When is the proper age to break a horse and how would you go about doing it?

Question

When is the proper age to break a horse and how would you go about doing it?

Answer 1

I usually start them at two but that's only with a saddle and bridle...lunging them out and letting them be in an area with the sadlle and bridle on...just to get used to it. I don't start riding and actually breaking in the horse until he/she is about three. The horses legs and muscles are ready for it by then because they have been worked with. If you start riding them before they are ready they can develope leg problems. A horse also stops growing around three or four so you don't want to stop or slow down growth by riding them before they stop growing on their own. If you are starting a horse you want to take it slow. It's a lot of info for them to take in at once.

Answer 2

I've never started a horse before the age of 3..No younger, I don't care what the circumstances are.

If you don't know how to start a horse, you need to get someone more experienced in there with you to help, or better yet do it for you. If you wanna learn watch, and be involved in the process as much as possible. The best way to learn is hands on and seeing it for yourself with a professional who knows what they're doing and how to teach you to do it.

Answer 3

My dad always started breaking when the horses were about 2 years old.  First he started with halter breaking (which often happened when they were foals, if the owner was smart), then reining, where he taught the horse to mind directions with the bridle.  After that, he got them used to having a blanket atop them, and after that a saddle.  When they were good with the saddle, he got on top... and inevitably got thrown off.  After a few throws, the horse got used to him astride, and he started riding it around.  There are probably a few steps in there, but I've forgotten them since it's been a few years since he's broken horses.

Even when they're saddle-broken, there's a lot of work to be done before they're trustworthy.  I had a few bones snapped from bravely riding some of my dad's green-broke fillies.

A few horses are so docile that they break easily.  Others are never fully broken, but that's pretty rare.

Answer 4

I'm not going to tell you how to break a horse as this is something that requires years of experience to do PROPERLY. No two week course can truely teach you how to break and handle a horse. What I will tell you is to send your horse to a breaker, as I have seen too many stuffed up break-in's come into my hands to sort out. The quickest way to ruien your horse is to break it in with out knowing what you are doing.

It depends on where you come from as to what people will tell you is the "proper age" to break a horse. I personally aim to break by 2 years, but I have broken in 18 month old, well matured horses. But I'm from Australia and in my industry of campdrafting and ASH showing, this is the general norm. Some places tend to let horses mature to 4, 5 or even 6 before they break them as they believe that is the "proper age".

It just depends on where you come from and what you plan on doing with your horses as to what is the "proper age".

EDIT: My understanding of "breaking in" is having a horse that you can ride, not just send round on a lunge.

Answer 5

Depends on the breed. If you have no experience I would get a trainer to do it properly though.

They are usually started at 2yrs (generally).

Answer 6

Two is too young! Your horse will face major lameness issues by the time it is a teenager. Please, please, read this article:

http://www.equinestudies.org/knowledge_b...

Answer 7

depending on breed 2 to 3 but you should have all ground work done before mounting horse

Answer 8

I like the Indian way.

If it lives close to  you

treat it more or less like a pet dog ,responding to whistles,sounds  and hand signals

until its big enough to take your weight,(maybe 18/24 months)

than start leaning on it ,and carry a blanket ,

etc.

using halters and hackemore only .

never a bit

Answer 9

"breaking" begins at birth with "imprinting". When a horse is a foal, spend as much time as you can with it!!! I have NEVER had any issues from the dams for spending time with her and her foal. (Unless she is too possessive of her foal, but I have been very fortunate and have not run into this very often.)

The more time you spend with a foal, the easier it is to train them to saddle when they are older. (Not to confuse spending time with them with spoiling them rotten. Learning respect should be taught at a young age as well.)

When training, I make sure that by the time they are weaned, they willingly accept being hugged (Standing at their side and wrapping your hands around their front and rear, and applying pressure.) They will accept a jacket being tied around them, they accept a foal blanket, you can touch them ANYWHERE that doesn't cause them physical pain, you can touch ears, mouth, run hand along all of their "ticklish" spots, you can pick up their hooves and they will stand while you rub them, they accept a suckling halter (NEVER left on unatended) and don't freak out when pressure is applied to said attached halter. They will also move forward with gentle coaxing.

Once weaned, they learn to lead without needing the rope around the hind end. They also continue to learn trust, repsect and love. Positive reinforcement for a job well done!!!

Once the horses are about 6 to 8 months old, I place a very lightweight kiddie saddle on them. Almost always, the horses are so completely trusting of humans and are so used to having new things around, that they don't even flinch. (Of course, there are always exceptions.)

Until they are a year old, they continue to be saddled and unsaddled, lead over all sorts of different scenery, and noises, etc.

At a year, I ususally add a reinless very mild snaffle bit. (I believe you should be able to train a horse to be ridden with just a halter, so a gentle, mild snaffle is all I ever use. Begin as you mean to continue. Some people use the harsher "training bits" but I have always beleived they cause more pain then they are worth and also, the harsher the bit, the harder the horses mouth will become if the bit is used improperly.)

