Photos by Jim Bortvedt.

Showmanship at halter, one of the most popular events at all levels of Western showing, tests a handler’s ability to fit and show a horse in halter competition. But no matter how skilled the exhibitor, he or she can’t do well in the class without a horse trained to perform it required maneuvers. If you’re an aspiring competitor wondering just how that’s done, you’ve come to the right place, as it’s what this article is all about.

Regardless of whether your care about showing, though, basic showmanship training offers benefits outside the show ring that every horse owner can appreciate. It improves a horse’s ground manners and increases his respect level for you. It also fine-tunes your ability to control your horse’s position and pace, a skill useful in real-life situations such as backing out of a trailer, turning in tight quarters, even moving a hoof off the hose in the wash rack. At its most developed, showmanship training gives you a level of body control from the ground that can be operated with fingertip finesse.

Who wouldn’t want that degree of handle on a horse? It’s like leading a dance partner instead of lugging a 1,000-pound animal at the end of the rope.

The Foundation
At its core, showmanship consists of six basic maneuvers that are combined in various orders and degrees of difficulty to form a pattern. These basics are leading at a walk, leading at a jog/trot, stopping, backing, setting up for inspection, and pivoting. They form the foundation of showmanship training.

In this article, we’ll demonstrate how to start building this foundation in your horse. Keep these key points in mind as you begin:

1. Maneuvers are taught with pressure on the lead chain and pressure from your body position. Immediately reward a correct response with a release of all pressure and a brief pause before you ask for another move or different maneuver.
2. All exaggerated body position and verbal cues shown in photos are for training purposes only. Such excessive cues are faults in a judged showmanship class. As your horse progresses in his training, you’ll gradually decrease and refine these cues until they are extremely subtle or non-existent.
3. At the beginner training level, progress comes in baby steps. A close approximation to the desired result is considered a correct response. Reward accordingly.
4. When your horse reliably responds with a beginner-level effort, request improvement by maintaining or increasing pressure as needed, until your horse responds with a result that’s better than his initial effort. Continue to use the baby-step training method to build toward a solid foundation.

Walking The Walk
Goal: Your horse should lead calmly and willingly, at a pace that matches yours, and with his head and neck in alignment with his body (straight on a straight line).

Starting point: Position your horse so his off-side (his right) is next to a rail, wall, or fence line (see upper-right photo on page 66). This ensures that your horse develops the habit of traveling in proper alignment. Tip: As your horse progresses, gradually wean him away from the rail so he learns to maintain proper alignment on his own.

Position yourself at a point between your horse’s throatlatch and the middle of his neck, facing forward. Tip: You exact position will depend on your size, your horse’s size, and the length of your arms.

Training steps: Keep your hands and arms firm and still as you step off into a brisk walk. Tip: Accentuate your body-language cues for forward motion by slightly inclining your shoulders forward and stepping first with you right foot. This creates a visual cue your horse perceives slightly before the physical cue of chain pressure.

Showmanship training teaches your horse to be as responsive and light on his feet as a dance partner. And that’s useful outside the show arena as well as in! Use our step-by-step instructions for getting started.

Trot Take-Off
Goal: your horse should step smartly into a jog/trot at precisely the same moment you start your run, without changing his basic body alignment.

Starting point: Remain on the rail and in the same position as described in the walk training section. Start forward at a walk.

Training steps: Keep your elbows firmly at your sides, to anchor your lead hand and arms. Tilt your upper body forward as you simultaneously take a huge step forward with your right leg.

Your horse is likely to respond with either of the reactions previously described, although at the faster pace; you can expect the reaction to be more dramatic. Remain calm and continue at a run with your elbows anchored and lead hand steady. The second you horse corrects his pace and position to match yours, he’ll earn his first reward—release of chain pressure. After a few successful strides together at the jog/trot, reward him with a brief, calm walk, then try again. If your horse is extra-reluctant to step into the jog/trot, add a verbal cue such as a “smooch” or “cluck” just before you execute your initial cues.

