“Is that horse broken?”
If someone asked me that, my response would be; “No, as you can see, he is in one piece and works quite well.” In reality he or she is probably meaning to ask “is that horse trained?” or “is that horse started?” I do not plan on ever “breaking” one of my horses. I love horses! Why on earth would I break one?
When man first attempted to domesticate horses, the task proved to me much different than what we were used to. Dogs, cats and other previously domesticated animals were programmed hunters and carnivores, like ourselves. Their innate desire to hunt, kill, and then bed down in some secluded shelter was something we could understand. Horses on the other hand would much rather run than fight, and the concept of being shut in some cave with one way out while they slept was not really preferable. So, when the task came to attempt to coerce these animals into doing out bidding, nature continued to take its natural course.
The traditional method of “breaking” a horse is archaic. The method itself plays off of the 
natural predator-prey roles that humans and horses naturally fall into. It establishes the human as something to be feared. The method often involving harmful restraints and traumatic practices is simply cruel and the assumption that it is still acceptable is foolish. No animal works well with fear as the driving force. Training and gaining the trust of your animal may require slightly more time than slapping a saddle on top of them and forcing them to obey. However, trust and communication makes the foundation for the horse’s education so much more sound that in the end they become a more dependable, predictable and happy animal.
For someone looking to train their horse, there are further specific methods you can consult. The Parelli Method to natural horse training is world famous for its effective nature and positive results. The Parelli method centers around communicating effectively with your horse while gaining its trust so that it is willing to perform the task at hand.
Similarly, the Join-Up program by Monty Roberts is also effective as a start to training. Join-Up is a method meat to imitate the practices found in a heard that establishes leadership. Unlike dogs, horses do not really seek to be the leader, they often feel less stressed if they can trust someone else to lead and protect. What Join-Up does is allows you as the owner to communicate with your horse and establish yourself as the leader.
Whatever your choice of technique, if it isn’t broken, don’t break it, train it.
