| When I started writing my tips for breaking a young | | | | The things I learned and my 10 tips for breaking a |
| horse I thought I must be mad, what did I know? There | | | | young horse are: |
| are loads of experts out there all offering advice and I | | | | 1. Spend time bonding with your horse or pony, don't |
| was just a humble horse owner, not a trainer etc. | | | | just rush into breaking it. You will need time to build up |
| Then I decided that if my story helps anyone to have | | | | mutual trust. |
| the confidence to work with their own horse then I | | | | 2. Learn your horses moods. Learn their normal |
| believe they will find it a rewarding experience and it | | | | behaviour and pick up when something is wrong. |
| will be beneficial to both the horse or pony and | | | | 3. Spend time before you try to back your horse |
| themselves. | | | | getting it used to basic commands, both on the lunge |
| Backing, Breaking and Training a young horse. Well its | | | | and long rein. Stand, walk, trot will be invaluable once |
| something that we are told is best left to the experts | | | | your horse is first backed. |
| and to some degree I agree, as you can do a lot of | | | | 4. Introduce the bit slowly - don't just expect to put it in |
| damage to a horse at such a young age, but with the | | | | your horses mouth and leave it there for hours. Try a |
| right support and information I do believe you can | | | | few minutes at a time over several week and get a |
| make a good job of it. | | | | bit suitable for a young horse. I used a copper key bit. |
| Its easy to say leave it to the experts but for most of | | | | 5. Introduce the saddle without girth, stirrups and |
| us our horses and ponies are part of our family. We | | | | leathers to begin with and remove again after a few |
| are the one's who are with them every day and the | | | | minutes. |
| one's who have built up mutual trust and a bond with | | | | 6. Before you even think of putting someone on your |
| them. | | | | horses back get the horse used to wearing the saddle |
| I took a break from owning my own horse for about | | | | and bridle on the lunge or in hand. |
| 15 years. Then found myself, in my naivety, being the | | | | 7. When lunging the first few times in tack make sure |
| proud owner of a 2 yr old filly. I fell in love with her, | | | | stirrups and leathers are not flapping around and |
| what more can I say, but she was 16.1hh and very | | | | spooking your horse. |
| powerful. A lot could have gone wrong. I did | | | | 8. When you do introduce someone on their back |
| contemplate sending her away when the time came, | | | | ensure you are the one who is talking to your horse, |
| to have her professional broken, backed and schooled. | | | | after all you are the one who is built up the trust. |
| There were several problems with this idea though. | | | | 9. Try to get someone light to be the person who first |
| Number one was the cost, I just didn't have the money | | | | sits on your horse. Start with them just lying over your |
| to do that as the quotes I had attained were | | | | horse and then gradually sitting. Make sure every |
| extortionate. Number 2 was this was my horse, I had | | | | movement of the rider is slow a fluid. Again make sure |
| spent hours and hours in the stable with her, bonding, | | | | this isn't rushed and is done over weeks. |
| grooming and just sitting there gaining her trust. I didn't | | | | 10. Take backing your horse or pony slowly, take the |
| want to send her away and lose all that. I knew she | | | | lead from the animal. If they are looking stressed or |
| trusted me, she would follow me around the paddock | | | | anxious or are really misbehaving stop. There is |
| like a dog, if I ran she would trot after me. Quite scary | | | | generally a reason. |
| when you have a 16.1hh thoroughbred chasing you. I | | | | It took me about 2.5 months to back my horse from |
| had never read a natural horsemanship book, but I | | | | only ever having a head collar on to gently hacking out |
| realised that this was just what we were doing. | | | | with me on her. |
| I also discovered she had never been walked off the | | | | I introduced everything bit by bit and talked to her |
| yard, boxed, lunged or had a bit anywhere near her. I | | | | constantly. It might seem a long time to some people |
| figured it was going to be a long drawn out process. | | | | but I was left with a well adjusted horse who doesn't |
| In reality I couldn't have been more wrong. Although I | | | | get stressed or act up very often. She takes the lead |
| did take things very slowly I found backing her to be | | | | from me and will attempt new things because I firmly |
| extremely straight forward. | | | | believe she trusts me. |
| I used a lot of common sense, sought loads of advice | | | | Make sure you are safe at all times and that someone |
| from local tack shops and the people on the yard, and | | | | is with you if necessary who is more knowledgeable |
| read as much information as I could find including | | | | but don't be afraid and take the lead.There is no |
| everyone else's tips on breaking a young horse. A lot | | | | excuse when horse breaking to be cruel, and |
| of the techniques and equipment had evolved from | | | | remember animals including horses are not born bad, |
| when I had had my last horse. So I had to learn what | | | | they react to what we as humans do to them. |
| to do with it again. | | | | |