{"id":525,"date":"2020-11-14T12:47:09","date_gmt":"2020-11-14T12:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/?p=525"},"modified":"2020-11-23T17:02:14","modified_gmt":"2020-11-23T17:02:14","slug":"breaking-a-horse-vs-gentling-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/breaking-a-horse-vs-gentling-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking a Horse vs Gentling It: What’s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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While certainly not as popular as it was back in the day, breaking a horse is still considered a valid training method. If you ask me, it’s a lazy approach to forming a relationship with an equine, and it definitely should be frowned upon in our modern times. But what is the difference between breaking a horse and gentling (training) it?<\/p>\n

Technically, breaking a horse represents bruce force training that aims to establish the human’s dominance over the horse. It provides quick results, as it basically works by breaking the horse’s will. Gentling a horse or training it properly involves many days of careful work, and it always offers better long-term results. In other words, if you invest time and patience into your horse’s training, you’ll get more out of your relationship with it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How does breaking a horse work?<\/h3>\n

Horse owners that are in a hurry to get results often employ a variety of methods, some of which are more or less humane. Some of them choose to rope the horse, blindfold it and hobble it before saddling it up. They then proceed to stay on the horse until it gives up fighting. It’s a crude method, but one that has been known to deliver fast results.<\/p>\n

Remember that breaking horses often leave both emotional and physical scars. Depending on the severity of the method, the horse will be in pain and there is the risk of it becoming traumatized. If you would like to learn more about horse PTSD, have a look at my article right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The sad reality is that gentling doesn’t work for every horse. Some of them are simply more stubborn by nature, in which case breaking might be the only available method. In our modern times, however, going the extra mile for your horse can make all the difference. Don’t give up too soon is what I’m trying to say.<\/p>\n

The traditional philosophy behind breaking a horse is that the human needs to establish dominance over it by breaking its will. Back in the day, it was believed that a horse would only listen to its owner if it managed to establish its superiority. Another popular method involved tying the horse down until it yielded.<\/p>\n

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How does gentling a horse work?<\/h3>\n

The difference between breaking a horse and gentling a horse ultimately boils down to methodology. Gentling a horse takes a lot of work and know-how. Fortunately, once horsemen discovered that they can build a strong bond with their equines based on trust and mutual respect, more and more decided to follow this “gentler” path instead.<\/p>\n

A gentle(d) horse behaves exactly as the term implies. It has received at least basic training and is able to obey simple commands. Typically, one only needs to gentle a wild horse or a horse that’s been through traumatic events and has become a danger for itself and the people around it.<\/p>\n

There is a difference between gentling a horse and providing specialized training. Specialized training focuses on teaching the horse a specific skill, while gentling aims to curb its wild instincts in order to make it more manageable.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Therefore, in order to successfully gentle a horse, one must strive to meet three basic criteria:<\/p>\n