Showmanship in Hand
By
Cathy Hanson
Copyright © 2014
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
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!
“Showmanship In Hand” Final Assignments:
Please
answer the following. Send your report
to cathyhansonqh@gmail.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 to a video hosting web site; for example - PhotoBucket or YouTube. Please send the link to cathyhansonqh@gmail.com
3.
Write two patterns of your own that would be suitable for a beginning
showmanship team, two patterns for an intermediate team and two for an advanced
team. Provide the diagram, and written directions. You will be sending six
completed patterns. You may submit these as an attachment in an e-mail.