Halter breaking a horse

From Mugwump:
http://mugwumpchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/08/zen-and-colt-starting.html

It seems there's a question about when is the best time to halter break a young horse. All I can give you is my thoughts on this. I have done it both ways. My daughter's horse, Loki, was halter broke as a weanling. My daughter led her all over the place as a little tiny thing. The kids at the barn had a "dress-up-your-horse day, and Loki paraded around in a feather boa and tiara. She was a yearling. Loki and my daughter both survived, and are both industrious contributers to the planet today. So I guess I'm not going to come down hard on when this should be done.The first Mustang I ever started came straight off the prairie. As soon as she figured out that all she could eat hay, and a roof, came with people, we started to get on. She learned quickly, and was incredibly responsive.Up until then I had only started colts that were about broke before you ever got on them.I didn't put it together until I worked with The Big Kahuna.The easiest babies to train were the ones we got right out of the field. The earliest performers were always the ones that were at the very most, halter broke.The dullest ones came from overly attentive owners."I've done all the ground work and saddling, now all you have to do is ride them."That was a statement guaranteed to make us cringe. I also knew that would be the one I'd be on.It became obvious that the babies that had been handled the most, also had time to pick up the most vices.Simply leaning into the left, when I'm on that side, can cause all sorts of little problems. A horse that has been worked with from early on, often has lost a lot of respect for people, usually is fairly pushy, and just generally tunes out a bunch of signals I wish they didn't. They also have developed responses I wish they didn't have.Other horses teach a young horse how to behave. If a broodmare respects me, I don't have to teach her baby much. Lil Honeybuns will respect me too.If the babies get to run and play and be hooligans together, they'll grow strong and good winded.If they act like little maniacs in a herd, they'll get some respect knocked into them. By their herd mates, as it should be.If they grow up in a pen, they'll be much weaker, and way too comfortable around me.A weanling is fragile, physically and mentally. It's so easy for them to get hurt. I'd rather watch them play.They learn I bring food.They learn I'll pop them if they kick.They learn they can sniff my sleeves or jeans if they are respectful.That's all I need.Usually, I'm giving them a little scratch before too long. But I stop there.As yearlings I'll halter break them, especially if they are to be sold. If the buyer wants, I'll teach them to stand tied. I teach them to behave for the shoer. They need to be good for shots and worming. That's about it.As two-year-olds they accept the training I put on them pretty easily. They are light and responsive. Since I don't like to really get into riding them until they are three it all works for the best.I want them to be just horses for as long as they can. It makes for a mentally and physically stronger animal.We kid ourselves if we think our interference is for their own good. The longer they can live without us, the better I think they are.I have a little yearling colt. I was supposed to sell him, but I can't. So now I get to start him like I want to. Right now, you can halter him if your quiet and easy. Same for his feet.When he's gelded he will go live with a herd on 80 acres. I'll pick him up next fall and put 30 to 60 days on him. How long depends on how tough he is. When he can walk, trot, canter, whoa and back, he'll go back to the 80 acres until he's three. Then we'll get busy.Even though I handle them a little, that's for my own convenience. The best ones to start are still the untouched ones. I think it's because then, every move you make has meaning.I have a good friend, Michelle. She's a dressage nut. She once told me that she read somewhere, (we're thinking some Greek, or Spanish philosopher) that pure, perfect training happens when each maneuver has to be taught only once.If you think about it, if you broke down each maneuver to it's very simplest form, and your horse was unsullied by any previous human intervention, you might be able to do it.