Showmanship in Hand

Lesson Six

An important part of being a competitive participant in showmanship is presenting a horse properly conditioned and groomed to perfection.

A horse in good condition will have good weight and a slick and shiny hair coat. The horse will have good muscle definition, a bright eye and will be healthy.

Conditioning a horse takes three to six months, depending on your horse’s health when you start the conditioning program.

Begin with the horse’s health chart. Make sure vaccinations are up to date. Horses should be wormed regularly. A daily wormer given in the feed is sufficient; paste wormers should be administered every eight weeks.

The horse’s teeth are a major factor in the horse’s condition. If the horse has sharp points or waves, he may not utilize his food properly because it is painful to chew. Weight loss and general “condition” can be the result. When a horse develops problems with his teeth, other areas of health can be affected. In severe cases, a horse in a great amount of pain will try to protect sore areas by not using them; eventually allowing the jaw muscles to weaken. The horse can develop a head tilt or become locked up one way or the other affecting the horse’s straightness in movement--straightness is very important for showmanship.

Providing good nutrition is important since the “pretty on the outside” of a horse “starts on the inside.”

Having blood work done by your veterinarian can give you a fairly accurate analysis of your horse’s condition. But you don’t always have to spend the money for this knowledge--spending time with your horse and knowing him is even better.

How does he look physically? Does he finish all of his food? How does his weight look? How is his energy level? Is he happy or depressed? If you have many negative observations, blood work may be in order; if not, continue to observe and make small changes as needed.

Provide roughage containing enough protein and minerals. Grains are helpful in aiding the digestion and will provide vitamins too. (Be sure to enroll in the Nutrition for Maximum Performance course to get a solid foundation for nutritional decisions. See www.horsecoursesonline.com )

The area where you live will determine the supplements you provide to your horse. Avoid pouring a lot of goodies to him without knowing the ingredients and percentages of what you are feeding.

Many times considerable amounts of money and feed are wasted because the horse does not truly need the supplement, or it is not benefiting your horse in the way you would like. For example, some supplements may increase your horse’s energy level and make him difficult to handle.

I have found one of the best and most economical supplements for the horse’s coat is one half cup of corn oil put in his grain each day.

Have plenty of fresh clean water available and a salt block in your horse’s stall.

Provide a clean environment for your horse. Living in wet and dirty bedding can cause many problems.

A horse’s hair coat will not be as healthy if it is dirty from urine and manure. The horse’s feet can be affected, developing thrush, seedy toe, abscesses, etc. which can cause lameness. Poor hoof growth will slow down your training sessions, or you may miss competitions. Having inadequate bedding will cause unsightly sores on the horse’s hocks, fetlocks joints and/or hips. Such sores certainly reflect on you as the handler and conditioner of the horse being shown.

Taking a look around your horse’s home is a good place to start when evaluating his condition. Are there nails, loose boards or bolts sticking out in his stall? These are things horses seem to find the night before a big show.

Light and fresh air are important for your horse’s health. Does the stall have good ventilation? Does the horse have availability to natural sunlight? Some barns may be dark, causing odd hair growing cycles.

Providing artificial lights for horse’s 16 hours a day will help keep the horse in a short hair cycle. Giving a horse the opportunity to be outside in fresh air and light provides nutrients from the sun; vitamin D, especially, which he needs for general health and a shinny coat.

Daily observations and grooming are important for your horse. When grooming, begin with a curry brush to loosen and separate the hair and bring the dirt to the surface. Use a stiff brush to brush away the dirt and loose hair. Continue with a medium brush to condition the hairs; use it on the face and more sensitive areas.

A hairbrush works well on the tail and mane, as a comb tends to break the hairs.

Clean the feet well with a hoof pick, checking at this time for loose nails, and general hoof health.

Use a clean towel to rub the horse all over, distributing the natural oils throughout his coat.

Clean the eyes and ears with the towel as well. Finish up by treating any abrasions or scratches with a topical ointment to encourage heeling and hair growth.

Hoof conditioner can be applied to promote hoof growth and general health.

Bathing the horse is important. After a workout it is good to rinse the horse with clean water to rid the hairs of salt and grim. Shampoo baths are good for deep cleaning, and should be given prior to competing. Many shampoos have ingredients that strip the hair of the natural oils, and this is not good. Check the ingredients and keep shampoo baths to a minimum. Conditioners are helpful in making the hair soft, but can cause greasy buildup, especially if not rinsed well.

The best thing, of course, is to using lots of elbow grease and groom, groom, groom.

Blankets are an investment most horse owners will make. Blankets will keep your horse warm and clean. Maintaining a consistent body temperature is beneficial to prevent hair growth. It is very poor health management to allow a horse to get hot or sweat under a blanket to encourage shedding. This is simply not healthy, so don’t do it.

