Preparation Is Everything
The horse that accepts its first saddling quietly has not been sedated or held by force — it has been prepared. The preparation involves systematically desensitizing the horse's back, sides, girth area, and flanks to pressure, movement, and the feel of foreign objects before the saddle ever appears. A horse that has been thoroughly sacked out with a saddle blanket, that has had ropes draped over its back and cinched around its belly, and that yields to pressure on its girth area will accept a saddle as a logical extension of what it already knows.
Clinton Anderson's colt starting philosophy is built around this principle: the horse should be so thoroughly desensitized and responsive on the ground that the first saddling is uneventful. In his demonstration with Clay Walker's colt, the entire preparation process is methodical and deliberate — each new stimulus introduced only after the horse is completely relaxed with the previous one.
The Sacking Out Process for First Saddling
Begin with a saddle blanket: toss it over the horse's back, slide it off, repeat. The horse must accept this without flinching before continuing. Next, simulate the cinch with a rope: run it under the belly, apply light pressure as if girthing up, and release. The girth area is the most sensitive zone for many horses — time spent here prevents the cinchy behavior and bucking that comes from a horse being girthed for the first time without preparation.
When the horse accepts the blanket and the simulated cinch without anxiety, introduce the saddle by letting the horse smell it, then setting it lightly on the back without the cinch, then replacing it with the cinch hanging but not attached, then attaching and gently snugging the cinch one hole at a time over several minutes. Never fully cinch a horse all at once on the first saddling — this can cause a bucking response as the horse's brain catches up to what its body is feeling.
The First Girthing Sequence
Once the cinch is snug enough that the saddle will not fall off, send the horse out on the lunge line and let it move. Many young horses buck on the first few lunge circles after saddling — this is normal, expected, and far safer on the lunge than with a rider aboard. Let the horse work through it, calmly directing it on the lunge until the bucking stops and the horse accepts the saddle as part of its body. When the horse is moving forward quietly and not reacting to the saddle, it is ready for the next step.
Signs You Are Not Ready
If your horse is pinning its ears when the blanket appears, tightening its back when anything touches its spine, or moving away when you reach for the girth area, it needs more sacking out before the saddle appears. These are not small issues — they are your horse clearly communicating that it is not prepared. Honor that communication by slowing down, going back to desensitization, and building confidence before reintroducing the saddle.
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