never mount from the ground, as the amount of torque placed on the horse’s back can cause soreness or even permanent injury. Others say that as long as ground mounting is done properly — i.e. swiftly and gently landing in the saddle — it’s OK.
Let’s discuss. What do you think about ground mounting? Do you generally try to avoid it in favor of using the mounting block? Or do you find that mounting from the ground is just easier and has little risk of injuring the horse?
Many thanks to Centaur Biomechanics for posting their excellent video footage. We’ve previously featured their videos of Badminton cross country, as well as show jumping at the London Olympics.
Go riding.
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