Why do people mount horses from the left side and not on the right?

Question

Why do people mount horses from the left side and not on the right?

Answer 1

Tradition.....dates back to sword-carrying days.

But actually it is a good idea to train your horse to allow you to mount from either side.  You just never know...it is always good to be prepared.

Answer 2

The custom of mounting horses and training them to handle from the left dates back centuries, to the time of the Crusades and even before that, to feudal Europe and England. At that time in history, as some of the other writers here have said, the knights wore armour and carried long swords- but they didn't have the swords on a hundred percent of the time. When the sword was not in use, it was carried in a long sheath or holder called a scabbard, which was attached to the pommel or front of the saddle. The saddles which were used back then bore little if any resemblence to today's modern English or Western saddles- they actually looked more like the McClellan army saddle which was invented during the Civil War than they did like modern tack does.

The knights mounted and trained their horses to handle from the left for practical reasons- it was difficult to mount from the right, because the armour and sword ( when they wore it) tended to get tangled up in the scabbard. Another thing to remember is that most saddles did not have stirrups until after the collapse of the Roman Empire- the stirrup was invented by the Goths, and it was what allowed them to defeat the Roman armies. It's difficult to jump up and mount a horse from the right if you face the risk of landing on a scabbard- and that is how most of the early knights got on their horses- they jumped or vaulted on.

As the centuries passed, eventually the Chinese discovered gunpowder- and shortly thereafter, the world's first rifles appeared on the scene. As these weapons evolved and became more advanced, the swords gradually became obsolete- only to be replaced by rifles. But the custom of training horses to handle from the left continued- and it is still the preferred method of training today. There are a few countries in the world where horses are trained to handle from either side- but this is a rarity.

Hopefully, this answers your question.

Answer 3

most people are right handed thus way back when they mounted from the right

Answer 4

The tradition of mounting from the left dates back to the time when warriors carried swords on horseback. Since most people were and are right-handed, the sword was carried on the left hip to enable them to draw it quickly.

Horses were mounted from the left so that the right leg could swing up over their back without the sword getting in the way. Mounting from the right would be difficult, as the sword would get in the way of swinging the leg up, and might poke the horse.

So it really is nothing more than tradition. We mount from the left because we've been taught to. Mounting from the left resulted in tack that was designed to be buckled, cinched, or fastened from the left-- most halters, bridles, and saddles are left-sided.

Answer 5

Interesting question!

Knights in armor were lowered onto their horse with a crane.  They couldn't mount from either side because of all that weight!

Over the centuries, more people have ridden without swords than with, so I don't think it's that (I could be wrong!)  I've always thought it had to do with which side of the road traffic traveled on.  Before Napoleon, everyone rode on the left side like the Brits do.  If you were leading a horse, you wanted to use your strong right hand and walk on the outside, not in the middle where the traffic made it dangerous.  Horses got used to being handled from the left.  Plus, if you were on a busy street and wanted to get on, you would naturally want to get on from the side where you weren't out in traffic.

Just an alternative possibility.  Your mileage may vary.

Answer 6

It used to be because when people carried swords, they had them on their left hip...  you got on from the left so you didn't have to fling your sword over the horse.  Nowadays it's just tradition... it's how horses are trained and they're used to you getting on on the left.  And your body is used to it too... your left leg is stronger from getting on that way.  Nothing says that you have to get on from the left.  A trainer at my barn decided to start getting on on the right and she said it was really hard to start because you don't have the muscles built up on the right like you do on the left.

Answer 7

I have no idea but I gave you a star for stumping me.

Answer 8

That's the way most horses are trained.

Answer 9

I really don't think it was because of some sword,,

It was that over hundreds of yrs horseman have tried many different ways The horse will except the right side allot easier

So thats why its done coordination has allot to do with it,

you can mount on any side you want

But we are right hand Most people are and we use that

the left arm if we are right handed is STRONGER NOT THE LEFT ,,

Horse's think with the opperiset side of their brain

so it just makes more sense to mount on the right Plus we lead from the right hand etc