Sacking Out

Trent first allows the horse to smell the saddle pad. This allows the horse to alleviate any fears about having an unknown object placed on his back.

Trent begins by placing a saddle pad against the horse's side, moving very slowly and talking calmly the entire time. Throughout the breaking, Trent speaks calmly to the horse and voices commands in a firm, authoritative tone. He moves the saddle pad slowly along the horse's side while holding the horse still by the lead rope. Making no sudden moves, Trent next moves to the other side of the horse and repeats the process. Placing a saddle pad against the side of the horse gets him used to the feel of having something on him. Eventually, Trent places the saddle pad on the horse's back, as it would be for riding.

This entire process, called "sacking out," although described in a few minutes, actually takes quite a long time. It is extremely important to gauge each horse as an individual and allow the breaking period to conform to the particular horse.

Continue to read about teaching the horse to accept the saddle.