What does it mean when you break a horse?

Question

I sound really silly, but i've been riding for about a year, and i've heard many people talking about 'Breaking' a horse. What exactly does it mean?

Answer 1

When someone is "breaking" in a horse, it means they are training the horse to become rideable. =] hope I helped

Answer 2

breaking a horse, or breaking in as most people say, is teaching the horse/pony to become used to haveing a saddle on it's back, a girth round its body and the bridle on it's head. they are also taught how to understand leg aids and aids from the reins.

i know what you mean. my friends thought breaking in was helping the horse give birth!

Answer 3

training it so it can be ridden

as horses are natrully wild and will buck so making them ridable

Answer 4

it means when you make a horse tame and rideable.  

Answer 5

The term 'breaking' means that you are taking a horse who has never been ridden (for example, a young horse or a feral horse such as a mustang) and teaching them how to wear a halter, saddle, and bridle and how to be ridden. A broken horse is a horse who is calm under saddle and can be ridden safely. The term 'breaking' originally comes from the old cowboys who would, in effect, break a horse's spirit in order to get them to a point where they can be ridden. This sounds very cruel, but these days just about everybody uses humane methods to train their horses. We try to make the process as pleasant as possible for the horse. Although 'breaking' a horse is the more commonly used term, the more correct term would be 'training' a horse.

Answer 6

Breaking in a horse means taming it so that it becomes rideable.  I have seen it done to a young horse with a lunge.

Answer 7

Breaking a horse means teaching your horse to follow your commands or cues.

Answer 8

to break a horse is to train it to be ridden.  never ues the term broken only use the term broke.

Answer 9

It means to break it's spirit so it is able to be handled. Halter trained, Bridled, ridden, Etc.

Answer 10

breaking a horse is what you do after backing it, breaking is an old fashioned term that used to mean to break the horses character, now it usually means the basic ridden training

Answer 11

Breaking a horse means training your own horse

Answer 12

Breaking is like training.

Answer 13

breaking a horse means u train it and teach it how to do things basically like a trained horse

Answer 14

Breaking a horse means training your horse and make it so it isn't too wild.

Answer 15

breaking a horse means 2 train a horse to ride and do other things.  

Answer 16

When you are to heavy and the horses back gets sore and eventually snaps in two.

Answer 17

You 'break' it's natural wild spirit so that it becomes subservient to it's new master.

The new master is then able to ride the horse and train it to obey his commands.

Answer 18

when a horse is "broken in" it means its being/been trained.  basically taught how to perform when being riden!

Answer 19

It means to get them used to wearing a saddle and headgear, and eventually to carry a person.

Answer 20

In its rawest form it means breaking a horses "spirit" so you can sit on it in a saddle. It is done by placing weight onto the horse and making it run on a lunge rein.

After some pracice of this, the breaker will then mount the horse, and its basic training begins.

Its really dangerous. im sure youve seen rodeos on tv, horses are a animal that dont naturally like weight on their  backs.

Next time your stables get a new horse in ask to watch, but keep a safe distance.

Answer 21

when you train it to ride.

A very common term in equine life!

Answer 22

k. not what the first answer said. more like the second. when someone says they "break a horse" it means they train it too do multiple things when asked. here are some examples

Halter broke ( when they learn to wear a halter )

saddle train

learn to pick up their feet

and so on

hope this helps =)

Answer 23

It means taking a horse who has NEVER been ridden before and training and taming it so people CAN ride it. This usually means getting it used to weight on its back, saddles, bridles, horse shoes, voice and physical aids.