Make sure the blanket fits properly, so as not cause sores on the withers, hips, or chest. Having a blanket too large can cause problems as well, with horse entangling himself when lying down or getting up.

Tail bags are a popular item in some areas of the horse world. The horse’s braided tail is kept inside a bag to prevent the tail hairs from breaking. The important thing to remember about tail bags is when attaching the bag, tie around the hair of the tail--never around the tailbone of the horse. Tying to the tailbone can cut off circulation causing the tissue at the tail to die.

Part of having your horse presentable to show will entail clipping the horse. First learn the clip that is recommended for your breed or style of showing. The horse needs to be clipped several times before his first competition, so that he is used to it and you are able to perfect your trimming skills.

There are many products to enhance your horse’s appearance for show day. (Grooming products cannot take the place of your commitment to your horse’s overall health and care.)

On show day, use a clean towel to rub your horse’s coat and bring out the shine. Use sprays sparingly as too much leaves oily streaks on the hair.

To enhance socks and stockings, chalk can be used. Black or sorrel spray’s made for animals are available to hide scars etc. on the horse’s legs.

Use a towel with some baby oil to rub around the muzzle and eyes and inside of the ears to darken. Too much oil is not better; you don’t want an oily drippy look.

Fly spray is important for showmanship, since an irritating fly can distract your horse, causing him to move and add penalty points to your performance. Products used to keep flies away from the face and ears are beneficial. Most of these are applied with a towel, or wipe on with your hand.

Hoof dressings will make the hooves dark and give a polished look to the overall appearance. Personally, I use the hoof black products sparingly as they penetrate the hoof wall causing dryness and cracking. I save the hoof black for Championship competition and use a hoof dressing applied with a paint brush for most other shows. This way I can make the horse’s feet look dark and show ready as well as helping maintain a healthy foot. When applying hoof dressing, be careful to apply only on the hoof and not the coronet band, as it will look sloppy. Use a towel to wipe off extra dressing, giving a neat appearance to the horse’s hoof.

Different breeds have different ways in which to present the mane and tail. Be aware of what is appropriate for your horse and the show you are attending. Many horses show in a “banded mane”. (See the course, Preparation for Competition) This is a technique used to provide a neat and tidy look with the mane lying flat and tight against the horse’s neck. Small rubber bands are used to make a small ponytail against the horse’s neck. The same color rubber band is used and the ponytails are all the same size for a tidy and uniform look when finished. The banded mane will make the neck look thinner and prevents mane blowing around taking away from the horse’s performance. It is permissible for Hunter or English pleasure horses to be shown with braids.

The tail, of course, will be brushed and tangle free. Again, be aware of the style in which your horse is to be presented. Some breeds like to see a long full tail. If this is the case for your horse, be sure the tail does not touch the ground. When backing in a pattern the horse can step on his tail and pull it out, not to mention discourage the horse from backing. It is advisable to have a long tail trimmed to the fetlocks to prevent disaster.

Equipment

For showmanship, all you need is a leather halter with a leather lead and chain and you are set to go.

Depending on the styles in fashion in your area of competition, you will probably have silver on the halter. There are many different styles. Think about the shape of your horse’s head and coat color when choosing a halter. If your horse has a large head, more silver on the halter will detract from the head. Less silver will accentuate the head.

Some people like to have the same color leather as the horse’s head color and this will show off the silver more and make the picture look more uniform.

Make sure the leather lead is the same color as the leather halter. The chain will be gold or silver in color. Silver chains look better with a halter with silver. The length of chain should fit your horse properly. Only 5 to 6 links should extend from the ring on the left side. Cut the links to properly fit the chain, instead of looping the chain back on the right side of the horse’s head.

In the showmanship class, protective leg equipment for the horse is not allowed.

Clothes

Appropriate western clothes must be worn in the showmanship class. The show outfit you choose will be an expression of yourself. Having something a little different or eye-catching is a good thing.

Attend some shows and observe the show outfits appropriate to your age group. Styles are different for youths and adults. Think about the outfit flattering your body style and complimenting your horse’s color.

Your outfit must be clean and well tailored.

Your pants should be well fitted with the length just to sole of your boots. Wear pull on boots with a leather sole. Lace up boots and crepe soles are not accepted in some horse show organizations.

A good quality hat is recommended. It should be well shaped, look professional and be conservative in color. Check out what other exhibitors who are winning are wearing, or ask professionals what hat shape is currently popular.

