08/19/2026
Food for thought today, been weighing in my mind due to some things I’ve been seeing on Facebook last few months/weeks.
“What Is ‘Broke’?
The term ‘broke’ can be somewhat misleading anyway. The goal should never be to break/squash/fracture your horse’s spirit or try. The goal is to have unity and harmony between a willing horse and a supportive human.
Some people consider a horse ‘broke’ if you can simply get on him and ride him around.
Others don’t consider a horse ‘broke’ until some fundamental training is in place.
To me, it’s more about how they think and respond rather than how gentle, skilled, or desensitized they are.” ~~ Carson James
Just because you can ride it, doesn’t mean the horse understands what you are wanting or asking. There is a reason why good trainers are becoming far and few between. The fundamentals we teach are “taking too long”, “you’re moving to slow”, “why can’t you make the horse go faster already? I’ll just circle it to stop. It’s easier”. We teach the ground manners and mechanics for a reason. For your safety and the horses.
It’s like matching a kid to a horse that’s fit for their level. Yes you can slap a rider on and off they go, but what happens if that horse is too much? What if that rider doesn’t have the capability of handling/riding the horse properly? That rider can get hurt just as quickly as the horse. My son has bounced around on so many horses last 2 years. Each one taught him something, and now he is riding more confidently and comfortably. Finally matched him to a horse that will challenge him but yet lets him grow stronger in his riding abilities and horsemanship skills.
Horsemanship is the base for everything. From starting a horse to finishing one, from starting as a new rider to becoming an experienced expert. Just because “you can/are” doesn’t mean you have the knowledge/experience to truly understand what you are doing. Horsemanship is key to great riding, better patterns, and overall performance and confidence. Horsemanship is key to consistency.
Don’t skip the necessary steps. Slow it down, learn/teach it right. I assure there are valid reasons trainers keep things slow! The skipped steps and rushed training will always show. Are you ready to handle the consequences of it?
Can’t blame the horse when if it was never taught it or too much to handle. 90% of the issue/problem is the rider and their capabilities/skill.
The better the horsemanship, the better the fundamentals and skill.
