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.
The running martingale is another great training aid that is very commonly used across many different disciplines. You can adjust your martingale to change the amount of input it has on your direction of pressure to the horse's mouth. The martingale is fairly non-invasive, and I really like to utilize this tool on younger/greener horses. You can find a running martingale at just about any tack store, but in a pinch you can also just make one at home using a piece of rope, a couple rings, and a snap.
If you have not watched the "Introduction to Draw Reins" video, go ahead and check that out first. This video is here to provide a little more information about draw reins and how to use them. Be sure to watch "1st Ride with Draw Reins" next to see me take a horse through his first ride using draw reins!
Draw reins are an excellent training aid that you can utilize with your horse for several different reasons. Across many different disciplines, draw reins are used for different purposes. I like to utilize draw reins in my training to help the horse find a round shape, as well as allowing them to use the rein to balance up their front end. While draw reins can be extremely useful, they don't always work on every horse and they aren't meant to be used indefinitely. I hope this video provides some clarity on the use of draw reins and whether they would be a good fit for you and your horse. Check out the "Follow-Up on Draw Reins" video to get more information on this training aid, or the "1st Ride with Draw Reins" video to see my complete first ride with a horse in draw reins.
Draw reins are a great tool that we can use to change the direction that the reins are applying pressure to the horse's mouth. However, they can be misused and not all horses are ready to be ridden in draw reins. You want to make sure that your horse has a good concept of body control before putting draw reins on. Unlike traditional reins, draw reins don't have a firm stopping point. As you continue to pull on the draw rein, the rein will run through the snap connected to the bit and pull the horse's head in tighter. This can cause panic in some horses and can be a danger if the rider is not experienced with this training aid. I like to tie a knot on either side of my draw reins to provide a hard stop. I recommend you do this as well.
In this video, you will see this horse's first ride in draw reins. It doesn't really look like anything monumental & it shouldn't be. We want to introduce new concepts and skills to our horses slowly and in a manner that is going to make a positive experience. I am using draw reins on this young horse to give him something to help balance himself as he learns to carry his body. I am not using this tool to ask him to put his head down, rather he is being asked to round up with his neck & shoulders up. Hopefully this video gives you some insight about whether draw reins will be a good fit for you and your horse, as well as how to introduce them if you want to give them a try.