Is it possible for a somewhat experienced rider to saddle break a horse?

In short, yes!

When I was 16 I took on a project. I'd been riding for a few years and was confident with riding out alone at all paces, looking after a horse on my own, etc. I knew a young horse who'd had a bit of a rough start - he was considered dangerous and wild, but really he was just a sweetie who wasn't really understood. I couldn't bear to see him go to a different home, so I took him on.

I got him when he was four, and started with the basics. I spent months on groundwork, getting him used to a headcollar and bridle, working on manners and basic handling (you couldn't pick up his feet) and voice commands for walk/trot/canter/stop/back when lunging. I also did some bombproof training, getting him to walk over plastic sheets and various things. At the end, he was so unafraid of my umbrella, he picked it up and threw it in the air!

All of this helped us build a really strong bond. When it came to getting on him for the first time, he wasn't bothered. For that, you will need another person to help hold him and keep him calm. Lean over his back gently first a few times, then gradually swing your leg over, gradually sit up, and let the other person lead you for a few steps in walk first.

Take it slowly and don't take risks. If in doubt, get someone else involved to just give you a hand every now and then. It's brilliant that you're up for getting help from a trainer! As long as there's someone around who can help IF things go wrong, I don't see a problem with you giving this a go. Stay safe and sensible, that's the main thing.

My lad and I have gone from strength to strength. We've had our fair share of issues, but we've always come through. I had no idea that I could back a horse, turn him into a lovely riding horse, and build such a great relationship with him. I was 16, quite inexperienced and thrown in at the deep end, and he was near death, violent and stubborn. Taking him on was the best decision of my life!

Good luck! Sorry this is quite long, I just hope it's some kind of inspiration to you, assurance that this is not an impossible feat. Difficult, yes, but not impossible.

Sounds like you are not just inexperienced but a rank amateur, it is possible for an amateur to saddle break a horse, but it is more possible for the horse to break the arm, leg, back, neck or a combination of all the above. Saddle breaking a horse is very dangerous if you have no idea what to do first and how long to do those things before getting into the saddle and you have no idea of what to do or when to do it. You can stand this horse in front of thousands of very calm horses and let him see them being saddled and all you have done is waste time because it will not help him at all he will not get comfortable seeing a saddle placed on another horses back. before you get badly hurt send this horse to a real horse trainer not your riding instructor.

You have the theory down but it's a lot different thinking its going to happen it it all actually going as planned I highly recommend you get an experienced trainer to train your horse. Do as much ground work as you like but DO NOT GET ON HIS BACK. Lunge him get him used to being touched and petted even throw a saddle blanket over him, but you need a trainer to teach him the basics, all you newbies have this glorified idea that your horse will love you and you'll be running through fields next week because you'll click and everything will be perfect well this simply isn't the case, your horse will grow to trust you and look to you as a leader but that takes a lot of time and patience, there are trainers who will gently train your horse using parelli or what not but you are not the person to do that, sorry but that's the truth if you do decide to do it anyway you WILL get hurt let an experiences trainer do it I don't care if you read a thousand books on horse training there are some things that have to be learned and perfected through past experience And years of riding, I hope you take my advice and enlist the help of a trainer. And I wish you the best of luck with your new horse.

I don't mean this rude at ALL I am just trying to be sure you and the horse are safe. I don't think this is going to work. There are many, many horses in the world looking for homes, horses that are cheap with good education. If you want a young horse, then go ahead and get a young horse but I do not think you should be the one to break in the horse. I'll tell you a story that is happening right now to someone I know.

I keep my horse at a local agistment centre that has around 70 horses on a 400 acre property. It's a great "horsey" community with many different people. Where I am, up the back of the property there is a small "community" of us that all talk regularly, ride together and help each other out etc. last December a really nice lady moved onto the property, she had a QH gelding that she was leading, she started doing Parelli with him, I think he was around 12 or 13 years old. He already new how to do Parelli but the lady just had to learn. She was having lessons with him involving the Parelli groundwork and the "Seven Games". Anyway their family did not work out with that horse so in January they gave him back to the owner. Then they looked around for a few weeks and found a 7 year old unbroken TB gelding. He was cheap, very cheap. He was extremely underweight and just looked very sad. So they brought him. She decided to try breaking him in herself, she did some Parelli groundwork and slowly progressed, she got to the point where the horse would allow her to put a bareback pad on him and do up the girth. They didnt progress from there and to be honest I think she was a bit nervous, I don't know what of because I have also worked with the horse and he's easy, quiet and willing to please. Anyway she ended up sending him to the breaker, he came back and she didnt try saddling him or riding him for two weeks after he got bac, anyway two weeks later she tries to ride him the minute he felt weight on his back he turned into a bucking bronc and galloped away bucking. They left him in the paddock for four weeks and just brought him out to feed him and rug him. Now he has just been sent to another breaker where his owner is able to watch, ride and have lessons on him. I am very worried about their safety and I've offered help and helped many times, she just hasn't taken the advice people give her until now.

