Dismounting on the Fly

There are times when it’s neither convenient nor possible to wait till your horse has come to full halt before departing the saddle.  Sometimes your horse or your opponent forces the situation; in other cases you may make the decision to get to the ground ahead of time.  Either way, your goal is to end up on your feet and still in control of your horse whenever possible.  At higher levels we will want you to demonstrate dismounts at the trot and canter as well as controlled falls, but the first step to all of this is:

Dismount at the walk

The procedure for dismounting at the walk is almost the same as your vaulting dismount from the halt:

1. Kick both feet out of the stirrups.  This is important!  Do not attempt a western-style dismount, or even the English dismount where you leave the left foot in the stirrup until your legs are on both sides.  If you hit the ground with one foot while the other is in the stirrup you are likely to get dragged.

   

2. Put your reins in one hand and grab a bit of mane.  This will stop you from bumping your horse in the mouth if you fall or get left behind.

3. Put both hands on the horse’s neck or withers and push off with both arms to help you clear the saddle.

4. Swing your legs to the same side twisting your hips to face forward.  This lets you land facing the direction of movement rather than facing the horse as you might when dismounting from the halt.

   

5. Bend your knees as you hit the ground and take a step right away to keep moving forward with your horse.

6. Use your hand on your horse’s neck to orient and steady yourself, as well as to maintain control of the horse without jerking the reins.  Do not let go of the reins unless you actually fall.

   

When dismounting from the walk you will find that many horses, particulary the polite and well trained ones, simply stop and give you a questioning ‘what you doing’ look.  Don’t discourage this, as it’s a good habit for a horse to have.  You may simply have to practise from the trot to get the full feeling of landing and moving forward.

Now for some inspiration, take a look at the amazing vaulting and other games skills displayed by these riders from New Zealand, and try to imagine their martial applications. (And now someone please explain to me why this isn’t an Olympic sport!)