Breaking a horse...please help novice husband is going to kill himself.?

Question

ok husband just got his first horse. It is 2 1/2 years old. Husband says that the horse is broke. However, I disagree because whenever he puts the saddle on the horse, the horse goes crazy. Running around, bucking, and raring up. Husband then chases it down. Takes the rope and while it bucks wildly. It'll calm down a little but not much. Then he ties it to a tree, climbs on and horse bucks and runs around the tree, and runs husband into branches and such. Husband gets off of the horse and beats it all over it's body with a leather whip. Husbands friend who is a horse trainer has told him to beat the crap out of the horse everytime he does something he is not supposed to do. So a few Q's here....is it correct to beat the horse? Should inexperienced riders be trying to break a horse? What needs to happen here? i say hire an experience trainer. What do you say? Experienced horse ppl only plz

Answer 1

Many professional trainers will not even take on a "problem horse" as I am sure your horse has become or is successfully on his way to becoming. In answer to your question, It is okay to discipline a horse when he really needs it, but this is only done in a NON malicious or violent way, and usually it should only performed with horses who know what they are doing but refuse to do what is requested, such as refusing several times to do a flying lead change, failing to side pass after being asked etc. Horses just do not work well with force. Force will always break a horses' spirit or drive him crazy and make him extremely ornery or violent and mean. Make sure to check your tack, it may be fitting him improperly or pinching him. But if that is not it, Your best I’d say is finding a trainer or someone who has experience breaking horses. Your horse may also just prefer not to be handled by men. I ride all geldings because the mares that I have, have never gotten along well with me. This is true for many people male and female. Mares usually seem to be better suited for men and geldings seem to be better suited for women. The horseman is what makes the horse though, but personality wise, this is usually what you'll hear of many people. If you do choose to try to train the horse on your own, I would have your husbands trainer released and begin the following:

Generally speaking, this horse sounds like he is still to young to have too much asked out of him. It sounds as if he may be just halter broken and ground gentled. At 2 and a half, the equine brain is still developing, they don't have very long concentration levels it is usually no more than 5 seconds. It is imperative when working with any horse no matter the age, that you work with patience and by using repetitive action and reward. If your husband continues to work with this horse, I would recommend starting to try and get the trust of the horse before trying to do anything complex in the case of the horse. At this point it sounds as if your horse is probably sour, meaning he doesn’t want to have anything to do with a saddle or being handled. The best solution is to leave the horse alone for a few days, then start on working on trust. Without trust, the horse will not even work well with ground work. Especially since when he sees your husband as a source of pain. He more than likely relays that he is going to be hurt in some sort of way. Horses natural inclination is fear, and natural reaction = run away. That is their only survival instinct in the wild. When your horse relays pain, his natural inclination and the only thing his brain can think of is to try to dismantle and escape from the thing that is causing him pain.

So! Your husband, (or I would recommend yourself as a better suitor), should at first begin to just allow the horse time off from any kind of training. I would begin by just spending time with the horse by brushing him, walking him for walks on the lead, talking quietly to him etc... From this point, once you feel the horse trusts you, (signs of trust usually include the horse bending down to eat in front of you, no whites in their eyes showing when they look at you, relaxed nostrils, leaning down to drink water while you are standing next him etc) then you can really start making some progress. Some horses will even close thier eyes and start to fall asleep when they feel safe. This and the drinking of water are a HUGE sign of trust. If you can develop trust in your horse you can develop ANY kind of skill you wish to instill in him.

After trust comes gentling, You will want to let the horse know that you are dominant while still remembering trust. Start by working in a round pen. When training, it is absolutely important that you have a small area that is safe and that you and your horse can feel comfortable in. A round pen is the choice of the majority of the nations top horse trainers. Start by just letting him relax in the pen, maybe brush him and let him know he is okay. Then get his saddle blanket and let him check it out, let him smell it and get used to the feel of it. Try not to let it fall anywhere on the ground. This can make the horse more frightened due to their plane of vision. But I am getting away from the subject! See if the horse will allow you to put the blanket on his back and relax. Once he has done so, praise him. Offer him a treat or some oats. The session is over. Take each day a little bit at a time.

