Hate the term "breaking in/broken in" ...

[smellsofhorse]

So do I.

I prefer backed.
Or something similar that doesn't sound like you have dominated the horse and broken its spirit!

 

[moana]

I always try to say backed or similar and avoid the usage of broken/broken in etc.

 

[Cowpony]

It may be a generational thing. When I learned to ride "breaking in"was the correct and only term. That was before all the studies into horse psychology, natural horsemanship etc. In those days if you got a young horse to the point where you could ride it you rode it. It never occurred to anybody to turn it away. Things are gentler now and rightly so, but I still slip into the old terminology as shorthand for the whole process.

 

[SnowPhony]

I don't like the term "broken in" either

 

[JFTDWS]

An old falconry term was "make". Sometimes falcons (but never hawks) would be flown in a cast (two), one an old experienced bird that knew what to do and what to chase and an inexperienced one. The experienced bird was called a "make hawk" and once entered and freely chasing the correct quarry, the one with less experienced would be said to be "made".

The meaning of words change with time. English is a living language. I don't know where "broken" came from but the probability is that it meant something much softer in the past.

Incidentally, a falconer "serves" (i.e. flushes) quarry for his bird.

As an old falconer I find it very sad the old terminology is being lost. Young birds were called eyasses in my day. Now they are chicks. The female was a falcon or a hawk. Now they are hens. Birds of prey used to make eyries, now they make nests.

Yuck!

Imo it's a case of accurate communication or inaccurate communication. Those who use the term 'breaking in' give me the impression that they are rough and ready. Those who use the term 'started' or 'educated' or 'backed' are people who are accurate, precise and careful......Your choice of language is part of the impression you give to people, along with tone of voice and physical appearance.......of course if you don't care what other people think it doesn't matter to you, but then you will never know what you may have missed!! A person covered in tattoos and piercings with dreadlocked hair may be a lovely person but I will never know!!!

Two very interesting posts. Unsurprisingly I agree with dry rot and love the depth and elegance of traditional terms and the aetiology of language.

I also agree with comments about precise language - particularly for those offering services to clients as it is one of the major bases on which you can be judged. OTOH my inferences are slightly different - I generally see those who 'break in' as people who use traditional approaches and are generally no nonsense. People who start or fudge the issue in anyway may be the fluffy bunny types who let horses away with murder. That said, neither assumption would be sufficient for me to make a decision on who to use though!!

 

[Clodagh]

I also agree with comments about precise language - particularly for those offering services to clients as it is one of the major bases on which you can be judged. OTOH my inferences are slightly different - I generally see those who 'break in' as people who use traditional approaches and are generally no nonsense. People who start or fudge the issue in anyway may be the fluffy bunny types who let horses away with murder. That said, neither assumption would be sufficient for me to make a decision on who to use though!!

So true, my youngster went away to be broken, I have broken others myself. None have been beaten, tied up or abused but all have been treated like horses. Deep down I know its a silly assumption but I think 'started' or 'educated' means haviung a carrot stick waved at it and asking it if it fancies working that day, breaking in means it is worked (properly).
So not only do I say broken in but I also say 'it'. Oops.

 

[Regandal]

I think it is just a term, we'll never know what it "meant" to horsemen/women hundreds of years ago. You "break in" new shoes or boots - meaning (in my case!) that you are "moulding" them to your liking or comfort. Not abusing them. I suppose "moulding" a horse is a good interpretation of how I think good trainers break a horse in, really.

 

[Shantara]

I'm the biggest fluffy bunny. I still say broken!

It's the word I've grown up with.

"Broken" to me, means the job is complete to an acceptable level. "Backed" to me says you've put a saddle on it and maybe sat on it a few times.
It's probably different to others, but that's what it says to me.

 

[Regandal]

An interesting meaning from the Collins dictionary, apart form its meaning as something negative - "Also: broken-in. made tame or disciplined by training ⇒ a broken horse, a broken recruit".

 

[Ptolemy]

It's a term I also used for shoes. I don't start my shoes, I don't school my shoes, I also don't think my shoes care that they are being "broken"

I'm another on the "it's just a word" side of the fence.

There are many meanings to the word.

 

[fburton]

You can't legislate against inadvertent connotations.

 

[MagicMelon]

Because cowboys used to get on and hang on until the horse gave up trying to get you off.

Isn't that pretty much what they still do?! I hate the term too, I use "backing" instead.

 

[Pongwiffy]

I personally I would say a horse had been backed once it had been successfully introduced to saddle and being sat on.

I class being ridden away as the introduction to the fundamentals...stop, go, basic turning aids, intro to walk, trot, canter.

Once a horse had been backed and ridden away i would class it as broken.

I would class a made horse as one that had been fully trained for its intended job/purpose such as a hunter or show horse.

I would assume a halter broken colt had been introduced to a wearing halter - it's just shorthand description that horsey people have always understand so personally don't see a problem...."a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" n'all that!