3 year old un broke paint/quarter horse

Question
I have a 3 year old paint quarter cross. We removed her from the farm she was born on, and she took about 2 hours to load, thats not my problem, my problem is she is accustomed to having other horses around her and here she is solo. She took to me quickly and I believe we have a wonderful bond, but if anyone else comes in the pasture @ acres) when I am in there with her she wants to spin and kick at them or bite them, why is this?
Also I have done the poking  for pressure and she moves, I have her walking on a lead with me and stopping when I say whoa, and starting when I say, Lets go. At what point do I put a rein on her and train her to turn?
At what point can I place a blanket on her or saddle to get her accustomed to things on her back?
There are times that after we are in the pasture for a while, I can lean on her back and she doesn't seem concern.
She is lonely so I try to spend as much time with  her as I can, do you have any suggestions for me.

Answer
Hi Dawn!

Horses are herd animals and want nothing more than to belong to a herd and have herdmates 24/7.

If you cannot have another horse for her, think about getting her a "pasture buddy".  It can be a goat, a sheep, even chickens.  Just something she can live with and hang out with.  It is very difficult for them to be by themselves and while you are kind to her, you are just not a full-time herdmate.

As for breaking her, this is a difficult and dangerous job.  I do not recommend you even think about doing it yourself.  Too many things can go wrong and even if one of you doesn't get hurt (which is likely to happen) she will not get the proper education she needs and deserves to become a solid riding partner to humans.

I recommend you speak to your vet, farrier or tack shop and ask them to suggest a local Quarterhorse trainer who can come out to your place and evaluate your situation.  The professional trainer needs to break your filly to saddle but, you can watch and learn and then use their recommended exercises to work with your young horse on your own.

It is now your responsibility to make sure she gets the very best education possible.  The slaughterhouses are full of badly trained horses that no one wants.  Whether through ignorance or abuse, badly trained horses suffer and I know you want the best for your little girl.

Get a trainer, pay attention to them and work with your horse in a safe and intelligent manner....then everyone one will win!

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange