One of the reasons natural horsemanship has become very popular, is that it can be a very quick and effective way to break a horse. This is why it has become increasingly common with racehorse trainers, or anyone else who has to break many horses very quick.
Even for those who have more time, or are just looking for a way to break their own horse, natural horsemanship training is an excellent technique. Apart from being gentle and humane, it doesn’t require a lot of expensive equipment, and it lays the foundations for athletic and responsive horse.
Horse breaking with natural horsemanship starts in the round pen. Here you will establish your leadership, and begin to build a relationship of trust and respect. Your horse will come to recognize that you are a source of comfort, safety, and even fun.
Never rush your horse through the breaking process – respect that some horses will accept a saddle, bridle, and rider quickly (even in a single session!), while others may take many sessions over several weeks. Always go back to round pen basics if you feel your horse may be becoming frightened or distrustful.
When you and your horse are working well in the round pen, and your horse is accepting your leadership quickly, and showing that it is attentive and responsive to you, then breaking can really begin. Many trainers like to progress next to lunging and then long reining in the pen, and even long reining outside the pen, to further establish the basics of communication and control, before they get on.
Always introduce new equipment or techniques in the pen, where you can begin every lesson with reinforcing the basics of submission and respect. By the time your horse is long reining happily, it will be used to you bringing new equipment into the pen; if you have followed natural horsemanship techniques your horse will view new equipment and tack as toys, and show curiosity and acceptance of them.
The first item to introduce to your horse is the saddle. When you have invited your horse into the center to join you, allow it to investigate the new tack. Your horse will want to sniff it, and may push it around and play with it a little, so don’t use a fancy show saddle!
Allow your horse time to explore, always remaining close to the tack to give your horse confidence. When your horse seems bored, you can pick up the saddle cloth and lay it across your horse’s back. Allow your horse to move away if it wants to, but make sure you follow up by gently driving your horse out and around the pen again.
When your horse stands for the saddle cloth, introduce the saddle, again allowing the horse to move away and wait to be invited back in. If you’ve been long reining, your horse will have already felt a girth or cinch, but if this is the first time for your horse, take your time.
It might take a few tries before your horse accepts the girth. Always make sure you have a breastplate or breastgirth attached, because you don’t want the saddle slipping back. When you have the saddle on, and the girth done up, move off and encourage your horse to follow. Driving your horse around the pen a few times will help it to get used to the feeling of the saddle on its back, and the stirrups flapping around.