It is important to keep a hat brush in your clothes bag, so that your hat is always clean. Be sure to protect your hat with a hat cover in rainy weather. If your hat loses shape or gets water spots the look will be undesirable.

Gloves are not required, but can be worn. The gloves should be the same color or tone as the color of your shirtsleeves or cuffs. Wearing black sleeves and white gloves attracts the judge’s eye to your hand, and you do not want to do that. Our goal is to achieve a quiet look and have minimal movement.

Jewelry, such as earrings are fine, just no dangling earrings. Keep jewelry to a minimum and conservative. Any jewelry flopping around will be distracting.

Your hair must be contained neatly if it is long. Short hair should be styled away from your face, giving a neat and tidy look. A small ribbon or barrette in your hair adds a little extra. Makeup is fine as well.

The important thing to keep in mind concerning your show outfit is that you feel good wearing it, that you like how it looks, and that you feel like a winner. Feeling good about your appearance on show day will affect your attitude, which will be reflected in your performance.

Show Day

Your class preparation begins the day before you show. The day before the show, your horse should be clipped and have his mane and tail pulled, and or trimmed. The day before showing, give your horse a good bath. Have a clean daysheet or blanket ready for your horse to wear, so that he stays clean.

Clean your show halter and lead. Polish the silver on your halter too.

The day before the show go over the foundation of your training.

By show day you won’t be training your horse, you will be going over the things the horse already knows; sharpening your showmanship skills, and strengthening weaker areas.

Avoid getting into a major training session at this point. If your horse has not yet learned a maneuver, trying to force it now will only make the horse worry and you will lose confidence about the performance the next day.

Being strict is okay, in the right situation. When a horse does not focus or refuses to perform a maneuver he knows how to do, it is okay to be strict and expect a correct response.

If your horse is shown with a banded mane, this would be something to do the afternoon before showing and then use a mane slinky to keep the mane lying down smoothly and neat. Put your horse to bed and get to bed yourself, so that you are fresh and ready to go the next day.

Make sure your horse has enough time to eat breakfast, so feed early if you have an early class. Having a hungry and distracted horse will not help his performance. Prepare your horse by applying the grooming tips given earlier. Give yourself plenty of time. When in a hurry, this will transfer to the horse and could (with a sensitive horse) make him edgy.

Get dressed and be sure your number is pinned on straight. Tuck your pant legs inside your boots to be kept them clean. Don’t forget to take them out just before competing.

Your boots should be clean and polished. Spurs are not to be worn in showmanship.

Your hat must be brushed clean and I advise pinning it on your hair. Adjusting your hat during a class is a no-no.

Competitor makes a nice presentation and is ready to show.

Learn and practice the pattern; use cones if cones are used in the pattern.

First, do the pattern a few times just to learn the pattern. Don’t worry about perfection. Going through the motions of the pattern will help you learn it and also help you determine how best to position your horse for some of the maneuvers. Once you have the pattern down, then you can start to ask for more accuracy and perfect maneuvers from your horse. Be sure to practice in the same way you will be showing. Your eyes and head up, holding the lead correct, crossovers correct. Every detail must be included.

At this time you are teaching your horse the pattern, if you give different body language messages during practice session than in the show pen, your horse will not be as sharp. Once you feel you both know the pattern, take a break. Over practicing can be harmful too. We usually practice too much when we do not trust ourselves, or our horse. This causes us to be impatient, then quick, and then panic. Not a good way to enter a class.

Learn from these feelings. Learn how to be better prepared for the next show.

Some horses practice a pattern a few times and then become dull. Learn your horse. If this is the case with your horse, practice the complete pattern a couple of times so you can learn it, and then just practice the different maneuvers required in a random order. Some horses will be sharper with this type of preparation before a class.

Judging

First, find out the work order. Be on time! Show the judge you are prepared and want to show your horse to him or her.

Before the class begins it is permissible to ask the judge a question regarding the pattern. Always be courteous and respectful. If you do not understand the pattern and perform it incorrectly, you have no one to blame other than yourself.

Do not allow yourself doubts. You have learned the pattern. If you see someone else perform the pattern differently, be assured they are incorrect. Do not allow what others do to affect you.

You are responsible for knowing the correct side of the cones to be on, throughout the pattern.

Make sure you know your number. The judge could ask for your number. You will look the judge in the eye and answer promptly and with respect. Your number should be pinned on your back.

The class procedure will be one of two ways. The horses may all enter the class at one time and line up side by side. The judge will then ask each handler to perform the pattern, which was posted prior to the class. After performing the pattern, the handler will line her horse up again side-by-side with other horses.

Additional judging may occur after the entire class has performed the pattern.

A second scenario will have you enter the arena one exhibitor at a time, perform the pattern and either leave or line up side by side for further judging.