Remember that horses are very attentive to voice and facial features, so remember to keep your voice gentle and talk to him throughout the whole process to reassure him he is okay. Most people I know like to say "It's okay son." The term “son” is something a lot of horses are accustomed to. Your horse may be used to this saying from the previous trainer, which is fairly common among anybody with cowboy or western riding experience. A lot of times it works so give it a try. You may not think your horse can notice your facial features, but they do. Remember horses use a lot of body language when they communicate with one another. Also use his name a lot and remember to use your tone. A good rule of thumb is to reprimand your horse as if you are reprimanding a small child. Do not beat it, but use your voice to make the threat. He'll pick up on it.

Repeat the process and slowly incorporate the saddle using care to remember that he probably relates the saddle with being hit.

Once your horse is comfortable with having the saddle cinched on his back and he is not showing any signs of worry or fear, you can begin to get on. Just a little at a time, horses learn by repetition and praise. (remember to watch your feet when mounting on the opposite side, no heels touching- this will signal him to move forward). Once you ask him to do something, IMMEDIATELY reward him with your voice in praise and a pat. When a horse is scared they will usually begin shaking, you can feel his muscles quivering and they will flare their nostrils and blow air out or grind their teeth when nervous. You should watch for these signals, and remember to reassure him, let him know you are boss without hitting him but with tone, and to remain calm as horses will pick up on anything you are feeling and act in the same manner.

Once you have started getting allowing him to walk around and he is calm and has trust in what you ask of him, then it is important to decide if you want to look for a professional trainer or work more on your own. I would recommend a trainer as many of the things that are taught to young horses need an experienced hand or at least a broad knowledge of horses. Many people do not begin training horses until years after they have actually been considered good horseman. There are tons of resources available. Check out Western Horseman magazine for teaching techniques or various other equine magazines. It is probably best to learn as much as you can about all things horse in order to begin to understand the training process that your trainer will probably start to utilize. Some trainers don’t like to work with novice horseman, but if you find a good one don’t be afraid to ask questions, but make sure you have educated yourself before you go and drive he or she crazy with too many questions. Whatever you choose, you may email me if you need more help. I’m glad to do it. Give your horse a chance, I think to many people cast out a horse because they think he is the wrong horse too soon. Horses are like people, before they can work with you and be able to make anything be worthwhile they need to know how a person works and who the person is. Give it time. Good Luck in your equine adventures! The learning process is always long but it’s well worth it and a must if you ever want to become an accomplished horseman.
have Worked with horses since age four. Competitor in Reining and Cutting.
Accomplished Barrel Racer and former breakaway roper.
Former Rodeo Queen. Accomplished Horsewoman.

Answer 2

Nothing. Nothing at all. Unfortuantely your husband had become unhinged. There isn't any point in blaming yourself because when people do this type of thing they have their own agenda. To sit here and write you exucse after excuse is pointless because only he knew what was coursing through his mind at the time. Its been my experience that once someone is hell bent on destroying themselves it almost becomes a quest. This was well beyond the 'cry for help' stage and neither you, the doctors or anyone else is to blame or should share in it. I realize that these may be hollow words to you but you made a good home for him and loved him as any good spouse would. The problem is that suicidal people rarely if ever give any thought to the consequense and the pain to those they leave behind. Let alone this situation where unanswered questions still linger and the doubts amongst the survivors as to why this tragedy happened and the what could have been done questions that haunt us. So understand that this was beyond your control or anyone elses. There doesn't have to be a reason that you can readily lay your finger on and it does not good (for you) to sit there and let the "what could I have done" questions eat you alive. Life is for the living and sadly you're now tasked with moving on and putting this whole miserable episode behind you. Again....I'm so terribly sorry that you had to experience this nightmare. I wish you the best and hope for peace of mind for you and yours.

Answer 3

Yep...beating is the way you BREAK a horse. Now, if you want to gentle a horse then your husband is going about it all wrong.

Your husband needs to get some professional help (and not just with the horse, he sounds like he has a cruel streak in him) or at least do A LOT of research on kind & humane ways to train horses. What he is doing is dangerous, inhumane and in many areas illegal.

Answer 4

DO NOT BEAT THE HORSE!!!! Beating the horse is going to make it much worse. Not only will the horse never trust humans but it could lead to permanent mental damage, physical damage, and could cause it to become defensive and dangerous! A 2 1/2 year old horse will not learn through abuse. It should also not be handled by someone who doesn't know what the #!*^%! THEY'RE DOING! What needs to happen here, is that horse should be placed in a suitable home with a loving environment and people who are qualified to safely undo the damage your husband has done to him, if it's not already too late. If your husband wants a horse, tell him to get one that's already broke. He has no place in the training arena.

