Top Marks – Mounting Manners
Top Marks – Mounting Manners
Featuring Kelly Marks, Dr Rosie Jones McVey, Jim Goddard
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This episode of “Top Marks on the Road” focuses on mounting issues experienced by three different horses and their owners in Somerset. The programme demonstrates initial training interventions aimed at helping these horses stand still and accept being mounted calmly.
The episode addresses mounting problems with three horses: Molly, a mare who evades mounting by swinging her hindquarters out; Dawn, a younger horse who struggles to be mounted at all; and Star, a horse who previously accepted mounting with a leg up but now walks off when someone tries to swing their leg over her back. The episode documents the trainer’s work with these horses, using various techniques to establish better behaviour.
Viewers will see the trainer use methods such as L-shaped exercises, utilising a fence or pole as a guide, employing a training halter (Dually halter), rewarding desired behaviour, and focusing on clear communication and the rider’s body language. The initial session shows promising progress with all three horses.
