I broke my ankle at the end of July and I’m just starting to get back on my feet again. I’m going to start teaching my horse how to ground drive in the hopes it helps him for when I get someone to break him for me in the spring. How long does it take to break a Draft horse? Is it usually faster than a regular sized horse? My horse will be three in the spring he’s very calm and pretty carefree. We’ve been doing crazy things to him to desentize him like pop bubbles, jump around him, make him walk over tarps, etc. I’m just wondering about how long it will take to break him. He’s going to be 18 hands full grown and I’m afraid of getting on him until I know he’s completely sound, just don’t know how long I should expect to pay for someone to break him. Does anyone have any experience? I know all horses are different but I was just wondering if there was an average amount of time for Draft horses? Since they are for the most part calmer than other horses.
It takes the same amount of time to develop a trustworthy partner of a draft as it does a pony. More so a draft so you can make sure they are 100% reliable due to their size. They can do much more damage than a small pony. Just cause they are calm doesn’t mean they are trained and confident.
I know many people with drafts and large horses. Most of them start them early, while they are still a somewhat manageable size. That doesn’t mean they work the hell out of them, but they give them a work ethic starting at around 18 months. An 18h horse needs to know that he needs to work. At 3, your horse should be able to handle light riding or driving. I don’t know anyone who waits until a draft is 4, 5, or 6 years old to start them.
I would expect at least 90 days for a half way solid W-T-C to be installed.
There are also plenty of drafts on the hot side. The thing is they are broke to death because of their size. A spoiled or ill-mannered draft is a hazard to life & limb. Not because they are mean or intend to hurt you, but simply because of their size.
Sometimes the calm ones will fool you into thinking they know more than what they really do. Remember to push a bit even if they get it. The ones who are never pushed can get obstinately lazy. Obstinate & lazy is a death sentence for an 18h draft. Seriously.
A joke a guy with draft horse told me:
Do you know where an angry Belgian goes?
No, where?
Wherever he wants to.
I’ve started a few drafts and worked with many more. I wouldn’t try to shortcut anything as others noted when things go wrong with 1500-2000lbs of horseflesh it can go badly. Lots of people take advantage of their docile nature just as people take advantage of a mini’s diminutive size. The horses get shortchanged on their training, which isn’t fair to anyone, especially not the horse.
In short: it doesn’t take any less time to break a draft the RIGHT way than it does to break a regular horse. Depending on the breed and line some are more forward or reactive than others. Our Percheron requires a good five minute warm-up before she is ready to do a good halt! The Belgian, however is happy to stop and stand all day.
There’s really no way to say over the Internet how long it will take for him to be saddlebroke. I’m always skeptical of “30 day” miracles. You can expedite it by doing the things you have already done, get him on long lines cruising around, lead him out on trail, around the property, etc. so that he can be calm and confident about new experiences before heaving someone up on his back.
I will say one thing on the bigger drafts. They are a lot smoother when they do something silly than a smaller horse because it takes a lot more effort to get that mass moving.
