How to Mount and Dismount a Horse Safely: A Complete Guide for UK Riders

Picture the scene: it’s a crisp Saturday morning in the Cotswolds, the smell of hay and leather drifting across the yard, and your instructor at the BHS approved riding school has just led a well-mannered cob named Biscuit to the mounting block. Your heart is doing something irregular. You’ve watched plenty of videos, read the leaflets in the waiting room, and nodded along during the stable tour — but now it’s just you, Biscuit, and the very real question of how to actually get up there without making a mess of it.

Mounting and dismounting a horse safely is one of the most fundamental skills in all of equestrianism, and yet it’s one that even experienced riders occasionally rush or take for granted. Whether you’re a complete beginner attending your first lesson at an equestrian centre in Yorkshire, a returning rider who took a decade off for family life, or the parent of a young child about to start Pony Club activities in Wales, understanding the correct technique — and the reasoning behind it — will protect both you and the horse every single time.

This guide walks through everything you need to know, from preparation in the yard right through to safely stepping away once you’ve dismounted, with practical advice grounded in British Horse Society (BHS) guidance and the realities of riding in the UK.

Why Safe Mounting and Dismounting Matters More Than You Think

It might be tempting to assume that getting on and off a horse is simply a matter of common sense and a bit of agility. In practice, the moments of mounting and dismounting are statistically among the most accident-prone in all of horse riding. According to data gathered over many years by organisations including the BHS and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), a significant proportion of equestrian injuries occur not during riding itself but during handling — and that includes the transition on and off the horse.

Horses are flight animals. Even the most placid, school-master cob at a busy riding centre in Cheshire has instincts that have not changed in thousands of years. A sudden movement, an unexpected noise from a passing tractor on the lane, or the clank of a stirrup iron against a stable door can cause even a familiar horse to shift, sidestep, or spook. If a rider is halfway into the saddle at that moment — one foot in the stirrup, weight unbalanced — the consequences can be serious.

The good news is that safe mounting and dismounting is entirely learnable. It’s a set of habits, not a talent. And once those habits are ingrained, they become second nature — something you do automatically, every time, regardless of whether you’re riding a school pony in Devon or a thoroughbred at a yard in Newmarket.

Before You Even Think About Getting On: Preparation at the Yard

Check the Tack Thoroughly

The single most important thing you can do before mounting a horse in the UK — at any yard, in any season — is check the tack. This means the saddle, the girth, the bridle, the stirrup leathers, and the irons themselves. A loose girth is one of the most common causes of a saddle slipping during mounting, which can send a rider tumbling sideways before they’ve even settled into the seat.

Run your hand along the girth and check that it is snug but not cruelly tight — you should be able to slide two fingers comfortably beneath it, but no more. Many horses have a habit of puffing out their belly when being girthed up, a classic trick that leaves the girth deceptively loose once they relax. Always re-check after you’ve walked the horse to the mounting area.

Check the stirrup leathers for any signs of cracking, especially in wet British weather, which is unkind to leather that hasn’t been regularly treated. The irons themselves should be the right size for your foot — roughly half an inch of clearance on each side. Too narrow and your foot can become trapped; too wide and it can slide through entirely, which is a different kind of dangerous.

Assess the Horse’s Mood and the Environment

Before approaching the horse’s left side to mount, take a moment — just a moment — to read the situation. Is the horse standing calmly, weight evenly distributed, ears relaxed? Or is it alert, ears pricked hard forward, nostrils flaring at something across the field? A horse that is already unsettled is not an ideal candidate for a solo mounting attempt, particularly for a beginner.

At a BHS approved riding school, your instructor will always be present for this stage, which is one of the significant reasons why learning at an approved centre matters. The BHS approval scheme — operated across England, Scotland, and Wales — ensures that schools meet specific welfare and safety standards. Instructors at these centres are trained to assess both horse and rider before the lesson begins, and a good instructor will often make a quiet adjustment to the plan if a horse seems out of sorts on a given day.

