Signs A Pony Has Been Previously Broken In?

[Orca]

If you bought a pony (history unknown), what clues would indicate to you that it had been previously broken?

I bought one with the intention of breaking but her reactions to traffic, bitting, lean over, surcingle tightened, saddle on and saddle flaps being flapped have been 0 - 0.5 on a scale of 10.

My instinct is that she is broken to some extent but I don't know if I'm misinterpreting, in part because of her generally unflappable nature (which is why I chose her) but mainly because my experience is based in more highly strung characters and younger horses! My previous experience in breaking has been with naturally more reactive breeds (TBs. This one is a TGC) and younger horses (she is six).

I have started from scratch and will continue slowly because either way, she is green and will obviously benefit from a gentle, steady approach but I'm interested in what others think?

 

[bonny]

If I bought a 6 year old unless I knew the horse's history I would assume it was broken to ride. Has she been a brood mare ?

 

[Orca]

If I bought a 6 year old unless I knew the horse's history I would assume it was broken to ride. Has she been a brood mare ?

Yes, she was a brood and sold to me as unbroken. I'm thinking broken and turned away/ bred?

 

[Carlosmum]

I'd start from scratch as you have been doing, but you may find she will take to it well and quickly, if she has already been broken.

 

[Orca]

I'd start from scratch as you have been doing, but you may find she will take to it well and quickly, if she has already been broken.

Thank you, yes. I suppose it's also possible given her type (heavyweight), that she's been broken to drive and not yet to ride. Things might become interesting at the weight carrying point! I'll enjoy the smooth start we've had either way.

 

[Tobiano]

She sounds lovely! At least the main thing is it doesn't look from this that she has been badly broken in before, which is worse than not at all. Good luck!

 

[ycbm]

Most of the horses I have broken in made as little fuss as your pony. I have usually been able to ride them the same day I put a saddle on, and they can't all have been broken in before I got them One of the quietest, I had known all his life. The majority of horses are a piece of cake to break.

I've had one difficult to girth, who was still a piece of cake to actually ride. One big bucker who I did get backed after being dumped a couple of times. And one sharp one I sent to an expert as I was too old by then to risk hitting the floor, but he was back in less than a week with walk trot canter and hacking out. They are far outnumbered by the 'saddle up and get on' ones.

 

[Orca]

She sounds lovely! At least the main thing is it doesn't look from this that she has been badly broken in before, which is worse than not at all. Good luck!

Thank you. Good point! Unfortunately, she is whip shy (the sight of a lunging whip gives her an extreme case of the snorts and skitters), so I don't think is entirely unscathed but despite this, to handle and in her breaking so far she is an absolute dream.

Most of the horses I have broken in made as little fuss as your pony. I have usually been able to ride them the same day I put a saddle on, and they can't all have been broken in before I got them One of the quietest, I had known all his life. The majority of horses are a piece of cake to break.

I've had one difficult to girth, who was still a piece of cake to actually ride. One big bucker who I did get backed after being dumped a couple of times. And one sharp one I sent to an expert as I was too old by then to risk hitting the floor, but he was back in less than a week with walk trot canter and hacking out. They are far outnumbered by the 'saddle up and get on' ones.

Thank you. I'm not saying everyone before was bonkers but I'm definitely more used to them doing 'something' in response to at least some of the new stimuli. A raise of the head, a twitch of an ear, a jiggle as the girth tightens or saddle is flapped maybe ��. Your post is encouraging, it seems either way, she's taking smoothly to her new life after breeding. Long may it last!

 

[Casey76]

My boy is a little different, in that I've had him since he was 7mo old. But he never reacted to anything, no matter what I did. He's never once bucked on the lunge or under saddle. Even when I got on him for the first time I didn't even lay over. I put my foot in the stirrup, stayed low as I swung me leg over and sat up.

This was my first sit on him and he wasn't phased at all...