Whoa Means Whoa
Goal: Your horse should stop in a soft, balanced manner, with his head, neck, and body in proper alignment.

Starting point: Position your horse on the rail and start walking. Tip: When your horse reliably “whoas” at the walk, progress to stopping at a jog/trot.

Training steps: At the walk, say “whoa” in a soft voice and then immediately stop and stand still (saying whoa as a “pre-cue” before you stop gives your horse’s brain time to start processing the stop command). Your horse is likely to drift past you and then stop when the lead chain tightens against his chin. Tip: Don’t pull back on the lead chain when teaching the stop; let your horse discover that his incorrect response, not your hand, initiates the correction.

You’ll know your horse didn’t stop correctly if your position, in relation to his body, has changed—for example, when you stop, you’re standing by his shoulder, instead of at a midpoint between his throatlatch and mid-neck.

If your horse continues to respond lazily to your stop commands, try this correction: Say “whoa” and stop as described above. Then, instead of standing still, immediately start walking backward. At the same time, pull back and down (don’t jerk) on your lead chain and repeat the verbal cue “whoa” with every step you take. Your horse most likely will respond by pushing his head up and resisting moving backward with you. Keep your correction-cue pressure on until your horse lowers his head and takes at least one step backward with you.

When he does, immediately release the chain pressure, then walk forward a few steps and repeat your stop command. You might need to apply this correction a few times while your horse learns to coordinate his body to stop in time with yours. This correction can be used throughout the progression of your showmanship training to sharpen and fine-tune your horse’s “whoa” response. Tip: A few horses tend to stop too rapidly (before you do) when you ask for a stop. You’ll know you have one of these fellows if you find yourself positioned forward at the throatlatch when you stop. Eliminating your verbal pre-cue should fix this problem for you.

Photo by Cappy Jackson

Goal: To improve the aesthetic quality of your showmanship presentation. You'll study, and learn to avoid three common hand-position mistakes--pulling your hand toward you; pushing your hand away from you (toward your horse); and pulling your hand down.

Benefits: By mastering a correct hand position, you'll maximize control over your horse's body, while minimizing excessive movements that would detract from the overall fluidity of your showmanship pattern. A correct hand position also guarantees a good first impression, as it allows you to project a controlled, seamless, and natural presentation.

As a judge who evaluates showmanship contestants, I'm privy to a lot of presentation mistakes--and hand control is a biggie. Poor hand position prevents your horse from moving and stopping straight, decreasing your chances of a high placing. A correct position ensures control of your horse's body, so you can easily keep him straight and balanced.

When I judge, I want to see fluid, controlled movements. Your maneuvers should happen with a purpose, but shouldn't be overdone. A showmanship pattern should look like a flowing "dance," with all movements blending together. To achieve this, you and your horse must be familiar with one another, and you both need to practice extensively. Hard work pays off in the show ring.

Here I'll give you a judge's-eye perspective on proper--and improper--hand position and control, and tell you why attention to detail here is so important. If the class results come down to one or two competitors with similar scores, I'll place the detail oriented one higher.

In the slideshow that follows, a student demonstrates three common hand-position mistakes--pulling toward her body; pushing away; and pulling down. After you've studied the wrong ways, you'll see the correct position, so you can mimic it the next time you're in the showmanship ring. But, before you examine the mistakes, you need to know how to set yourself and your horse up correctly, before stepping off toward the judge.

> View the Showmanship Polish: Hand Position and Control Slideshow

The year I was a scrawny 10-year-old, back in the 1960s, I showed my little black mare, Lucky, at halter in a class of five at our local county fair.

I still have my beautiful little fifth-place pink ribbon, which I proudly displayed with my "win" photo, later placing it next to that photo in my tattered old scrapbook.

I didn't venture back into the show pen until my 50th year. Having hauled my younger daughter to a million Quarter Horse shows (or what seemed like a million), then safely tucking her away in college, I decided I'd take her retired show horse (who whinnied eagerly every time he saw the trailer moving) and try showmanship.

