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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 713
 
Location: ND | What advice do you have for breaking a horse? What do you expect to accomplish in a day? What do you want before getting in the saddle? The reason I ask is I have a 2 yr old filly(will be 3 in July) that I would like to break this summer. I have always fixed screwed up horses as far as training, never worked on one from "scratch". I'm looking for any advice.. if I feel I am in over my head, I will send her to a trainer. But I would love to do it myself, and with her sweet personality I'm really hoping that's possible. I have been doing ground work. She ties, picks up feet and can be easily trimmed, lunges, flexes, etc. She has had a saddle on but not cinched. I'll add a pic of her too! Thanks! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 713
Location: ND | Heres the pic..
 (Eightresize.jpg)
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 Eightresize.jpg (27KB - 142 downloads)
Eightresize2.jpg (36KB - 133 downloads)
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 The BHW Book Worm
Posts: 1768
 
| Best advice I have is horses learn from the release of pressure so the better your timing the faster they learn. I have always started my own and I have no clue how many horses I have started. I'm at the point now with the first 30 days of ridding on 85% of them can go all speeds on a loose rein. Flex laterally and vertically without the use of aids, stop proper with 1 and 2 reins, read your seat. Circle at all gaits, move all five body parts , slow rhythmic spins. If I have a really good one half passes are pretty solid and spins are getting really solid. I do not push them we advance as long as there happy and learning. I get a lot of requests o take outside horses and it won't do it but I'll couch people on having good feel every day of the week
Wanted to add good luck!! Chance are if your good at fixing others mistakes colt starting is going to be a walk in the park. I won't look at horses with more than 100 days on them because I don't want the challenge if there is a bad hiccup in there foundation.
Edited by Thistle2011 2015-03-30 7:18 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 713
Location: ND | Thistle2011 - 2015-03-30 7:13 PM
Best advice I have is horses learn from the release of pressure so the better your timing the faster they learn. I have always started my own and I have no clue how many horses I have started. I'm at the point now with the first 30 days of ridding on 85% of them can go all speeds on a loose rein. Flex laterally and vertically without the use of aids, stop proper with 1 and 2 reins, read your seat. Circle at all gaits, move all five body parts , slow rhythmic spins. If I have a really good one half passes are pretty solid and spins are getting really solid. I do not push them we advance as long as there happy and learning. I get a lot of requests o take outside horses and it won't do it but I'll couch people on having good feel every day of the week
Wanted to add good luck!! Chance are if your good at fixing others mistakes colt starting is going to be a walk in the park. I won't look at horses with more than 100 days on them because I don't want the challenge if there is a bad hiccup in there foundation.
Thank you so much!! |
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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| I have not gotten one going under saddle after I have learned some new tricks, so if I were to start another one I would definitly work on lunging for respect. I normally lunge a horse and EYE CONTACT is key. The horse must stand still and his or her eyes must never come off of me. If they do then I shake the rope until their eyes are on me again. The goal is to get them to the point that their eyes are always on me waiting to see what I ask them to do. Horses will do whatever you allow them to get away with. :-)
Once I felt like I got that down, then I would saddle and repeat with the lunging for respect exercises and eye contact. I would do everything possible to SPOOK THEM. The more you spook them the quieter they become. It is important to stop whatever is scaring them when they stop spooking.
Then I line drive. Then I ride.
All horses are different so each horse will take a different amount of time. This is my bag of tricks in a nutshell. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 713
Location: ND | Thank you! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | I like to have them just about broke before I ever climb on. I've started quite a few from scratch and a few things I like to do:
Be able to flip a lunge whip/rope all over them and around them, around each leg, over their head, etc without them moving.
I attach something scary to the end of a pole (walmart bag, white flag, trash bag) get them to the point I can wave it all around them and rub it all over them.
They will know how to lunge (respectfully) on a lead rope in the big arena, not just free in a round pen, and stop on whoa, facing me. You'd be surprised how many horses can't lunge unless confined by the walls of a roundpen.
Once they've mastered all of this I will prepare for saddling. Usually 2-3 sessions tops and they are doing well on the above. Unless you have one that has not been handled much at all or has been mishandled.
