Quote:
Originally Posted by Scav
What goes into 'breaking' a horse? GOOD QUESTION
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Getting used to being stalled and handled, being safe - wearing a halter, respecting a lead shank as control, having feet picked, getting brushed out, being reliable on a lead rope, not walking over and crushing your handlers (moving your body around and away from pressure when a person touches you to push you away), learning to stand for a bath, voice commands, etc.
Horses that come through sales are already familiar with most of this (although they aren't reliable at it).
Learning to accept a bridle, with a bit in your mouth. Learning to have a light saddle on your back, and a girth tightened around your belly.
Learning to have weight on your back (a rider), "getting backed" (first time a rider leans over the back), in the stall, or in a round pen, having the rider then sit up in the saddle with a leg on each side. Learning to carry that weight as you move (horse has to learn new balance) and accept hands, legs, and touching the horse all over from above (remember horses are prey animals, who respond to danger or scares - perceived or real - with "fight or flight", and it's nearly always flight - they don't like things on their back or sudden movements or feeling constrained or restricted)
Learning to steer, and turn, whoa and go via signals from the bit and from the rider's weight and legs.
Horses do alot of work at the walk, and then later at an easy trot, for a long time before they are ready to add the canter. They do this in a group (horses are herd animals), then they have to learn to do it alone without their friends. Then they do some easy slow cantering before they ever, ever see a gallop, let alone a racing gallop. That comes much later.
The baby horse has to learn all those new things, all the time developing more muscle and the ability to carry the weight and do more work. While they are still growing and their bones are developing, etc.
"60 days" is sort of the basic time period necessary for putting the above base on them (whoa, go, steer, walk, trot, maybe a little canter).
What they learn here - and any evasions or dislikes they learn at this time - stays with them forever. The point is to teach the horse the basics, having the horse reliable to those (no bucking, no running off, no fighting the rider), and liking it, feeling comfortable and dependent upon the rider.