Now, for the next year, the horse continues the lessons, often sometimes with just the bit or just the saddle. By the time the horse is two years old, it has absolutely no qualms accepting bit or saddle. (By now you would be using the saddle you will be riding him with.)

At 2 and a half, I put extremely light weight on him. Never more than 50 pounds. You do not want to ruin his joints as he is not even close to being done developing and cannot hold much weight without risk. (I cringe whenever I think bout yearling racehorse races.)

Finally at three, I increase the weightload until my horse is ready for it's first rider. by using this method, I have NEVER had a horse buck off it's first first rider, as it is completely used to the weight, the saddle, and the bit.

Now, this doesn't mean the horse is ready to be ridden, and is by no means broke!!! Like getting it used to EVERYTHING else, I lead the horse around with the human on it. once the horse is used to the shifting, twitching, movements of its rider, I add the reins and have the rider give the comands as I continue to lead. The horse learns forward, whoa, backup, and trott all while being lead. Then the lessons continue without the lead. (Ususally alternating until the horse realizes it can move without the lead.)

By now the horse and rider are getting to know each other pretty well and they are ready for lope and canter and whatever other comands you are wanting to train it for.

I do not "open" a horse until they are at least four. At three their lungs aren't as strong as they could be and I worry about blowing a lung.

This process takes a long time, but in the end you have a very well mannered (depending on how much you spoiled him), well trained horse who trusts you completely.

The horses own temperment, willingness to learn and overall personality also go a long way i determining what he or she is ready for and when. Sometimes the three years is mroe than enough time, sometimes you wonder if the knucklehead you can't help but love will ever "get" it.

But either way, the bond you form together will last a lifetime. :)

Answer 10

I start long reining when the horse is about 2 and a half and then at around three and not before we go for a our first light ride, no more then that until it's 4

Answer 11

I started training as soon as possible! I started off with the basics when the colt was a 4 weeks old with a halter and lead rope. To learn manners and control. When he was a few months old I taught him the basics for walking down the street, on a halter and lead rope, a few jogging exercises and how to behave around other horses.. at 12 months i put a light weight english saddle on his back and work my way up from there. I jumped on when he was around 2 to 2 1/2 years old. If you start early and keep him in practice, you'll have a great horse. Use kindness and patience every time. Never rush riding! Be patient, you won't really start riding until they're about 2 to 3 depending on the breed. But trust me, start on manners early on! Don't push too hard, and don't let him run over the top of you. It takes a lot of patience, but well worth all of the work.

Answer 12

if you are planning on breaking a horse and dont know how the best option is just to not do it at all and let a PORFESSIONAL such as an OLYMIAN break him/her (3 is the normall age to break a horse but some people do it at age 4) there are too mant mechanics etc. involved for me to explain here, I would have to write a book to explain it. haha if you do want to know then make a list of all the things a horse needs to learn first, like the most basic. That would begin with a good attitude and positivity towards grooming, tacking up, hacking, grazing, etc. you will want to list everything in order and then you could form a better question :D

Answer 13

If you have to ask this question you need a professional trainer.  And some more experience with horses.

green + green = black & blue

Answer 14

i have always had experience breaking a horse at 2. i start out by getting their ground manners good. then i longe them for a while until they get used to that. then i put a saddle on and walk them around every day or every other day for about 20 minutes. then i longe them with the saddle on. then i put a person in the saddle and lead them around. then i get on them. its a long process for me but it works great!

Answer 15

ive been around wild horses, and what you have to do is get to know them really well when theyre young, then when they know you and are about 1 year old jump on them and go for a wild ride

Answer 16

WOW U PPL RLY SHOUDLTN BE TALKIN ABOUT HURTING ANIMALS WTF IS WRONG WIT U??? DISCUSTING

Answer 17

I don't know much about horses but I do know my Aunt broke a horse when she was 47.  I think it was because she was so fat.

Answer 18

Depends on the horses breed and the maturity level.

Answer 19

i wrote this up for another question, but this is how i go about it.

"i would say 2.5 for saddle breaking.. so putting it on, putting a bit in their mouth and lunging LIGHTLY walk/trot only on a big circle.

then, at 3 years a rider should get on and walk for a few weeks, getting stop/go/turn, then after a month rider should as for trot and continue with stop/go/turn training.

then i think the should go someplace.. a show to walk around, a trail something different.

i would stay at walk trot for 3 months? and the introduce canter.. at this point the horse is 3.5

then stay at w/t/c until the horse is 4 and begin POLES.

at 4.5 little jumps

and 5 doing 18"-2 ft courses..

i event though, so really you need dressage and jump and "go someplace" training throughout the process.."

but if you don't know how to and when but you want to break your own horse, enlist a trainer to assist you in breaking and training your horse.

good luck!

Answer 20

http://www.psyeta.org/hia/vol8/kurland.h...

This is a great article...

You usually break a horse when they are two.