Why mount a horse on the left

It also causes the muscles on either side of his body to develop differently. Training him to accept a rider from either side can help equalize this and make him more balanced. It makes equal sense from the rider's point of view, since situations may arise in which mounting from the left isn't an option: you could be stuck on a trail on a slope so steep that it's not safe to mount from the left for fear of pulling your horse over on you.

Even your saddle will benefit from using both sides to mount -- the tree won't warp and the stirrup leathers will stretch equally. By using the site, you agree to the uses of cookies and other technology as outlined in our Policy, and to our Terms of Use. Based on Biology Mounting from the left may have become the rule because early horse trainers noted that horses demonstrated a preference for being approached and worked from that side, which is now backed up by modern research.

From the Right The cavalry of Alexander the Great, who rode bareback with neither saddle nor stirrup to assist them, used a battle spear to pole vault aboard from the right. From the Left In Europe, wearing the sword at the left hip began in Rome, probably about the time Vespasian was emperor, and the practice continued into the Middle Ages as swords became longer and more difficult to manage.

Cowboys and Indians By the era of the American cowboy in the late s, mounting from the left had become entrenched as the only "proper" or "civilized" way to do it. Ambidexterity Xenophon was right: there's a lot to be said for mounting a horse from either side. Why don't people do it on the right side? It has a serious safety value. You can see the reason very quickly by looking at the two photos below.

Although the pictures were taken half a world apart, you'll notice that both the U. But why lead a horse on the left? Well it seems to be just for convenience. If you are leading your horse on the left, you can quickly mount if needed. You can tell the sex of a horse by the number of teeth they have.

No wonder some of them seem to only think about eating! Being a prey animal, the horse has eyes set on the side of the head, allowing them to see almost degrees. According to Equine Medical Services, there is a small space directly behind the rump they cannot see if their head is straight forward.

However, if they move their head, they can see this area as well! Pretty incredible.