Mount Your Horse Safely

with him out in the pasture where I was going to ride. I moved Marty around thinking of getting him physically warm as well as asking for changes of gait and direction to get him connected with me mentally. You can see he is moving out nicely and has an ear on me. 
I have a hold of the rein and the mane with my inside left hand. The rein is short enough that if Marty were to move forward while I was mounting I could be effective and stop him and if he were to try to bolt or kick me I would be able to pull his head toward me to swing his hindquarters away
I can see Martys eye and see that his ear is on me while I am deciding whether it is safe to mount.
Marty is standing square.
I am facing forward.
My inside foot is in the stirrup.
My outside hand is holding the front or pommel of the saddle.
The Half Mount
When I leave the ground it is not with the idea that I am going to put my leg over the horse. I recommend making a habit of pausing once you are up and standing in the stirrup so that your own muscle memory doesnt land you in trouble on a horse that isnt ready to be mounted. If the horse becomes tense and freezes or tries to run or for any other reason it is not safe to proceed you can simply step off and address the problem on the ground. I will practice this half mount several times on each side going up and down without putting my leg over the horse.
The next step before I fully mount is to check out the other side of the horse. In this photo I am practicing the