Making the Broke Horse

Q    As a novice amateur competitor, I often ask the advice of trainers and other seasoned competitors. Most seem to agree that my horse has the movement and talent to make it at the amateur level, but say she isn’t “broke enough.” I’m not exactly sure what this means and what I need to do to get that edge.

A    Broke. Finished. Made. The term for a horse with all the kinks ironed out differs across disciplines, but the concept is the same. This is an educated horse who knows his job. This is an experienced horse; he’s had his education tested out in various environments. This is an obedient horse; he responds to every subtle cue without any drama. Judges don’t have the time to sift through emotions, goofing around, or missed lead changes to see the lovely movement and conformation underneath.

So how do you get your horse to the next level?

One advantage of actually competing with your horse over simply riding for pleasure is that it provides you with the opportunity to measure the skills you are working on at home against the standard of other competitors. Many times I have returned home with a horse after a show having determined we weren’t steady enough, fast enough, or slow enough, and resolved to get back to the drawing board! What I thought was “broke” needed some more finishing. And because the standard is always being raised a little higher, we need to do our homework to keep up. Have a look at the horses that consistently place well. Keep that standard in mind. Likely those are the horses that comprehend and are totally in tune with their riders’ most discreet cues, and are willing, dependable, consistent, and content stride after stride.

Be Realistic
When we go to a show thinking that what we have to offer is pretty good, we often have our eyes opened to what is actually possible and realize we can expect more from our horses. We take home a new mental image on the computer screen of our minds and set out to match it. Just make sure that the goal is reasonable according to the talent and maturity of your horse.

Define Your Expectations

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, so decide what you expect from your horse in all aspects of your daily routine. An attentive horse on the ground is more likely to be attentive under saddle. As the alpha leader of your herd of two, you can expect him to be attentive to you in the training ring, warm up ring, and eventually the show ring if you keep your expectations consistent in each place.