Showmanship in Hand

LESSON ONE

Showmanship in Hand is not a halter class.

Showmanship in Hand is the demonstration of the handler’s ability to fit and show a horse at halter. The Showmanship class was created within the livestock industry, where young people are judged on their ability to fit and present livestock. Today it is becoming a very popular class at horse shows.

There are two parts to the showmanship class.

The first part is the showing of the horse. The horse and exhibitor will be required to perform a pattern consisting of a variety of maneuvers. The handler must be able to lead the horse at the walk and trot. Stop and square, present the horse, back the horse and pivot the horse.

The handler is responsible for the presentation of the horse to the judge.

The competitor must be aware of the horse’s straightness, being sure the judge has every opportunity to see the horse at its best. The handler must be confident in his or her presentation, and be well prepared for anything that may occur during the class.

The second part is the conditioning of the horse. The second part of the class requires the competitor to be sure the horse is in “fit” condition. The horse should show his good health in his coat, weight and muscling.

The handler must know how to groom the horse, clip the horse and add the finishing touches to complete the perfect picture.

In today’s showmanship class, the judge creates a pattern, and each competitor must perform the pattern with perfection. The pattern complicates the test of the handler’s skills in the presenting of the horse.

The horse is a prop used by the handler to perform the test.

Accuracy, smoothness and correctness in performing the maneuvers are the elements required to win a showmanship class.

The handler’s “showmanship” skills must show confidence, poise and efficiency, as well as a partnership with the horse.

Lesson one will guide you through the learning of beginning maneuvers, while the other lessons will help you increase your showmanship skills until you are an “advanced” competitor.

The fitting of the horse will be covered as well as the training, showing and preparation of the horse.

Teaching the horse to respond to your direction and to perform the exercises with grace and accuracy requires a handler/horse partnership. You will be partners; dance partners! Dance partners move together gracefully and as one.

A commitment must be made to practice daily, because without practice the dance will not be polished and smooth. If you are ready to make the commitment – read on!

HALTER, LEAD AND FIT

To begin, halter the horse as if performing in the show.

Establish the equipment and correct fit from the very beginning. The horse will learn to focus on his job and know what is expected of him when he recognizes his “showmanship equipment.” (It is not necessary to use a leather show halter when practicing, however a leather halter and leather lead with a chain are preferred for showing.]

The most important thing to remember for practice is to have the correct fit and the correct length of chain from the ring to the lead. I prefer not using a lead with a large snap because the weight of the snap will actually cause the horse to cock his head to the left. In showmanship, straightness is extremely important.

Fit the halter correctly.

The noseband should fit over the center of the nose, with a three-finger measurement below (about 2.5 inches) the cheekbone. The halter should fit the horse comfortably. It should not apply pressure to the head, or be hanging too loosely.

The chain will be fitted under the chin. Direct the snap from the outside to the inside of the ring on the left side of the halter, go under the chin and through the ring on the right side of the halter, from the inside to the outside and then attach the snap to the ring on the right side at the top ring of the halter. The knob on the snap must be to the outside, so that it will not apply pressure to the horse’s head, as well as, be easily accessible.

Allow four to five links of chain to extend from the ring on the left side of the halter to the leather of the lead. You should find a lead with a chain that properly fits your horse. The lead itself, not including the chain, should be at least six feet in length. The chain links should be one half inch in diameter. A chain twenty-six inches in length is a common length for most horses.

Now that the halter and lead are fitted, you are ready to begin.

The goal of the first few lessons is to teach the horse to properly lead and stop.

The goal is to lead and stop the horse off of the handler’s body, not the lead.

Straightness begins to be established in the very first lessons.

Begin by standing next to the horse between the poll and the shoulder. Hold the end of the lead, coiled in one large loop with the left hand. Hold the lead close to the chain, but not touching the chain and directly across from the ring on the halter. The left elbow will be bent with the hand just below the hip.

To cue the horse to walk forward, extend the arm straight out and incline the shoulders forward. Avoid bending at the waist. Think about leading with the hips, so to create a forward business-like walk. We want the horse to see the body shift forward and then feel the chain make contact with the chin. We will be teaching the horse to move forward when the right arm - hand moves forward.

Do not make eye contact with the horse. Look straight ahead. If the horse does not move forward the chain will engage and begin to teach the horse that if he does not respond to the body movement chain pressure will follow.

Walk with the horse then stop. Verbal commands are fine. They communicate to the horse that something is going to happen – to get ready.

To stop the horse, incline the shoulders back and stop your body. If the horse does not stop, let the chain come into play by exaggerating the shoulders and applying pressure from the chain.

Do not use the chain in a downward motion. Move the chain straight back staying level with the halter ring. When using the chain in a downward motion it pulls the horse’s head down therefore shifting the horse’s weight onto the forehand. This will create possible problems later, as the horse will not be balanced to perform maneuvers such as squaring, backing and pivots.