Being an inexperienced rider I think you should get a slightly older horse, maybe 8-10 and see what you can do with that horse, if all goes well and you want to try something even younger you can always sell that horse and buy something younger. It's always good to start with something that you're going to be comfortable on and with and now pushing your comfort zone.

You sound like you have the right ideas but you have to remember that breaking in a horse doesn't always go smoothly, you can end up with broken bones, hurt muscles etc and then you have to postpone the breaking procedure because of injuries. Personally I think It's too risky and you should try something else to start with, like I said I'm not trying to be rude or negative, just safe!

Good luck with whatever decision you decide to make! If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask on here, there are many people that will give you answers. Even if you don't take the advice it's good to get the opinion of strangers.

I can see that you have a lot of passion, and you have the basic theory down, but I would not recommend breaking a horse yourself. There is a difference between knowing how to do something, and actually doing it. I could explain the bio-mechanics of 4 star eventers as they shoulder- in and jump huge ditches, but I am nowhere near that level of riding myself. It is dangerous for both horse and rider, especially if you are inexperienced. Many trainers will use gentle methods to saddle break, you just have to find one that suits you. Depending on the training format, I am sure you can go watch and help with training sessions.

You have a lot of ambition and it's great! That's very admirable and that's what a young horse needs. Unfortunately saddle breaking a horse is an extremely rough and dangerous job, I would definitely have a professional do it. The plans are fine and dandy, but honestly it will not happen the way you planned. The horse needs a lot of ground work, lunging etc. I hope you decide to get professional help as it will be exponentially safer. Have fun & good luck!

Yes, it is possible. Getting a horse to work in a saddle without a rider is simply a case of desensitizing the horse to having something on its back, but once you get on the horse, it is a very different story. I would have a more experienced rider get on them for the first couple times just so that if any problems arise, they can point them out to you and give you advice on how to work on it on your own. It is way easier than most people think to give horses bad habits or accidentally skip over things and create "holes" in a horse's training, and it can take a very long time to fix them. I think you can definitely do it yourself as long as you have someone on speed dial that you can call if you have questions or need advice. Good luck!

Personally I would say if it is your first time ever working with an unbroke horse I would have a trainer do it. I have seen way too many people who have not had enough experience think that they can train their horse who has never even had a saddle on, and once they realize that it is not magically going to happen overnight they get discouraged and let the horse sit in a stall for the rest of its life. From what you say it sounds like you have not had a ton of experience working with green horses. I would recommend that you find a trainer to work with first. Get used to being around green/unbroke horses with the help of a professional. Once you are comfortable working with all different levels of horses THEN you could try to break one on your own. Reading books will give you ideas of how it goes but no situation is exactly like the book. You have to learn how to adapt to the different horses and figure out what will work best from them. The only way to know how to do this is by working with lots of different horses and seeing lots of different ways to work with them.

Dont expect there to be an immediate bond with your horse either. That is one thing that frustrates me with new horse owners. They expect their horse to love them the second they get them. It doesnt happen that way. It took 3 years for one of my horses to finally develop a bond with me. Dont rush it!

You should get a professional to help back him in, what about keeping your horse at a yard so they can back him but you get the chance to get involved. It depends how the horse reacts and takes to it. Its a lot more complicated, than just getting them use to it. You need to lunge them and lead them at first so they get use to the movement of the saddle. They need to get use to the bit in their mouth and the bridle. They need to get use to the weight and stirrups movement. They need to learn how to halt, turn right and left by the hand but mainly by the legs. They need to learn about the movement of the rider, schooling and improving paces and movement. Learn jumping, hacking, cross-country etc. Learn being with other horses, basically there is a lot more

Yes, we have one like that, a sweet mare who truly thinks I am the best thing around, but with one difficulty. She's not trained to enjoying having a rider on her yet. I tried just sitting on her, once, "for the fun of it" and nearly landed on my noggin. Wasn't even wearing a helmet, doubling my stupidity.

No riders on her until she GOES TO A TRAINER. We're talking my own limited experience and my wife's many decades of experience. Neither of us is the proper trainer for her.

You can profit from my experience.