We were quite a pair! He was sleek, lovely and polished, while I was not-so-sleek, awkward and somewhat clueless, stumbling from maneuver to maneuver. He pulled me around my first pattern, stopped and set himself up, and I swear he winked at the judge. In the meantime, I fumbled around with the chain and kept shuffling my foot position.

Still, we were so in tune--thanks to the horse, not me---that when the judge asked me a question and I coughed instead of answering, the horse looked straight at the judge and coughed, too.

Upon being excused, I turned toward my equine partner to start my pivot and my hand was shaking so hard that on the video it looked like I was shanking him. By the time we'd finished the 360, my knees were so trembly that the horse had to gently bump me to get me unstuck and moving.

Now here's the interesting part: The experience was one of the highlights of my adult life. I've shown several times since, and I plan to show again as time, finances and joint health allow.

I'm hooked!

Find Lisa's blog at campcreekcattle.blogspot.com. For more information on returning to showing, see the January 2010 issue of Horse & Rider. To order back issues, call 877-717-8928.

Benefits: By mastering stopping cues, you'll demonstrate to the judge a high level of control over your horse's body. And, as a result, you'll minimize excessive movements that detract from the overall fluidity of your showmanship pattern.

In part 1 (January '08, Horse & Rider) of our three-part Showmanship Polish series, top trainer Andrea Simons taught you how to avoid three common hand-position mistakes. After you've studied and mastered the correct hand position, turn your attention toward "the stop" in front of the judge.

(Keep in mind: As I stated in part 1, when I judge I want to see fluid, controlled movements. Your maneuvers should happen with a purpose, but shouldn't be overdone. A showmanship pattern should look like a flowing "dance," with all movements blending together. To achieve this, you and your horse must be familiar with one another, and you need to practice extensively, paying close attention to details. Hard work pays off in the show ring!)

In the photos here, a student demonstrates the correct and incorrect ways to time your cues for a smooth and precise stop.

A Correct Stop
When you stop, leave at least one horse length between your horse's nose and the judge. If I'm judging, I'm not going to be impressed if you stop with your horse's nose on my clipboard. You need to perfect your cues and body language to effectively communicate with your horse, so eventually he'll be watching you out of the corner of his eye for signals of the impending stop.

When you stop, your horse's hips should be directly opposite the judge. If you have mastered the correct position while walking the straight line, stopping straight will be easier. If you stop your horse too early or too late, chances are, he won't be straight, and his back-up maneuver will likely be crooked or incorrectly angled.

Photos by Cappy Jackson

Bad Timing, Photo A
As you can see in this photo, the handler is saying "whoa" as she stops, which has caused her horse to crumple into his stop. Eventually, you'll want to graduate to the level where you don't have to use a verbal command for stopping, but as you train your horse to stop correctly, teach him to associate "whoa" with stopping. Then, you can combine body language signals to serve as stopping cues--without the "whoa."

(Note: As you're working on this, be consistent with your use of "whoa." It should only be used to tell him to stop now.)

In this photo, you'll notice that when the handler doesn't begin her "whoa" until after she's stopped herself, her horse keeps walking until he feels pressure from the lead. And, since he had no preparation to collect himself prior to stopping, he'll have to quickly plant his front feet, which will cause the rest of his body to crumple underneath him. Not only does this look ugly, it will prevent him from stopping straight and in-line with the judge and will guarantee a poor performance on the next maneuver.

Good Timing, Photo B
Here, you can see the handler saying "whoa" while she and her horse are still walking. Due to the angle we're looking at in this photo, it's somewhat difficult to decipher whether the horse is walking; however, if you look closely you'll see that his front left leg is about to step forward.

When the handler initiates the stop while they're still walking, her horse has ample time to process what she's asking. So, when she stops, her horse will too. If he doesn't stop or begins to drag you with him, quickly bump him with the lead to bring his attention back to you. Once you've corrected him, and he obeys, immediately remove pressure on the lead.