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

You might think that my cob had been broken but I bought her at just 2 and I know that she had been well handled before I bought her but definitely not broken to ride. She just is unflappable and I guess was born that way. Yours might well be the same.

 

[Orca]

My boy is a little different, in that I've had him since he was 7mo old. But he never reacted to anything, no matter what I did. He's never once bucked on the lunge or under saddle. Even when I got on him for the first time I didn't even lay over. I put my foot in the stirrup, stayed low as I swung me leg over and sat up.

This was my first sit on him and he wasn't phased at all...

I think the smile on your face in that photo says it all! What a lovely pic.

You might think that my cob had been broken but I bought her at just 2 and I know that she had been well handled before I bought her but definitely not broken to ride. She just is unflappable and I guess was born that way. Yours might well be the same.

I'm encouraged to believe this might be the case after all of these positive stories. Although I started playing with her a couple of weeks ago, she officially moved in and became mine yesterday - and I got my first whicker today! She really is very affectionate. Maybe along with being unflappable, all of these potential stimuli are just an extension of being fussed, which she loves. I suppose effective breaking should always feel this way to the recipient, ideally ��

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

The only thing to be aware of is if she is "freezing" stock still rather than showing traditional signs of anxiousness. I've had a few laid back types react this way to new things. But at 6 and scared of a lunge whip, I'd go with the "previously broken in" theory (and probably chased round on the lunge!).

 

[irishdraft]

I have backed the two horses I currently own, both were very easy, went thru the various stages & got on, one of them whom I have had since a foal is quite a stressy chap but absolutley no problem to back. I have backed a few horses and all have been no problem apart from one i had from a foal who was so good to handle etc and do all the ground work but when it came to lying across his backed he completly freaked got there in the end but took 4 weeks of daily lying across his back until he was confident to have me on his back.

 

[Orca]

The only thing to be aware of is if she is "freezing" stock still rather than showing traditional signs of anxiousness. I've had a few laid back types react this way to new things. But at 6 and scared of a lunge whip, I'd go with the "previously broken in" theory (and probably chased round on the lunge!).

Thank you, that's definitely one to watch for but no, no signs of anxiousness or tenseness either. She's just completely relaxed! She did look around at the saddle once with mild interest (or more likely, to see if it was edible �&#56836. I think I'll learn more about the specifics of her whip shyness over time, as I work on desensitising her. It could be from being chased on lunge (but she doesn't know how to lunge) or it could be from being 'herded' with the use of a big stick. Hard to say and sad to consider.

 

[FinkleyAlex]

Mine was like that - he only dropped his halo when we started long-reining him. I've had him since a yearling so knew he'd never been broken but he was very laid back (when he wanted to be).

 

[Orca]

I have backed the two horses I currently own, both were very easy, went thru the various stages & got on, one of them whom I have had since a foal is quite a stressy chap but absolutley no problem to back. I have backed a few horses and all have been no problem apart from one i had from a foal who was so good to handle etc and do all the ground work but when it came to lying across his backed he completly freaked got there in the end but took 4 weeks of daily lying across his back until he was confident to have me on his back.

Mine was like that - he only dropped his halo when we started long-reining him. I've had him since a yearling so knew he'd never been broken but he was very laid back (when he wanted to be).

Thank you both. I'm very interested in finding out her response to weight and long reins. I have a feeling that she will take weight more happily than long reins (and she's coped fine with lean overs so far). She likes to be in close contact (the one time she was surprised by something, she ran to hide behind me!) and is less sure when she's 'away' from me, as with lungeing. Long reining is something we will have to work slowly towards via leadwork, then lungeing I think but with small enough steps and given time to think, I'm hoping she won't find the process too stressful.

 

[Horsemanship]

I have broken hundreds of horses in and have never had one buck on a first backing yet. If you get the ground work - including them being happy standing away from you, out of your space whilst working them (VERY important!) right, and put a top 'lateral (sideways) mouth' on them before you back, then you have very few issues. A top lateral mouth prevents any chance of bucking anyway. x