Answer 5

Whoever told your husband this ought to be in the mental ward So should your husband be for doing the same stupid things again and again and nothing changes or improves. That young horse thinks it's being tortured, which it is. It sees the saddle and knows worse things are coming.

Inexperienced people shouldn't train a horse, especially when they don't have proper back-up. Sell the horse and buy a broke, trained horse. I have been working with difficult horses for over twenty years.The likelihood if the horse ever acts quiet is that it will run away or attack your husband.

The relationship between humans and horses needs to be based on trust, not force. A horse will hold a resentment just like a person would at being abused. The horse doesn't care that your husband doesn't know any better. It only knows that it is being hurt and frightened.

Answer 6

Your husband is ignorant and should not be allowed to work with a horse let alone a 2 1/2 year old to ruin it.
If this is really going on and I hope it is not get him some help before he is really hurt and you have a horse that will have to be sold at autcion for slaughter becasue it is no terrified of humans.

Answer 7

NO, you do not beat a horse....never EVER like that....
An inexpirenced horse person should NEVER get a green (unbroke) horse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If your husband keeps doing this he will either hurt himself, kill the horse, or ruin the horse for life.
You need to sell the horse or send it to the trainers
(not his friend the trainer), and in the meantime your husband needs to take some lessons (again, not from his friend the trainer).
It takes a TON of expirence and Patience to work with a green horse.
There are ways you can "break" or start a horse.....get it to accept a saddle and rider in under an hour wityh minimal stress and NO beating!
They need professional help, and you should not listen to anyone who tells you to beat the. Also 2.5 years is still a little young......
The horse has no idea what it is supposes to do ...

Answer 8

THANK YOU for ignoring your husband (and his "trainer" friend) and seeking outside help.

As many others have said (and said very well), MANY factors make this a bad situation.

- beating a horse is NEVER okay
- beating a horse will never teach it anything constructive
- a novice horseman should NEVER try to start a young horse
- a novice horseman should never even RIDE a young ("broke") horse; a novice horseman SHOULD start with an older, "bombproof" horse
- 2.5 years is really too young to be getting on a horse (sure, racehorses work at that age...but why do you think there are so many ruined racehorses?)

At the very least, this horse needs to go to a trainer (please shop around first! Try to observe your trainer before choosing him/her). Honestly, though, your husband needs to find an appropriate home for the poor guy, and get himself an older, experienced horse.

Experienced horsepeople train green horses;
experienced horses train green horsepeople.

Answer 9

Geeez where do I start? First of all, if you have to ask if its ok to beat a horse or not, you don't deserve to own one. NO animal should ever be beaten. Your husband's horse is in an extremely abusive situation and I can only pray that someone calls animal control on your husband! Second of all, the horse is just a baby and cannot be expected to be fully trained. Beating him with a leather whip is causing him pain, and he is probably bucking and rearing because the saddle is rubbing all the cuts and lesions from the beatings. Responsible horse owners NEVER use whips as punishment. Third, inexperienced horse owners should NEVER try to train a horse. If he cannot find a GENTLE trainer to help with his horse please sell him before he ruins a potentially great mount for someone else. Last, your husband should invest in some riding lessons that can teach him the proper way to handle horses before you buy another. It is people like him who give some horses such a bad rap.

Answer 10

No, it's not right to beat a horse. From the sounds of it your husbands friend shouldn't be training horses either. If this is your husbands first horse, he needs to sell it and get one that is already trained. He doesn't have enough tools in his tool box to train a horse, no first time owner does. As a rule of thumb, don't do anything to that horse that you wouldn't do to a child. Would you beat a child for doing something wrong? NO, you'd keep working with the child until they got it right. Same principle as working with a horse. Take it slow and easy, baby steps if you will. You and your husband would be safer if you bought a trained horse.

Answer 11

Beating the horse is ONLY going to ruin it. Tell him to stop beating the horse immediatly. The horse is considered green and is not broke and therefore should NOT be ridden. Your husband may also be putting the saddle on wrong and causing the horse to buck. Especailly if it is a western saddle. Either sell the horse and get one that really is broke, or hire a trainer (not his "friend"). No decent horse trainer would beat a horse when it did something wrong. The horse won't really learn that way.