The horse is roped, choked and thrown the floor. Once on the floor, it is tied up and saddled and then untied and released. It is then chased until exhaustion, at which point a rider will mount the horse and keep riding until all of the horse’s fighting spirit has gone and it is ‘broken’. When the horse is completely exhausted it accepts the rider and learns basic commands. The horse learns to fear humans rather than work with them and trust them.

Techniques for Breaking a Horse 

I have been reading up on how to break a horse, not that I plan on doing it, but because my Grandfather broke horses for officers during World War II. Also it seems like an incredibly dangerous and rewarding experience. The method described above would be considered cruel and anachronistic but it was the norm for much of history.