Good Timing, Photo C
In this photo, the horse has responded to the handler's "whoa" and initiated the stop himself. As you're practicing, incorporate other cues through your body language; for example, slightly tilt your shoulders and upper body back (just an inch or two) as signal to your horse that you're about to stop. If he needs a little more instruction, slightly lower your lead (right) hand to add a small amount of lead-shank pressure on him. And, finally, add a "whoa," (if necessary).

When evaluating halter horses, I look for overall balance first, and my priorities are to find the strongest topline that carries down through a powerful hip and correct hind leg.

That said, I also look for the "pretty" in the horse. If I'm looking at mares, then I want them to be very feminine, but with stallions and geldings as well, I look for a large eye and well-proportioned, attractive head, following into a long, lean neck that ties in high and at a good angle to their shoulder and withers, as opposed to low into their chest floor.

I like a strong topline, with a short, tight back, that carries through to a powerful croup and hip. The horse must display structural correctness through its legs when viewed from all angles.

As far as muscling, I look for horses that are very expressive, as evidenced by descriptive forearms, gaskins and stifles.

When viewing the animal from behind, the center of the stifle should be the widest part of the horse, not the top of the hip above the tail. From the side, the top- and bottomlines should look like they go together, and the hip should not be substantially higher than the withers.

In "What's Your Horse Worth?" (September 2006, Horse & Rider magazine) professional equine appraiser Michelle Stallings explains how she determines a horse's fair market value. She uses comparatives, or "comps," a method real estate appraisers use to determine the value of real property and a method the American Society of Equine Appraisers teaches.

Here's an example of a chart Michelle might use to evaluate a halter horse and determine its value by comparing it with four similar horses. Want to try it for your horse? The grid scores eac
© Alana Harrisonh horse from 1 to 10 on every value factor.

"To get a dollar-value-per-point," Michelle explains, "add up all the sales prices on the comparables and divide that number by the total number of points the comparables scored. Multiply the number of points your horse scored by the dollar-value-per-point and you have a good rough estimate of what your horse is worth.

"Despite the fact that this method sounds complicated, it's really pretty simple once you get the hang of it!" she says.

Horse & Rider's Appraisal Chart

Michelle and her husband, Ronny, another equine appraiser, own American Equine Services and Stallings Ranch in Aubrey, Texas, where they have trained, bred, and shown champion Paint and Quarter Horses for more than 30 years. Michelle specializes in preparing tax returns for horse-related businesses, developing appraisal reports, and assisting attorneys with litigation issues. She also provides expert witness testimony in court and consults on issues for all breeds of horses.

Showmanship is a test of precision. To score well, you must nail the pattern and demonstrate a perfect presentation. In a tough competition, how you lead your horse to the judge and halt for inspection can make or break your performance. Sharpen your presentation with these pointers.

Position Your Horse Perfectly
You should position your horse so that you're just a little more than an arm-length away from the judge. Try to imagine the judge stretching her hand toward your horse. You'd want her to be just barely touching your horse's nose.

This will not only give her a better perspective to evaluate your horse, but will also allow you to move comfortably and effectively around your horse's front end. If you're too close, you'll block the judge's view, forcing him or her to step back to evaluate your horse.

If you're at a show where the judge's place is marked, you'll have a tough time moving freely around your horse--you'll have to squeeze between your horse and the judge and ultimately prevent a professional presentation. On the other hand, if the judge's position is marked, and you're too far away, the judge will have to score your horse from afar--a less-than ideal perspective. (Note: arm lengths vary. A couple of inches off in either direction shouldn't hurt your score.)

Check Alignment
Make sure that you align your horse with the judge, rather than yourself. To practice, ask a friend to hold her right hand up and to the right, as if she's holding a lead shank and has an imaginary horse to her right. Then, while leading your horse, focus on the upheld hand so that you automatically line up straight with your friend's hand. You'll be "mirroring" her position--so that when you line up with her hand, your horse is directly in front of your friend. In the show pen, aim to place yourself in front of that imaginary hand, and you'll align your horse perfectly with the judge.

Jackie Lee Jackson develops showmanship champions from her Top-Step Farms in Aubrey, Texas.

1. Jog from A to B.
2. At B, jog a circle to the right.
3. Walk from B to a point aligned with the judge (C).
4. Pivot 11/4 turn to the right.
5. Walk to the judge, stop, and back eight steps.
6. Walk forward eight steps, set up for inspection.

Challenge: Show off your showmanship skills by avoiding the pitfalls in this difficult pattern.

Showmanship Strategy: You'll need practice and a plan. Here's how I'd coach you if we were there together.

• Be ready and attentive at A, standing on your horse's left, with the marker to your left. Plan your circle in your mind's eye, and trot straight to B before beginning it, so the marker is at the midpoint of the circle's left side.

• Make the circle round by mentally dividing it into four quadrants and jogging to each invisible quadrant marker. Look to the judge in the first part, but then focus ahead, or you'll surely go off your path. At the three-quarters point, look for Marker B, and finish on your original path.
• Break to a walk when your horse's nose reaches B. There should be no tension on the lead; he should respond to your body language.
• Walk straight ahead until your horse's right hip is on a line with the judge. This will position him correctly for the pivot turn. With no marker, this is tricky. Lots of practice at home will help you gauge off-side alignment.
• Look at the judge during the first and last quarters of your turn, but don't glance over your shoulder to maintain eye contact during the rest; pay attention to your horse so you can keep him turning properly. Also focus on him as you complete the turn to get a good closure.
• The directions say "walk to the judge" but stop short of the arm's length distance that's customary. Here's why: The next maneuver is to back and walk forward again, and horses step shorter backing than going forward. If you go all the way to the judge in your first approach then back eight steps, you won't be able to fit eight forward steps into your second approach.
• Set up promptly, then focus on the judge as he inspects your horse. You'll move across the front of your horse as the judge goes through the quarter system; when you do, check to be sure your horse is maintaining his position, and then look back to the judge. The style for the past few years has been to look at the horse's feet, then his head, and then back at the judge every time you move. But this style is being modified now, and a quick glance from feet to judge is all you need.

This article first appeared in the November, 1997 issue of Horse & Rider magazine.

The weanling futurities are just around the corner, but you're ready. Your contender looks like a million bucks--his coat gleams, his mane is tamed, and his tail is, well, short but shiny. He leads well, squares up in a reasonable amount of time, and will actually stay put. All that's left is to see how he stacks up against the competition.

Not quite. I used to think that looking good and squaring up well were enough for my weanlings to be competitive in the show pen. But I've learned through years of experience that it takes something else to gain a competitive edge: You need to expose a youngster to the sights and sounds he'll encounter in the show ring. Unless you do so, all that elbow grease and shank time can go to waste, as your weanling tunes into the bombardment of stimuli around him and tunes out on you.

The judge won't have a chance to evaluate that dancing, prancing, stressed out bundle of nerves at the end of your expensive leather show shank. You'll have wasted not only an entry fee, but also time and energy. And, you'll have made your weanling's show debut a negative experience rather than a positive one.

So you'll have the best shot at leading a winner from the weanling ring, I'm going to share with you the program we've used to show-pen-train our world-champion youngsters. I'll also give you strategies for avoiding trouble in the ring--and what to do if trouble finds you. (Note: Even if you don't plan to show your weanling, this program will help you desensitize him to things he'll likely encounter in his life. The payoff? A horse that's better able to take new sights and sounds in stride.)

Show Pen Strategy #1: Here comes the judge.

