# Other Pets > Horses >  I Broke My First Horse Ever!!!

## SlitherinSisters

I've shown some pictures of this beauty for the past year or so and I have been anxiously waiting for the day I could hop on her back. It was a surprise to me that it happened so early! I got a call on Wednesday that the trainer is taking her on Monday. She's a little under 2 years old so I was expecting to still have at least 2 or 3 months to work with her before actually getting on her, but since she's so big he wants to do it now. We want her done so my sister can take her to 4H this summer and a few other summer shows. 

Well anyway, there was a lot of work that I would have liked to have done with her, but I had to skip some of the ground basics like moving from side pressure since I had such short notice. I've worked with her in the round pen several times with a bit and saddle on, and I've put bareback saddles on her since the first week of her life. She halters well, and loads pretty darn good, ties, stands, picks up her feet, walks through anything you ask her to, including creeks. She's a really good all around horse and she's pretty level headed for being so young. 

When I was down there on Wednesday morning she stood perfectly still when I saddled and bridled her. She even did a VERY good job of keeping her cool when the stirrup fell off the saddle and hit her in the side. She just jumped and stood there waiting for me to do something. I train by giving lots of praise, and I'm almost positive that's what she was waiting for. She was better saddling and bridling than her own mother!!!

I did some round pen work and hopped on! She took off kind of fast, but when I asked her to whoa she threw her head up a couple times and stopped right away. She was really awesome. She didn't give me any troubles other than she thought she couldn't walk with all the weight on her  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  how rude. 

Sorry I don't have the video up  :Sad:  Our internet is being spotty and I have to keep reloading it every now and again. It's so frustrating!  :Taz: 

Anyway, here's a few pictures. And yes my farm coat is from the early 90s  :Razz: 




My 14 year old sister hopped on 10 minutes after I did and didn't have any problems either. She seems to be a pretty awesome level headed horse. Her dam and sire are both level headed. She doesn't really get worked up about anything. As soon as you start working with her, all her childish ways are out the window, you wouldn't think she's still just a baby. I got on and off of her 4 times and my sister got on and off twice. She was so patient and calm you wouldn't believe it! I NEVER thought it would be this easy.

She's going to a trainer named Ronald Roberts. He's pretty well known for barrel racing horses in this area. One of his mares is named OP Dashing Sammy for those who are interested. She's going for basics now, but will be going back for some barrel racing training.

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## SlitherinSisters

Ok I FINALLY got it loaded, but I could only get it loaded to Facebook. You'll have to let me know if this link works or not. http://www.facebook.com/video/video....52807889&saved

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## dsirkle

Congratulations! I expected to see some bronco riding in that video.

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SlitherinSisters (01-08-2010)

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## SlitherinSisters

The video worked for you!!!  :Dancin' Banana:  

I know!!! I was expecting a much more exciting ride! Although I was very thankful it wasn't!

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## SlitherinSisters

Yay!!! I got it on youtube too!!! YouTube - Breaking a Horse to Ride, the first time I've ever broke a horse!

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## christina_ann0915

Congrats.......and great video. Horses are magnificent creatures.

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## SlitherinSisters

> Congrats.......and great video. Horses are magnificent creatures.


Thank you! They are absolutely amazing! It's really humbling when you think about a 1,000+ animal letting you ride them and tell THEM what to do. Amazing! There isn't a place on this earth I'd rather be.

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## Tim Mead

Cool beans..I'm a cutting and reining fan..like the finesse side of riding..
Nothing like doing fast turnarounds or sliding stops with your arms crossed,
perfectly in tune with the pony..And cutting the rider is just along for the ride,Like cat and mouse..Is it a buckskin or dun ? can't see if its got a line on its back..Congrats and good luck..

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## SlitherinSisters

> Cool beans..I'm a cutting and reining fan..like the finesse side of riding..
> Nothing like doing fast turnarounds or sliding stops with your arms crossed,
> perfectly in tune with the pony..And cutting the rider is just along for the ride,Like cat and mouse..Is it a buckskin or dun ? can't see if its got a line on its back..Congrats and good luck..


Definitely! We had a retired, due to serious injury, reining horse on our farm for several years. She went from a $10,000 champion reining horse, to glue factory quality. We found an awesome home for her with a loving older woman who doesn't want to ride. She lets that dang horse out in her yard during the day and she doesn't even leave the yard!!! We drove up one day and saw Holly walking around in the yard, we asked her what on earth she was doing and she said "what? horses don't stay in your yard?"  :ROFL:  

She's a buckskin, but she does have the stripe down her back. Her sire is a buckskin with a stripe down his back as well. His name is CashBeatsAll (www.cashbeatsall.com) She's really pretty in the summer time. She got the golden buckskin color from her sire, and she got her dams dapples.

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## blackcrystal22

Super congrats! That takes a lot of patience.

Good luck with her, I'm sure she'll be a nice calm horse when she's used to being ridden. Doesn't look flighty at all.

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## SlitherinSisters

> Super congrats! That takes a lot of patience.
> 
> Good luck with her, I'm sure she'll be a nice calm horse when she's used to being ridden. Doesn't look flighty at all.


Thank you!!! I've put quite a few hours into that girl. She's amazingly clam for a young horse! It takes a lot to get her worked up and she clams down pretty quickly. She's beginning her 3rd week at the trainer! I'm so excited to get her back and start riding her on the trails! I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet so I have no idea how she is doing outside of the round pen.

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## FrostFell

Amazing work you've done with her, to be so calm and trusting! I used to do dressage years ago but can't afford to keep horses anymore  :Sad: 

Whats her name?

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SlitherinSisters (02-28-2010)

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## SlitherinSisters

> Amazing work you've done with her, to be so calm and trusting! I used to do dressage years ago but can't afford to keep horses anymore 
> 
> Whats her name?


Thank you every much! Her name is Tora, it means thunder, she was born during a thunderstorm. Her mom had a really tough time having her because she was so huge! 

I went to the trainer to ride her this past week and my lord I think she grew even more!!! She's really awesome. The trainer said she wasn't great while being saddled because she moved around, but she didn't move a single foot when I saddled her! She did give me some issues when I rode her. He has a really big indoor area (what you can see in the picture is the viewing area, about 1/4th of the barn) and she was spooky because the wind was blowing ice against the steel building. She took off on me a couple times but only went 3-4 strides before I got her stopped. She's really difficult to steer right now. He is keeping her another 3 weeks, so that will make it a total of 2 1/2 months of training. 

Here's a new picture of her from this week! I realize she's a tad young to be broke, but he wanted to start her now because she's so big. She's 2 months shy of 2 years old. I trust his judgment and he is a very "horse whispery" type of trainer. He's VERY quite and kept telling me I wasn't praising or talking to her enough. I thought I talked a lot! He can steer her pretty well and he does it by holding the reins with his pinky finger! He mostly trains barrel racers and has world and nationally ranked barrel horses. He just sold a brother to one of the nationally ranked mares for $15,000 and he didn't have any titles!!!!  :Surprised:  

I'm holding her and I'm just a hair short of 5'7''

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