We are currently seeing a trend in very large classes to perform the pattern and then leave so the exhibitors do not have to stand in line for up to an hour while the class is completed.

When in the arena you are always showing, so this is a long time to ask a horse and handler to stand without moving and at attention.

My rule for showing is “start showing 20 feet before entering the show arena and do not stop showing until having exited the show arena by 20 feet.” This will give you a professional and focused look and helps your horse be on his best show behavior at all times when in the show arena. It also prevents the disappointed or perhaps frustrated exhibitor leaving the pen showing displeasure. NEVER leave the pen jerking on your horse or punishing your horse because you are angry. This is very unprofessional. Usually the horse has no idea why he is in trouble and this does nothing to help solve an area of weakness. It causes the handler to be unproductive in solving the issue, because they are not reflecting on the problem, instead they are just mad and embarrassed.

Your horse is an example of what you have taught him. If he doesn’t do something correctly – maybe YOU need to spend more time in the training department at home.

The pattern the judge asks for can include any of the manuevers in any order we have learned about in previous lessons.

The judge will ask for the walk and trot to judge the maneuver itself, but also for soundness. The judge at some point will walk around the horse to look at the grooming of the horse, conformation and to judge the handler.

Competitor backs the horse with a loose lead while she maintains good body position.

The scoring of showmanship can be handled several ways. Many horse show organizations have a score sheet with their scoring system in place. Some judges have their own system of judging.

The American Quarter Horse Association provides their judges with a guidebook to judging the showmanship class. Generally two scores are possible, one for the overall appearance of the horse and exhibitor and one score for performance of the horse and exhibitor. The performance includes the patterns, crossovers, the line up and the handling of the horse. Remember the horse and exhibitor will be judged the entire time they remain in the arena.

The overall appearance of the horse and exhibitor includes the physical appearance of the horse. The exhibitor must have the appropriate attire and be neat and clean. The manner in which the exhibitor presents the horse falls into this category. The exhibitor is showing the horse and must keep an eye on the judge at all times while in the show arena.

Do not talk with or become distracted by people outside of the arena. The exhibitor will show confidence and poise, respond promptly if the horse needs attention. The horse must be confident and poised as well, responding promptly, smoothly and correctly.

Over showing is not recommended. Exaggerated movements, stiff and unnatural movements are not appealing. The handler should never have objects such as a piece of hay or a pin to perk up their horse.

Competitor trots horse in a straight line and maintains good body position.

Many judges have their own system, but most have a best possible score in mind that could be earned with a perfect performance. Points for penalties are then deducted from the perfect score. Points can be given for a better than average performance of each maneuver. If the best possible score is 20 the score will increase and decrease as you and your horse are performing. If you end up with an 18 or 19, you will be in the top placings in the class.

The American Quarter horse association suggests the numbers deducted or plussed will be in increments of one-half. Up to four points can be deducted depending on the severity of the fault.

Another judging system would recommend the judge simple award a zero if the maneuver is performed correctly (no penalty), but does not have a little extra - -such as speed, expression or smoothness to warrant a plus point. A deduction would be made for incorrect maneuvers, so beginning at zero, a score could be in the negative numbers.

Think of it this way, if you do what is required and have no penalties, all you will end up with for a score is a zero. So that’s just average and won’t win. For this type of judging you need to do what is required correctly and then earn plus points, to be in the top placings.

When being judged, don’t beat yourself. This means making sure you do what is required, have the correct equipment and attire, and show the horse off. Know your pattern, know your number. Be prepared.

This competitor has a look of confidence which will help her win.

Of course, as you learn, you will make mistakes during the performance. Learn from mistakes and let them help polish your future performances. Don’t beat yourself by forgetting to wear your number or going off course and becoming disqualified.

▪ You have learned the maneuvers of the showmanship class.

▪ You have learned the correct positions for the handler.

▪ Your horse is in great condition, and groomed impeccably.

▪ You can perform patterns with confidence.

▪ You understand the judging.

Now, go show your horse!

Click here to take the quiz

“Showmanship In Hand” Final Assignments:

Please answer the following. Send your report to cathy@horsecoursesonline.com

1. Give a detailed description of how to work the following three patterns:

A. Click here to see pattern number one.

B. Click here to see pattern number two.

C. Click here to see pattern number three.

2. Please submit videos of you performing the three patterns. You may post the videos YouTube and send the link to cathy@horsecoursesonline.com

3. Write a pattern of your own that would be suitable for a beginning showmanship team, one pattern for an intermediate team and one for an advanced team. Provide the diagram, and written directions. You will be sending three completed patterns. You may submit these as an attachment in an e-mail.