# Starting an unbroken horse



## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

It depends on the horse. It could take a few weeks. It could take a year. It all depends on the horse.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

realy does depend on the horse, the majority take between 6 and 8 weeks to do it properly and be walking and trotting under saddle.

Some like my lad take a lot longer. Mine took 8 months!!


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## PerchiesKisses (Dec 6, 2010)

My filly took about a month from halter broke to being able to do a trot and the beginnings of a lope. She was pretty much dead broke for trail riding by the end of three months, which is when the fine-tuning began.

The trainer at my barn trained a little gelding up to a trot in the span of two weeks.... Which had me awed. This gelding got worked with 5/7 days a week and was super quick to pick up everything.

And then there was my Percheron who took - gulp! :lol: - 3 *YEARS*.... *headdesk* ... and he STILL wasn't close to trustworthy. Was a very nice driving horse though...

So I guess the answer is it varies greatly on the horse, the experiences that horse has had and the experience of the trainer working with it.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Agreed that it depends greatly on the horse. Personally, if the horse isn't an absolute monster to start with, I am usually riding within just a few days. On calmer horses, I am riding by the end of the first day. I prefer to do most of my schooling from their back as opposed to using contraptions and all that so I "bit them up" while I am riding.

Just to kind of give you an idea on how the time lines can change depending on the horse...

Little pony that I'm riding right now has a good mind and is smart and willing. About 60 rides later (over the span of 90 days), he neck reins, sidepasses, stops hard, w/t/c relaxed on a loose rein, picks up his leads consistently, has been roped off of and drug a cow about half his weight, works cattle and tries to act like a cutting horse, and pretty much anything else I feel like he needs to do.

On the other hand, I've got a filly that I've had for around 30 days that is just now going kinda okay under saddle at the walk and trot. She is touchy, snorty, pig-headed, stubborn, quick to fight, and has a temper.


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## stacysills02 (Sep 29, 2011)

It depends on the horse. my horse could trot within like 6 week under saddle. but it was fast. it took a year to make him jog the way i wanted. with his head down and slower. Now were working the lope. take the time u end up with a better horse


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Keep in mind that a lot of people--myself included--don't do all the surcingle and bitting back stuff prior to riding. And, like smrobs, if they understand pressure/release and aren't broncos, you can saddle, ground drive, and hop on within just a few sessions.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Countrylady1071 said:


> Just out of curiosity, how long do the trainers on here take (on average) from a horse that is only halter broke to a horse that can be *lunged bitted up, with surcingle and crupper? And then from that to being long-lined,* then saddled, and then ridden?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I don't do any of the things I bolded. I have the horse saddled in the first one or two days and usually ride in the next three or four days. All horses are different but they don't vary too much. The better thier breeding the easier it is to get them started. In 30 days I can get them to back up pretty good, w/t/c, yield front and hind quarters and often they will sidepass and work gates. In 60 days they are getting more and more solid on all of those things and I am also working on getting good turn arounds and even roping a bit depending on the age and size of the horse.


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## SarahAnn (Oct 22, 2011)

PerchiesKisses said:


> My filly took about a month from halter broke to being able to do a trot and the beginnings of a lope. She was pretty much dead broke for trail riding by the end of three months, which is when the fine-tuning began.
> 
> The trainer at my barn trained a little gelding up to a trot in the span of two weeks.... Which had me awed. This gelding got worked with 5/7 days a week and was super quick to pick up everything.
> 
> ...


Oh, I am SO happy to hear that! My Perch is 2.5 and was just started about 2 months ago... Its going to take her a LONG time. Maybe its a Percheron thing. She will also be a fantastic driving horse, but I want to take her out on trail rides as well. Thank you for reassuring me that she isn't the only Percheron that is going to take FOREVER to train 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Countrylady1071 (May 12, 2010)

Thanks for all the responses! I work at a show barn, and was just interested to hear other ways/time frames others use in training.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Personaly I think long lining is essential if you are breaking to English riding. (I've no idea about western) if You dont long line successfully then you are just storing up issues for later.


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## armydogs (Apr 14, 2010)

Faye, why do you think long lining is essential for english?


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Longlineing gives a horse a nice soft mouth, it also teaches a horse to go forwards and to move away from leg aids. 

My lad was cantering figures of 8 on long lines before he was ever sat on. He moves away from my leg. at just over 9 weeks broken he is going in a very good outline, he leg yields and I can position his back end exactly where I want it.

You can teach latteral work on longriens far easier then from the saddle.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I recently asked around about this when I was looking at buying a young unstarted horse (which I didn't buy), and the consensus from the trainers and owners of recently started horses that I talked to was one month professional training for an "easy" horse, two months if the horse is a little more difficult. Of course, it can certainly take longer depending on the amount of handling and preparation the horse had beforehand.

Now I'm looking at a couple other horses that each have about 6 months under saddle, and one went to her first dressage show this weekend.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I'd say it has more to do with the QUALITY of the handling rather than the amount. I would rather have a horse with very little handling than one that has been handled a lot but poorly.


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