Why do horses have to be broke in before you can ride them?

Answer 1

If a horse is not broken in it will not be used to any of the equipment (bridle, saddle etc) that will be require to ride it. This could cause it to panic and be dangerous, it would also be unused to carrying a person's weight which could be unsettling or tiring for the horse. It also needs to be broken in because it is in this process that signals for what the rider wants the horse to do are taught, for example a horse that has not been broken in would not understand the signal for canter, and may interpret signals differently, not respond to them at all or try to remove the cause of them due to becoming unsettled. Another factor is that a horse is not broken in until it is old enough, and developed enough muscle and hardened bone tissues to carry weight safely, a horse that is ridden too early will be hurt in the process.

Answer 2

It depends on you, how you react, the horse breed, and the horses personality.