Horse Breaking Methods

Breaking a horse is the term commonly used for training it to wear a bridle or carry a rider. Breaking a horse can be quite challenging, as horses are very large animals and can cause serious injury if someone does not handle them carefully. Breaking a horse, however, can also be rewarding when your hard work pays off, both for you and the horse. There are several different methods that are commonly used to break a horse.

  1. Groundwork

    • Groundwork is a popular method used for training a horse. With groundwork, the instructor remains on the ground while teaching the horse to use a saddle, bridle, and to respond to commands. Groundwork is a safe method for the horse trainer because he or she cannot be thrown from the horse. With this method, you need a large pen and various pieces of equipment, such as side reins, a whip and a cavesson.

    Natural Horseman

    • Another way to train a horse is using the natural horseman, or horse whisperer, method. This method requires someone taking a green, untrained horse into a pen and working with it for many hours. People practice this method in many different ways, depending on what has proven successful for them in the past. The method relies on using the natural instincts of the horse to teach it how to accept a saddle and then a rider. This method may result in faster response than groundwork, but it also requires a much larger time commitment.

    Old Fashioned

    • The old fashioned way to break a horse is the method most often depicted in wild west movies and television shows. In this method, the trainer completely exhausts the horse by tying it up, saddling it while tied up, letting it go, catching it again and so on. The horse becomes so tired that its natural fighting instinct goes away. Then, the trainer puts the saddle on the horse, sits on it and rides it. The horse gets used to the saddle. This method is largely out of favor today, as most people consider treating an animal this way to be extremely cruel.