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From Halter Breaking to Saddle Breaking

Samantha - see page to know who to contact directly! September 2nd, 2013 4:21:42am 4,333 Posts

So, as many of you may know, back in December I adopted a 2 year old gelding named Brooks. When I got him, he was a rescue who didn't even know how to wear a halter or eat treats, and since then we have come a long way. He is now halter broken and can be lead (although he does have some issues with nipping, and also doesn't like to back up for long distances), he can be tied up and groomed/touched everywhere, he has seen the farrier and while he was a little jumpy he was overall good, he can wear a pad on his back with no reaction, and he has basic lunging skills. He also loads into and out of a trailer just fine. However, while I know the steps to halter break a horse and have been slowly getting better at other little training things that I didn't know from my previous horse experience, I am a little bit lost on the steps between halter breaking and actually saddle breaking, and I don't have anyone at the barn who I'm really comfortable asking for advice. I feel like they spend more time judging how "behind" I am with him than they do actually thinking of constructive ways to help. Which just makes me feel bad, and has more than once made me not want to go to the barn and think about selling Brooks because I just feel so lost sometimes. Right now the major thing we are working on is lunging. He can walk and sometimes trot on the line and knows what is expected of him (although, of course, some days are better than others). But he likes to put his head down which I am unsure how to prevent, and I'm also not sure how to actually teach him the voice command for "trot", right now if I crack the whip or tap him on the butt with it he will go. I also have problems with him sometimes stopping to change directions, which I would like him not to do. I'm just a little bit lost on all of that, and I'm also lost on a lot of the other steps in between where we are now and when it comes time to actually break him for riding, haha. Some things we do need to work on, which I already know that we do : 1. He doesn't like to have dewormer put in his mouth, so I've saved the tube from last week when I dewormed him and will be cleaning it out to put applesauce in it, and then every time I go out there I will practice with him until he's not worried about it anymore. 2. He doesn't like to be fly sprayed. I have tried to practice with water, and just slowly get him used to the spray near him and slowly move closer when he gets comfortable with where I am, but it doesn't seem to be working very well. Any suggestions? 3. He will let me give him a sponge bath, but I'm not sure if he will with the hose. I haven't tried yet since the bathing stall at my barn spooks even the most calm horses due to the way it is set up and I'm not ready for that yet. But after that, then what? Any advice is appreciated! I don't want to give up on him, he's a good boy (even though a bit colt-ish at times), but I also need to have some sort of plan, and most of what I know about training horses is once they're already undersaddle. Help!

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Awolnation : Main September 2nd, 2013 5:28:19pm 346 Posts

I just recently bought a three year old from auctions and also have a yearling which I have raised from when she was two months old, so I understand how hard some aspects of training can be. So here's what I found from starting to train both of them. I don't know if anyone else does this or if it's the 'correct' way to train horses, but it's what I've done and gotten results with. 1. For the fly spray. My yearling was dreadfully jumpy with the fly spray. Each time I sprayed her, she'd jump and try to run, which is bad of course lol. So, taking some of my knowledge from large animal vet class at school, I would just continuously poke her in the shoulder. After a few moments of this, I'd start to spray her, while still poking her. She was concentrating on the feeling in her shoulder versus the feeling of the spray. Some vets will do this while giving horses shots as well. Eventually, after several times doing this over a few weeks, I stopped poking her and just sprayed her. She stood perfectly and didn't seem to mind being sprayed. 2. As for saddling. What I've done is first gotten them each used to a bareback pad being cinched up. This just helps them get used to the pressure around them. After it was cinched, I just take them for walks around the pasture. After they were used to all that, I put the saddle on, but didn't cinche it, letting them get used to the weight. After they were used to that, I would cinche it and then take them on walks again. This was all over a week or two of course. From there what I've done is tied bags onto the saddle, strings of pots and pans, tarps, bags of feed..just loads of stuff lol and walked them around, letting the horse get used to the weight or sound. And then lunging with the saddle of course. With my three year old, I actually just started to teach him to ride. What I did for the 'first ride' was just put the bareback bad on and I laid on his back while someone led him about. After he seemed to become used to that, then I sat on him while being led. He was behaved. From there on, I'd just go out and sit on him as he walked about. After he's good with you actually being in the saddle and such, then you can start to work with leg cues and such. Again, I'm not sure if any of this is the 'correct' way to do it, but this is what I've done and had results with :) I wish you lots of luck! And don't be discouraged about those silly people at your barn. A horse is never too old to break, they all just have their own pace of learning.

Samantha - see page to know who to contact directly! September 6th, 2013 12:20:02pm 4,333 Posts

Thanks :), that reply actually made me feel better!