Before I go for the saddle I like to put a rope around their belly. Apply pressure to the rope while standing still, then ask them to walk a circle around you and softly apply pressure to the rope. Since I've started using this I have not had any problems when it came to cinching the saddle.
I like to throw the saddle on a LOT from both sides. I also like to let the saddle fall off beside them a lot. It just provides more desensitizing, and prepares them for when that moment comes, they spook or blow at something and you just might be sliding off and hit the ground beside them. Lol!
Once saddled and cinched I make sure they allow me to do everything we covered before. I don't know what it is but something about a saddle makes the same old things they've already seen scary all over again. I flap the stirrup leathers a lot too.
I also bridle them and let them pack that around for a little while. Once they're done chomping on it (might be the next session for some) I'll ask them to flex and back from the ground.
After 1-2 sessions of this I'm ready to climb on. I like to have someone with me when I get on for the first time. Just personal preference though.
Good luck! It is a very rewarding experience!
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | I love breaking colts but it is something I take over seriously because those first few rides are something they take with them their entire lives, good or bad, and ultimately it can mean their life or death literally. It's not about us or our egos - it's about making them better and you have to want that to be good at it and you have to realize they are always right, it's the question that we asked wrong.
As far as technicality, getting them soft and broke from the ground is important. You shouldn't have to pull to get their face or get them to stop -- you should be able to pick up. Big difference. If you have to put pressure behind it to get it, they're not ready to ride- go back and get them softer. It's NOT enough that they do something - they need to do it effortlessly to truly be ready for saddle work. (Be able to move the hips, shoulders, body over by just stepping into them, and by just touching , and by just using the leadrope).
Work them so they want to be with you. If you that, you'll have their mind and willingness so much quicker. That makes for a good horse.
It's not the first few rides that are dangerous if you do it right. It's later on when they've gained a little more confidence and know where to put their feet and you're taking them out in New territory.
Break things down as much as possible and keep sessions really short. They have short attention spans and you want to optimize that as much as possible. By keeping it short, you have better chances of making each ride a good experience and ending on a good note. Also, try to always set them up to do the right thing - that builds confidence. I do a lot stuff while they're eating- moving shoulders, hips. Every day when I take them in and out I work on lateral work, etc. It only takes 1-2 minutes max but you accomplish a lot that way.
Ponying teaches them a lot, as well as tying out for long periods.
Learn to drive them forward from the hip. That's the stepping stone to ground driving.
I like using a person to drive from the ground while I ride on the 2nd ride. It makes the process go easier and they free up quicker.
Stay out of their face - the goal is to get them moving forward so keep your hands forward. I spend some rides just letting them trot wherever around the pen - that frees them up and gets them moving.
Get out of the pen as soon as you feel it's safe.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 713
Location: ND | Thank you so much for the replies! Helps a lot! |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I think you should buy these two books:
Al Dunning's reining book
http://www.amazon.com/Reining-Training-Showing-Winning-Horseman/dp/...
And this colt starting book
http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Colts-Catching-Sacking-Driving/dp/09...
I have started many, many colts in my lifetime, and these learning tools are phenomenal.
The best thing you can do for yourself is learn how to drive from the ground, and invest in a great round pen with solid, high walls. Al Dunning has the best process in the world for starting colts and teaching them how to ground drive.
Also, have someone that knows how, teach you how to scotch hobble one. This really teaches them that you're someone good, because you can release them from a really bad (in their mind) trap. Catch and release, catch and release. Pretty soon, you're their hero, plus they're learning that they can't take their feet away from you. You become very powerful in the eyes of your horse with a properly done scotch hobble, without anything but slow, easy movements from you. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
Location: North Dakota | Just want to give you a heads up that around the 5th time you actually ride your filly is often the time they "wise up" to what's going on, and is when they can sometimes unleash a few bucks. While you want to keep your body relaxed while riding them, and have a positive confident attitude about yourself, NEVER let your gaurd down with a young one. Espeically around that 5th ride or so. Always make sure you are "ready" to correct them if need be.
Ask me how I know. 
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