What groundwork should a wild horse have before being started under saddle?

The groundwork prerequisites for starting a wild horse under saddle are more extensive and more specifically defined than those for starting a domestic horse, because the wild horse must have genuinely confirmed foundational responses rather than simply compliance under immediate pressure — responses that will hold under the additional stress, novelty, and physical demands of first saddling and first riding. The horse must lead willingly and responsively in both directions, stopping when asked and not requiring constant encouragement to move forward or constant management to stay at the correct leading position. The horse must yield both hindquarters and shoulders from light pressure, giving the trainer control of both ends independently, because these lateral yield responses are the foundation of mounted steering and stop control. The horse must accept ropes being swung around its body, over its back, and under its belly without significant defensive response, because the cinch and the movement of ropes during early riding will reproduce these sensations. The horse must accept the saddle pad and saddle placed on its back, cinched at working tension, and moved around without escaping or bucking — a horse that has never been saddled should have the saddling process confirmed across multiple sessions before a rider's weight is added. The horse must accept the trainer's weight in the stirrup from both sides — standing quietly as the trainer puts significant weight in the stirrup, bounces, and leans over the back — because the transition from weight-in-stirrup to weight-in-saddle must be smooth and quiet rather than a sudden surprise. The horse must accept having its feet picked up and held on all four feet reliably, because the farrier work, injury assessment, and boot or boot application that domestic life requires cannot be safely performed on a horse whose feet cannot be handled. Trainers experienced with Extreme Mustang Makeover competition emphasize that the quality of the groundwork determines the quality of the first ride more than any other single factor.