~ Hackney ~ September 6th, 2013 6:30:43pm 25 Posts

I work at a show jumping yard in the UK and they break a lot of their horses in there so I've learnt lots through them and also having bought a very newly broken horse I know about the ways you have to get a horse used to things. I don't know if your breaking for English or western riding but the way my boss breaks in, is she bits them first to get them used to wearing the bridle and bit, I don't know if you've done this but some ways to do it is to put like apple or carrot on it, like your doing with the wormer, so he associates it with good things. Then she lunges them getting them used to the commands, walk, trot, canter and hault. She does this by changing her tone of voice so if she wants a horse to go forward she'll use a higher range and short words but when wanting them to slow down she makes the words long and dragged out with a lower range. She then goes of to long reining which involves having two lunge lines on either side of the horse to get them used to rein contact. To do this she does it like lunging but keeping the line on the out side between the horses hind quarters and their hock for walk and trot and the working on steering and haulting she walks behind them (like a driving position) to simulate the rider and reins.She sometimes saddles them before long reining but it's your choice really (but she always lunges and long reins again once been saddled) To be saddled she just has the saddle around the horse a lot until it'll allow you happily to put it on their back. Then she does what 'Awolnation' said where she leans on them to get used to the weight and walks like that until the horse is happy and then she will sit on it. She does all this on the lunge until the horse is nicely listening to her commands. The trick is to go at your own rate and to not let anyone else get in your way. There is no right or wrong way of backing a horse, it is the persons preferred way. I hope this helps :)Hackneyx

a z a l i e - 🌵 2024 APHA World,Reserve and Bronze Champion-blitzy still watching- September 9th, 2013 11:53:09pm 1,856 Posts

Never let him get his way....My mare is real jumpy and didnt like fly spray either... So i would just use a sprayer with water and just keep spraying until he stops moving his feet. If youre afraid of him getting away just do it in his stall. i follow a little bit of everyones technique to get the results i want to achieve.As for commands like walk trot canter, say the word then tap..takes alot of repetition...We've done this with my moms mule so i know it works...BEFORE SADDLING YOU WANT HIM TO RESPECT YOU ON THE GROUND. If he doesnt listen on the ground chances are he wont listen while youre on him. i started a few horses from halter breaking till their first ride....I always make sure theyre respectful of me and my space.... i usually start with getting them use to a snaffle bit and a bareback pad...or u can use a lead rope and gently pull to let him feel it around his tummy if the pad is too much...Do that for awhile.then you can try the saddle....

vanilla ice. done returned from hiatus. September 10th, 2013 2:37:54am 17 Posts

As far as teaching him how to listen to the command of trot:Start out by saying trot (he most likely wont do anything), then push him into it with clicking at him or with the whip. Keep doing this over and over (first saying, then pushing him into it) and he will get it. It took me 20 mins to get one of my 2 year olds to recognize the words walk and trot, and it's nice having him now do it under saddle.Is he putting his head down to the ground to try to stop? If so, don't let him stop! Keep him going or he will think its okay to try to stop on his own. Never let him stop on his own or turn on his own, make it something that you tell him to do. An old cowboy once told me that if you give a horse an inch, he will take a mile and boy oh boy is that true. When horses drop their head when you are lunging them but they continue in the gait you had them at, they are actually submitting. Many western pleasure trainers use that to teach them to drop their heads, by allowing them to stop or rewarding them as soon as at head drops.Where to begin with saddle-breaking. Every horse is different. I've broke horses that haven't had anything on their back before, and I've groomed them, then tacked them up with out an issue, and work them in the round pen..and then I've had ones that you need to take babysteps with. The biggest thing is to get lunging down before you do any of this though..you want to have full control in a round pen or arena on the lunge line. But let him tell you when he is ready- you will know. Let him sniff the blanket out, saddle, etc..let it sit on his back and praise him throughout. The cinch can freak some youngsters out so be slow with that. I usually tie them inside the round pen, in the case they do freak out, they can't go very far and hurt themselves. With young horses, most everything is 'new'. It sounds like you are doing a really good job of consistent good experiences between the fly spray and wormer..just keep it up and your bond with him will continue to grow and he will trust you more and more with just about anything. Good luck!!

Samantha - see page to know who to contact directly! September 10th, 2013 12:24:24pm 4,333 Posts

Ohh, that's interesting about the head dropping. He does keep going when he does it, but he drops his head all the way to the ground, almost like he's sniffing as he goes.Thanks everyone for all of the advice :). It helps to have people who actually give constructive help!

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