Also take note of the environment. Is the mounting area level and free of loose gravel or mud? Is there a mounting block available? Are other horses being led nearby that could cause a distraction? These details matter enormously, especially in the busy yard environment that is typical of equestrian centres across England and Wales on a weekend morning.

Using a Mounting Block: The Gold Standard for Safety

Let’s address something that some riders — particularly those with a slightly old-fashioned outlook on equestrianism — sometimes treat as optional: the mounting block. It is not optional. It is, frankly, the gold standard.

Mounting blocks — those sturdy wooden or plastic steps you’ll find at virtually every reputable yard from the Scottish Borders down to the tip of Cornwall — exist for excellent reasons. Mounting from the ground places enormous asymmetric stress on a horse’s spine and the saddle. The twisting force applied to the saddle when a heavy rider hauls themselves up from the ground can, over time, cause real discomfort and even musculoskeletal problems in the horse. Vets and equine physiotherapists in the UK have been making this point for decades.

For the rider, mounting from a block is simply safer. You are closer to the saddle height, your movement is more controlled, there is less strain on your own hips and knees, and crucially — you spend less time in the vulnerable one-foot-in-the-stirrup position.

How to Use a Mounting Block Correctly

Position the horse so that the mounting block is level with the stirrup on the left (near) side. Ask a helper or your instructor to hold the horse’s head, or loop the reins correctly so the horse cannot walk forward. Stand on the top step of the block.

Place your left foot into the stirrup iron, making sure the ball of your foot — not the toe or the heel — rests on the iron. This is the precise point of contact that allows you to kick free if necessary. Take hold of the saddle — ideally the pommel or the cantle — rather than grabbing the back of the saddle, which can pull it sideways. Some instructors in the UK teach beginners to place the right hand on the far side of the saddle for stability; follow your instructor’s specific guidance on this.

Now, in one smooth and unhurried movement, push up with your right leg, swing it clear over the horse’s hindquarters — never allowing it to graze across the horse’s rump, which can cause a startled reaction — and lower yourself gently into the saddle. Do not drop. Landing heavily in the saddle is uncomfortable for the horse and destabilising for you.

Once seated, find your right stirrup before you ask the horse to move. Then, before doing anything else, re-check your girth. Yes, again. It is almost always looser than you think.

Mounting from the Ground: When You Have No Choice

There will be situations — a hack across the North Yorkshire Moors, a long ride through the New Forest, or an unexpected dismount out in open country — when a mounting block simply is not available. Knowing how to mount from the ground safely is therefore an essential skill, even if you should avoid doing it routinely.

The Step-by-Step Process

Stand at the horse’s left shoulder, facing the rear of the horse. Take the reins in your left hand, resting that hand on the horse’s neck just in front of the withers. This gives you some control if the horse moves forward.

Turn the stirrup iron towards you using your right hand and place your left foot into the iron, again with the ball of the foot centred on the iron. Grip the saddle with your right hand — on the pommel or waist, not the cantle, which destabilises the saddle.

Bend your right knee and spring upward from the ground, using the momentum of the jump to carry yourself up. As you rise, your left leg straightens and you swing your right leg clear over the horse’s back. Again — clear, smooth, unhurried. Lower yourself into the saddle softly.

This process requires a reasonable degree of fitness and coordination, which is why many riding schools in the UK — particularly those offering lessons for adults returning to the saddle after years away — will spend time on mounting technique before progressing to other skills. There is no shame in needing to practise this. The instructors at Pony Club centres, BHS approved schools, and equestrian centres across the country have seen it all, and they will not rush you.

Common Mistakes Made When Mounting

Pulling the Saddle to One Side

One of the most frequent errors — particularly among beginners — is gripping the back of the saddle and pulling it toward them as they mount. This drags the saddle across the horse’s back and, if done repeatedly, causes the saddle to sit crookedly and puts uneven pressure on the horse’s spine. Use the pommel or, if your instructor advises, the mane — horses cannot feel pain in their mane and a firm grip there is perfectly acceptable.

Moving Forward

Once you have the fundamentals in place, the possibilities open up considerably. The UK offers fantastic opportunities for anyone interested in this hobby, and with the right foundation you will be well placed to make the most of them.