It doesn't matter whether you have a young horse that has never been saddled or a horse that has not been saddled in a long time, you're probably going to experience problems the first few times that you put a saddle on your horse.

The technique for training either a young horse or a horse that hasn't been saddled much in the past is the same. Simply let him examine the saddle so he knows not to fear it. Horses are psychologically wired to be prey animals and automaticlaly consider every other thing and object as a possible threat- even when they are much smaller like a saddle- until the horse has investigated the object to his own personal satisfaction.

In the beginning, let your horse see the saddle, bump it with his nose and even taste it a little so he knows it won't hurt him. Then take the saddle and place it on your horse's back without cinching it. Just let him feel the weight of it and all the while, pet and praise him. Then remove it.

Repeat this every day until he seems bored with it. Then, cinch up the saddle lightly so it doesn't rub but not so tight it will irritate your horse. If your horse will allow the saddle on his body without bucking, attempt to lead him around while wearing the saddle. Again, repeat this exercise until he follows the lead while wearing a saddle without hesitation.

Then you are ready to ride. If you're horse has been a riding horse before, your horse will probably fall right back in the groove. If you have a young horse that has never had a rider, you may experience some bucking or other nervous behavior. If you have never been on a horse that may buck, it's worth letting a professional horse trainer break your horse into being a saddle rider.

Always praise your horse and some people use treats when they are saddle breaking their horses. Either way, be consistent and train with kindess and you'll have the best riding buddy ever.