Practice walking and stopping the horse while moving in straight lines. Practice this over and over. The goal will be to walk the horse forward and stop without using the chain. Do not think you have mastered this exercise if the horse performs correctly once. The horse must perform this exercise perfectly, every time, and without the chain ever used as a cue.

Once the walk and stop are mastered it is time to begin trotting.

The same format will be used. Incline the shoulders forward and extend the arm. It is okay to make a clucking sound to help create the trot.

DO’S AND DON’TS

Do walk with purpose. The horse needs to walk right along and with you.

Do practice often.

Do praise your horse for a correct performance.

Do fit your halter and lead correctly.

Do have someone watch to make sure your horse is straight.

Do not jerk with the chain.

Do not allow the chain to apply any pressure prior to using your body cues. Always cue with your body first.

Do not adjust your walk to the horse’s pace. Teach the horse to walk at your pace, a pace with purpose.

Do not get ahead of the horse or even with the horse’s eye.

Do not look at your horse when leading off.

SOME COMMON PROBLEMS

Horse is turning the head to the left. This happens because the handler does not realize he or she is pulling the head to the left when cueing the horse to move forward. Be sure to keep the horse’s head straight forward, and extend your arm straight when cueing to move forward.

If the horse is stubborn and continues to bend left, use a surcingle and lead to correct. Tie the lead to the right ring on the surcingle and the snap to the ring to the halter. Fit the lead so the horse is not able to turn his head left. The lead should not be so tight as to be holding the head to the right. The horse needs to maintain straightness on his own.

The horse nips at the handler. Many times the horse is tempted to nip because the handler’s fingers are close to the mouth, or the chain is teasing the horse by not being kept in the correct position. Check yourself and make sure you are not creating the problem. Avoid feeding treats by hand as well. The horse is not able to distinguish between work and play time.

Avoid getting into a game with the horse. While focusing on the command being given – give the horse a gentle karate chop just below their cheek. This is to remind the horse to stay straight. Use a low fitting noseband to keep the horse’s mouth closed.

Another trick for the compulsive nipper is to use the chain thru the mouth. This can really take their mind off of nipping. Be sure when using this method to release the pressure on the chain. If you do not, you may create other problems or the chain may cause sores on the corners of the mouth.

The horse refuses to walk forward. The horse that will not walk forward is being resistant. The resistance needs to be broken. The horse when being resistant has his shoulders in a locked position. His neck and head are usually held up, as if to say, “I’m not going anywhere.” By rotating the horse’s shoulder’s slightly forward, and lowering the neck and head we are able to unlock the resistance. The horse will then be able to move forward with grace and ease. To do this, apply a downward and forward pressure with the chain. The purpose of this is to lower the head and neck, therefore rotating the shoulders forward and into a position to easily move forward. Maintain a steady pressure – do not jerk the horse. Do not look at the horse. Be prepared for the horse to dislike this correction. A horse could possibly strike toward the chain, so do not get in front of the horse.

Keep the pressure constant, but as soon as the horse moves forward release the pressure, keep walking, and give plenty of verbal praise. After a few sessions with this technique the horse usually becomes very willing.

The use of a whip can be beneficial, but can cause other problems.  If possible, correct in other ways before resorting to a whip. Tapping the horse with a whip on the hip will create forward motion. Use a long dressage type of whip. Ask the horse to step forward and if he does not immediately move, tap the horse on the hip. Hold the whip in your left hand and use it behind your body. The possible problem created from this correction, would be the horse moving away from the whip to the right, thereby losing straightness.

The horse will not stop. Apply more pressure with the chain. Bump the chain causing the horse to back up a few steps. Use a short walk and stop exercise to reinforce the stopping cue. Walk a few steps and stop. Walk a few steps and stop. Repeat until the horse stops well. Praise and stand.

The horse stops crooked. This usually happens when the horse is not stopping while balanced on the hindquarters, or is leaning on the forehand. Lift your right hand slightly to elevate the head when stopping. This will encourage a weight shift to the hindquarters. Be more aggressive when stopping. The horse needs to stop, not be delayed.

The handler may be pulling the head to the left when stopping. Keep the head straight in front of the horse’s chest by extending your arm straight out. Stop the horse along side the arena fence. This will help prevent the hindquarters from swinging out. Use parallel poles to perfect the straight stop. The handler stays to the outside of the pole and leads the horse between. The poles act as a barrier and help maintain straightness.

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Assignments

1. Attend a horse show and observe the Showmanship classes. Write a two-page paper on your observations.

2. Please send a video of you performing the "showing/cue" techniques as described in this lesson.

You may post the video to YouTube and send me the link.

Please send the report and video to: cathyhansonqh@gmail.com