Getting a horse to the point where they are “finished” in a discipline takes a huge investment of time, effort, and, yes, money. Like any discipline, climbing the hill is challenging and time-consuming, but staying there takes effort as well.
While maintaining a broke horse should admittedly take less work than getting one broke, it still takes effort on the part of owners and trainers to ensure that all the energy to get them there wasn’t wasted.
We spoke with AQHA Professional Horseman Jeff Mellott of Highpoint Performance Horses to get his tips for keeping a finished horse finished.
Defining “Finished”
Technically, there is always something to work on in each discipline, and a horse and rider will never be done learning. That said, with consistent training, a horse should reach a point where it is considered broke or “finished” in a class or skill set.
When Mellott discusses a “finished” horse for purposes of this article, he is referring to an animal “that goes through a pattern or event proficiently and consistently – they make it look easy.” However, he warns that “a horse may appear ‘finished’ with a particular rider and not look as strong with another.”
So, again for purposes of this article, Mellott will be giving pointers for non-pros who decide to take their broke horses home (or closer to home) after success with a trainer.
Don’t Forget the Basics
Mellott immediately emphasizes that you can’t forget the basics simply because a horse is broke or “finished” in a discipline.
“It is a common mistake for amateur riders to just hop on their horse and get right to work practicing the class their horse is in.” He chuckles, “This might work in the short-term, but, like a house, if you neglect maintaining the foundation, it can eventually start to crumble.”
“Whether I have a green horse who is learning or a broke horse who is maintaining, I begin every training session by reinforcing the basics.”
Mellott continues, “I will begin by backing circles, trotting squares, and working on forehand turns and leg yields. I do this to make sure I have a connection with my horse before moving on and asking them to perform what is required of them in a class.”
“I want to keep my horses fresh. Just because they are broke doesn’t mean they are always listening and being responsive. You want to ensure you are keeping your horse responsive throughout their career, regardless of their success in the pen or how long they’ve been doing it.”
Tailor Your Maintenance to the Individual
Mellott reminds us that every horse is different and “their maintenance program, once they are broke in a discipline, should always reflect the individual needs of that animal.”
“Some horses really benefit from the mental break of turnout time and come back to work stronger after a few days off. Other horses still require daily rides, even once they’re broke, to keep them in both mental and physical shape.”
“Ultimately, your horse needs to be capable of performing what you are asking them to do. If you give them too much downtime, they may not be physically able to continue performing in the class they were once strong in. However, if you drill too much, they may get sour to it.”
Mellott smiles, “Like anything, the best way to have a happy, broke horse is by remembering to balance work with rest in a program that emphasizes the horse’s strengths without highlighting their weaknesses.”
Change it Up
You not only want to ensure your maintenance program is tailored to the specific animal, but you also need to keep your horse engaged in their ongoing training.
Horses, like humans, aren’t machines. If you continue to drill the same skill set over and over, they can get sour to it and no longer enjoy, or, at minimum, tolerate it. If the horse isn’t a willing participant in the work, you may find that all your efforts to finish them were wasted because the horse hates their job.
Mellott laughs, “I don’t recommend taking your broke Western Pleasure horse home and running barrels with them if you want to continue showing Western Pleasure.”
“However, you don’t want to just keep your pleasure horse on the rail doing the three gaits, reversing, and repeating for each session.”
“Using the pleasure horse as an example, I like to let my horses move out and then ask them to come back to me. I want them to work in the middle of the arena. I will use certain training sessions to just focus on clean transitions without putting them on the rail. Sometimes I will lope some squares or large circles with some added stride.”
“You don’t want to do something that is too far out of their box if you intend to continue having success in the discipline they are broke for. But you do need to keep them mentally engaged in the process, regardless of how broke they are.”
Be Consistent
While it may seem contradictory to suggest you “change it up” and then in the next breath “keep it consistent” (welcome to riding horses), Mellott says that routine, consistency, and release are how horses learn. It is therefore critical to keep your expectations and overall regimen consistent.
“One of the strongest benefits of having a horse in a training program is consistency. The rhythm of the horse’s schedule and consistency of expectations can have a serious impact on their physical condition and mental health.”
Mellott continues, “The most common complaint amateurs have when taking a horse home is that they used to perform well and their performance is declining. Often, the first thing I wonder is whether they are consistent in their work.”
“Non-pros have jobs and families, which limit the time that can be spent working with their horse. This can become a problem, even for a broke horse, if they are not receiving consistent work sessions.”
“You can’t ride a horse one day, one week, and then six days the next week, and then give them two weeks off while you’re on vacation and expect them to be the same animal they were in a consistent training program.”
“You need to be fair to the animal, which means you need to recognize that, when you change the repetition, you start changing the horse.”
End Training on a Good Note
Once a horse understands their job and can perform it consistently, it can become frustrating for them if your tune-ups turn into marathon sessions.
“It is fun to have a broke horse because they tend to be more consistently responsive. However, this can end up being a downfall for a team when the amateur takes their ‘finished’ horse home.”
“For example, when a horse lopes a great fan of poles, it can be exciting, and non-pros often want to do it again. But if the next go isn’t as good, you feel obligated to keep doing it until it’s great again. This is unlikely to occur. The horse will often become tired and frustrated, and it will just keep getting worse.”
“Therefore, if you are happy with your horse’s performance, either move on to something different or end the session. It’s really important to know when to quit.”
You are Now the Trainer
“Even when taking a lesson, the minute you throw your leg over your horse, you are now the trainer. You are teaching them something every time you ride.”
“When in a program, there is more grace to make mistakes because the trainer can get on and tune them back up. However, the biggest mistake I see when people take their broke horse home is that, whether they realize it or not, they begin training their horse to do their job in a new way – and it might not be the way they intend.”
He warns, “The unfortunate reality is, if it took you a month to teach them to do it wrong, it will take more than a month to teach them to do it right again.”
“I strongly recommend, if you take a broke horse home, that you take regular lessons with your horse and a trainer to make sure you are maintaining them well and not training them to do it ‘wrong’ or in a way you don’t want to.”
He continues, “The biggest benefit to amateurs of taking a broke horse home is that they often become way more comfortable as a team, which is a good thing! However, comfort level and elevated performance don’t always go hand in hand.”
Mellott concludes, “If you want to continue having success in the show pen with your broke horse, you need to maintain a strong foundation, acknowledge their individual needs, keep them in mental and physical shape to perform well when asked, and be self-aware about how you’re training them.”
“Broke horses are fun, but they are never ‘finished’ learning. And you never stop teaching them, for better or worse.”
