Saddle breaking a horse - practical method?

I won't go too deeply into training, because honestly my fingers will fall off, but a great way to desensitize a horse that is unused to having something on her back is to simply give quality time.

One thing we did when I got my abused TB as well as when we were training my qh mare (bought at 5 months, so lots of ground work) is one person holds the horse loosely, and the other begins to groom the horse at the shoulder. Obviously, if the horse is not ok with being groomed almost completely that is the first step, if they are fine with that, I move to placing a low, sturdy bucket on the ground. From there, I crawl onto the bucket and continue to groom, slowly running hands along the body and leaning over. If you are alone, you can also do this by yourself. Do not tie your horse, this is not a forceful situation, it's merely an allowance for movement.

You must allow her to accept this pressure and contact on her own. If you are alone, keep ahold of the end of the lead rope and lean your body over hers. I would place her in a smaller pen, something like a round pen and begin work with her there. After she gets used to that, you can even lay your stomach on the horses back and hang for just a bit (try to stay completely centered and jump off after just putting a bit of pressure). Continue to do this, not getting annoyed if the horse moves away, but merely moving them back and continuing again with the process.

After that, you can begin the blanket options along with saddling options. One more suggestion, before you do any training sessions with her, I reccommend you free lunge her in a round pen walk, trot, and canter as well as have her switch directions. I do a fast "free lunge" with each new horse to establish that I can change the directions that they are going. In this way, I drive them one way (gently, of course, there is no reason to upset them) and then step sort of "ahead" of them (stay out of the way, of course) and get them to change directions. From this, I continue the work until I have a SOLID whoa.

From there, when you get the bridle on eventually (hopefully a bit down the road) begin working on gently flexing the neck from side to side. Also, you can train her to walk next to you based off of standing by her shoulder (do this in a halter, it works amazingly ^_^) and then say whoa and gently pull on the reins to encourage her to stop, when she does PRAISE. Everything little step that she does right must be expressed as wonderful. Do the same thing with backing, flexing, etc.

With this, you should be able to work your way into the saddle. Take it slow and watch her, if she seems like she is getting too uncomfortable don't panic.

Good luck :)

Your problem sounds more difficult than simple breaking - if she was ridden on a track, then she has obviously been "broken" before. You need to do the "unbreaking," and it sounds like you have had a very good start.

For the bridle, start using a bridle instead of a halter when you lead her places. Don't tie her with the bit, but use it to take her from the pasture to the barn, keep it on her while she's in the cross ties (put a halter over top to attach her to the wall), let her graze in the front yard with one on. . . make it out to be not a big deal. Try ground driving her: http://www.equi-sense.com/articles/longlines.html is some "quick and dirty" instructions if you aren't familiar. Again, your goal is to make this not a big deal - have her be as relaxed as possible.

For the saddle, you say you have tried to saddle and ride her and she freaked - did she freak at the rider, or the saddle? If she was ok with the saddle, start lunging her in tack (with the halter over the bridle). If she freaked out with the saddle, take it slower. Sack her out with a saddle pad until she is bored while you wave it in front of her face, over her head, and rub her all over her back and stomach. Try lunging her in a bareback pad. http://www.horse.com/Bareback-Pad-WLW14.html?scode... If she wants to buck and run, let her - it's a $20 piece of fabric. . . she can't hurt it, and it won't hurt her. Once she gets over it, the saddle should be relatively easy.

When she is going nicely at the lunge in full tack, try getting someone to hold her while you bounce up and down at her side at first without, then with a foot in the stirrup. If (and only if) you are comfortable and she is relaxed, at this point you can try mounting her and having your friend lead you around (WEAR A HELMET). If you'd rather wait for the trainer, do that - you know your own limits. Even if you don't want to get on her fully, this should get you a good start. And if you have any questions, the internet is free and google is useful. Save your hard earned $100 if you can.

We put the saddle on to start out with and led a rider around. We did this for the first few rides mounting and dismounting from both sides. We then had a rider be led around bareback, mounting and dismounting from both sides. I think this was important so she can get as much experience in different areas as she can. We have also mounted from the ground and off of something else. This way when she is finished she will not expect things to always be the same and freak out if something is different. For the most part though all the work has been done with a saddle on. However, she is comfortable with both. The main thing to remember is that if you are nervous or uncomfortable your horse can and will feel it and that may set her back a bit as she will think there is something wrong with whatever you are doing and that is why you are nervous. Hope this helps, good luck.

I don't know of any DVD's, but maybe I can offer a few tips. She must be able to trust you. A confident rider will make a confident horse. Work at her speed. If she's a quick learner, don't bore her by going over the same lesson too many times, if not that just go the speed she can handle. Make the sessions short and sweet. No more than fifteen minutes and always end on a positive note. Horses have a very short attention span when it comes schooling.

It sounds like you done a lot of work with her.

I've owned and worked with race horses for many years including breaking yearlings. I never use crops/whips on filly for the shear fact that they will kill you. I sounds like you have a lot of work to do with her and I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully someone can steer you in the right direction with the DVD,s.

I wish were you the central Maryland area, because I would be more than willing to help you for free.

First things first, you have to get her used to having a saddle on her back. Find a bareback pad, or just a regular saddle pad and put it on and leave it there like it's no big deal while you groom her. Do this everytime you work with her. After a few times, she won't even care anymore.

Then find a light saddle and SLOWLY let her get used to it. Let her sniff it and completely inspect it. practice holding it while you walk towards her, but don't put it. when she gets really used to you having it with you, start to put on. don't cinch it at first, just lay it on her back, give her a treat, pet her, and then take it off. Slowly start to cinch it everytime you go to work with her. Get her used to having it on her back and just being lead around. Keep all your sessions with her short because this could be very scary and weird for her.

When she gets really used to it, start to lunge her with the saddle on. then she'll figure out how to move with something on her back.

When you decide she's quiet enough for you to try to mount, don't just get on regularly. have someone lead her with a halter and a bridle on. When you get on, get on half way so you're basically just laying on your stomach over the saddle. this may sound weird, but i've seen it used and it is a great idea. if you do this, then right when she starts to get scared or spooky, you can just slide right off and land on your feet. Soon she'll get used to it, and you can try to just get on normally and just sit on her. have someone hold her while you and a friend just sit there with her and talk. don't be silent, if you talk and sound calm and happy, she'll pick up on your mood and she will be the same. remember LOTS of possitive reinforcement, and when she does do something bad, just let it go. don't punish her unless she does something to intentionally hurt you.

a good idea for getting her used to the bridle is basically just the same as getting used to the saddle. just put it in her mouth everytime you work with her, but don't necessarily use it. make sure you have a regular snaffle bit, or a hackamore. i would also recommend getting a pair of reins that are not split so that if she does take off, the reins won't fall and she won't step on them.

Good luck!!

If you mening saddle breaking.... What we do is we gradually introduce them to the tack. After they're comfortable with it we either walk them around or tie them to a pole.

Kinda like in spirit but not like 3 days.

Good luck.

Read and/or watch anything by DAVE JONES, JOHN LYONS, MONTY ROBERTS, AND PAT PARELLI. You cant go wrong!