A dull showmanship horse isn't a lot of fun to show from an exhibitor standpoint. So, how do we make our horse lighter in the showmanship? It can be extremely difficult because we are not strong enough to get in a match of tug-a-war with our horse. And the more we allow them to be heavy and dull, the more they will think that is an appropriate behavior. In this video, I am using a short whip to tap the horse forward when I pull forward on the chain. I want him to start to associate that being lazy & allowing me to pull him around is not the appropriate response. Every time I pull him forward with the chain, if he does not move forward off that pressure then I tap him with my whip. The goal is for him to move his feet. You will see me also lunge him in a small circle to encourage him to move his feet & show him that being lazy isn't the easy way out, it actually elicits more works. If your horse is predisposed to being dull in the showmanship, you will more than likely have to revisit this topic frequently. If it is in that horse's nature to be dull, then that is the response they will always want to revert back to. So be prepared to continue this practice, even as your horse begins to become more finished at the showmanship.
As we teach our horse to pivot for the showmanship, it is very important they are keeping a straight body position. I horse that pushes out in their rib cage will probably end up moving their pivot foot. In this horse's case, he wanted to move his hind end around towards me when I moved his front end away from me. This did not come as a surprise to me because he does the same thing under saddle, and it is something that we have been working to improve. When I am riding this horse, I use the side pass to help control his rib cage and try to keep him more still in his hind end. I decided to implement the same maneuver from the ground to see if it would improve my showmanship pivot. I would say it is certainly moving us in the right direction! I recommend using some sort of barrier, like a fence, to help them understand that you want them to move sideways away from you rather than forward or back. As they begin to understand this concept, you may not have to rely as heavily on the fence. Whether your horse is finished at the showmanship or just starting out, I think this exercise can help them stay more correct in their body throughout the pivot.
Getting your horse to understand the pivot is similar to the backup. They need to be respectful of your personal space and move away from you when you move towards them. When first teaching your horse how to pivot for the showmanship, I like to focus on this concept with just a few steps at a time. I concentrate primarily on the front feet, not putting as much focus on the need to hold a pivot foot behind. While holding a pivot foot is incredibly important in the showmanship, there is only so much your horse can focus on when you are first teaching them a new skill. I ask for them to cross over their front feet, just a few steps at first, before stopping and then walking off to start again in another spot. Your horse should start to pick up on this concept, so you can continue to add a couple steps at a time. Really make sure to pay attention that your horse is moving their shoulder and rib cage away from you in the turn, keeping a relatively straight body position. You don't want your horse to just move their neck away from you, leaving them with their shoulder out of alignment and a bent body position. Having their body in the correct position will greatly impact how well they hold a pivot foot down the road. So while we are not directly focusing on the pivot foot at this stage, getting their body in the correct position now will greatly impact how much emphasis you have to place on the pivot foot later.
How you teach your horse to back up in the early stages can be crucial to keeping them from forming bad habits. Each horse is going to be a little different, but the end goal should be the same regardless. To see an example of what a finished showmanship back up should look like, go check out my video in the "Fine Tuning the Showmanship" section. This video is going to show you how we are going to be teaching this skill to our horse on day 1. It is incredibly important that they learn to back up with a straight body position & without tucking their chin into their chest. We are going to accomplish this by teaching them to move backward away from our body pressure. Some horses may be more sensitive to this than others. The horse in this video is pretty dull to this cue, so it is going to take a little more push to get him to respond. Other horses may simply move off of your body pressure when you enter their bubble. They should start to pick up on this concept rather quickly, but it is important to remember to keep their body position straight before adding more speed. This is just day 1, so with some consistent practice the backup will start to look finished in no time!
These first few sessions can seem a little monotonous but stick with me. We are going to be covering much of the same information that we covered on Day 1. The key thing I am working on in this video is getting this horse to soften up to the pressure of the chain. His first instinct is to stiffen up and try to resist the pressure, so we are working a lot on just getting him to find a release to the pressure.
We are still working on the foundations of the set up, only asking him to move a foot or two at a time. This horse is beginning to connect my body position to moving his feet for a set up, but still does not know where to place them. That's okay, it is only day 2 of working on the showmanship.
When I begin teaching a horse to set up, I begin by only asking them to move one back foot. Pick which back foot you want your horse to move & then stick with it. They will only be allowed to move this back foot from now on. I chose the left hind because it is easier to see from the set up position.
Work on asking your horse to move this foot, only just a step. I don't care what their front feet are doing for right now, just keep asking until your horse moves the desired back foot. When they do, make sure to say woah & praise them. Stand there for 5-10 seconds without them moving any feet, then walk back off again. You will continue to practice this exercise until your horse begins to demonstrate that they know which foot you are asking them to move.
When teaching a horse the showmanship, it is important to start with the basics and work your way up. You don't want to overwhelm them by practicing too many maneuvers on the first day. I like to start by working on the basic concept of softening to the chain. Just like when your horse is under saddle, they should be willing to give to pressure. Many horses resist and brace against the pressure at first, so I make sure to spend time teaching them how I want them to respond. When you have made some progress at the walk, then you can move onto the trot. Get your running shoes out, because this can turn into quite the workout. More than likely it won't be perfect after the first day but that okay. Just work on softening them to the pressure of the chain for 5-10 minutes and then find a good ending point. Consistency is key when your horse is learning a new skill, so make sure to go back out tomorrow to continue working at it!