Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Ever break a horse?

I tried to, if like Tigger, my top was made out of rubber, and my bottom was made out of spring, I'd done better.

Or, if I'd have known what I was doing.

No, but I had a horse break me.

I started breaking horses when I was twelve.

After marriage I kept five brood mares and a stud for many years. I sold off the colts with uncooperative personalities, and sold broke five year olds as we started riding younger stock.

I kept three kids in 4H ponies for about ten years.

The secret to a well trained horse is knowledge. One simply has to know, if that horse ever feels the need to buck, you have already seriously fugged up.

And if you have fogged up, a corral with a center post and swivel ring, a 3 1/2 foot length of 2x4, a saddle, and a guy who knows what to do with those ingredients will make that horse a pleasure to ride.

Osky

To ride or to plow?

I have done quiet a few. Started on mules about 40years ago. Now that is lot more challenging. I have trained them as saddle mules, harness mules, and pack mules. Horses will kill you by accident.Mules will kill you on purpose if treated badly, so a fellow better know how to work with them. I don't have much use for horses, except a good mare to make mules with.

Yes, ride and or drive. I had great teachers.

I started about like Idaho Shooter. Made money as a teenager putting a 30-day start on a halter-broke horse for $100.

I wouldn't call it 'breaking' a horse, but rather training a horse. A lot of trust is involved, and that has to be earned. I spend about the first 10 days doing ground work. A lot of saddling, bridling, letting the horse stand with that while grooming, picking up feet, sacking them out so they were accustomed to the saddle, bridle, touches, noises, etc, etc.

After about five days of that, I had a set of driving reins I would put on the bit (snaffle bit for starting out), and put the reins through the saddle stirrups and on back. I would drive the horse like that for two or three days so he has learned to commands and pressure, to start, stop, turn, back up.

So by day 10 or so, I'm mounting the horse for the first time. The horse is well in tune to the saddle, bridle, voice and rein cues, stopping, starting, turning. The only thing new is I'm on the horses back, instead of on the ground. I'd spend the next 20 days or so getting them smoothed up on turns, walking, trotting, galloping circles, figure-eights, lead-changes, trailering.

If I had two or three going at once in the summer it was good money. During school, I only had enough spare time for one at a time.

Most horses would hunch up a bit feeling the added weight. Most never bucked. I got bucked off now and then though.

I hit the ground a couple times when the horse flushed a pheasant out from under his feet, and the horse suddenly jumped sideways. A good horse would stop and wait when he gathered his senses, a knucklehead would run all the way back to the barn.

Good times.

Here's an old pic of me back in those days, around 1977, near Sidney MT with my gelding Rob. He was half QH, half Thoroughbred. Great horse, and buddy.

I spent a summer in my youth helping a lady across the highway break several from a herd of Appaloosas she bought. Mostly just running them around the bullpen, but I did get some saddle time in. Good thing I was 16 and still bendable, trying that today would not end well.

I did have one take off on me. We were convinced this one stallion had been tamed and I was able to saddle him and lead him around by the reins easily. I stepped up onto his back and he took off like a bat out of hell. The corral was open at the time and he and I had a very fast tour of the pasture. Would love to have had a video camera to see the petrified look in my eyes as I held on for dear life. He stopped running after a half-mile or so and I was able to get off and walk him back. Good times and sore backsides.

#1
12 years old Friends horse reared up threw me off its back and stepped on my groin
My mom said it did not happen so I pulled my pants down in front of everyone and a nice red horse shoe print was on the right side of dangally thing and my hip.

Mom shut up.

How do you fix one if he breaks????

He-he-he!

Is there a real outlaw horse, sometimes?

Back in the 70's, I "adopted" a couple of mustangs from Nevada for a few dollars each. Young, dumb, and stupid at the time - thought it was a hella good deal.

Then tried to break them.

Those were mean bastards! Break them - yeah right.

Couldn't even eat them, too tough and stringy. Worthless animals, I say.

Moved on to fast cars and girls, never looked back.

Back in the day.

Young man's game.

I wasted much of my youth on bad horses and ugly women

At least ugly women are usually grateful for the attention.

Never broke any but have started many ...

Several of my friends and myself did the same thing back around 1980. Went to the adoption center in Cross Plains TN and brought back 4. My intention was to breed the mare I got to a QH stud and hopefully break her enough to at least handle her. Anyway, only one out of the four turned out to be breakable, and he looked like part draft horse, so he wasn't as hot blooded as the others were. Those mustangs were meaner than hell, and could kick quicker than anything I've ever seen. Waste of time and money.

You ain't much of a horseman if you think that's what it takes to train a horse.

A round pen? yes.

You snub one of my horses to a center post, or approach it with a 2x4. You will leave my property at gunpoint.

I would not even treat a dog that way.

I want a horse that finds it a pleasure to do my bidding, rather than a horse scared [bleep] of pissing me off. Positive reinforcement works!