1. Get your weanling used to standing squared up as a cowboy-hatted stranger (or two) approaches, circles, and touches him. Many competitors overlook this simple strategy, only to discover on show day that their weanlings don't take kindly to approaching judges. Recruit friends to play the role of judge. Supply them with clipboards loaded with paper--the sight and noise of shuffling papers have been known to spook even the mellowest of weanlings. And, get your weanling used to someone handling his mouth. If a judge asks to check his bite, at-home preparation will help you avoid a fight with your youngster, and earn favor with the judge.
2. Practice walking to the judge. Your youngster may stand well for inspection, but he may balk at walking up to a stranger. Have your faux judge wear sunglasses, a scarf, and/or any other visual accessory that your weanling may encounter in the show ring.
3. Practice jogging away from the judge. Some weanlings are okay with a stranger approaching them or when approaching a stranger. But when you put that person behind them, as you'll do when you jog away in the show pen, they can perceive him or her as a threat and spook. The more quickly and quietly your youngster will jog off, the easier it'll be for the judge to evaluate him-and the better your chance at a win.Show Pen Strategy #2: Crowd control.
   1. Practice leading and lining up with other weanlings. In the show pen, your youngster will be in close proximity to others his age. If that's his first such exposure, he could get excited-and you could lose control. Set up mock classes at home, using as many weanlings as you can find.
   2. Band your weanling's mane and apply face make-up well before you head out for that first show. Some weanlings don't mind these procedures, but others do. Find out your weanling's tolerance levels while you still have time to solve any problems. (Tip: Practice wiping his face in the barn, in the arena, and around other weanlings. You'd be amazed at what a youngster will tolerate in familiar surroundings, only to resist when slightly stressed.)
   3. At a show, pick your lead-in position whenever possible, sandwiching yourself between quiet-looking weanlings. If you see one acting as this one is-head and tail up, and ears tense--you don't want your horse anywhere near him. Weanlings are like in-line dominos: When one goes off, there tends to be a chain reaction. The farther you are from the epicenter, the less likely your youngster will be affected.Show Pen Strategy #3: Take nothing for granted.
      1. Will there be banners and flags at the show? If so, find some (or buy a roll of craft paper and make some), hang them in your arena, and work with your weanling until he ignores them. To cover all your bases, unfasten one end of the banner and let it flap in the breeze, just like at a real show.
      2. Practice leading your weanling over varying ground surfaces, and up and down curbs. Sound silly? I thought so, too, until I had a group of weanlings balk at stepping up a curb at a show. Now I take nothing for granted. My staff and I walk them onto concrete, gravel (the crunchy noise can spook them), up curbs, down curbs, you name it.
      3. Prepare for encounters with traffic. Your weanling will encounter cars, trucks, tractors, golf carts, motor scooters, and various other automotive "monsters" at a show. Be sure he's had a chance to get used to the sights and sounds of as many of these as possible, at home or at a facility that abuts a highway. (Caveat: When first exposing your youngster to traffic, do so in a safely enclosed area, such as a paddock or pasture situated alongside a road or highway. That way, should he spook and get away from you, he won't inadvertently run onto the road.)Show Pen Strategy #4: Know how to handle a crisis.
         1. Okay, so despite all your hard work at home, your normally mellow weanling finds something to spook at. What do you do? Rule number one: Keep him behind you. If you were to let him get in front of you and start running doughnuts around you, you'd lose control, and he could pull away. When he does a spook-and-squirt, immediately say "whoa" and pull down hard on the lead shank, to stop his forward progress. Simultaneously step in front of him?
         2. ?and back him up, to block any escape route and to take the "forward" thought out of his mind. Once he's cocked an ear toward you, meaning his focus is on you rather than on whatever spooked him, cease your go-back cues.
         3. Take a deep breath (if you're rattled, he'll stay rattled), and resume whatever it was you were doing. By consistently reacting to his spooks in this manner, you'll gradually teach your weanling that he can't escape his fear, so must control it.Show Pen Strategy #5: Send in the clowns.
            1. You know all those running kids, barking dogs, and program-thumbing spectators who surround the arena walls? Okay, you do. But does your weanling? Make sure he does, by recruiting as many of those elements as possible around your own arena. Practice walking up to, away from, and in front of those "spectators," until your youngster takes them in stride. Have them clap and whistle, too. At the show, when your name is called as the winner, you don't want your weanling to spook at that well-deserved applause!Tips
               • Outfit your weanling in his show halter when performing all training and desensitization sessions. If you were to have him practice in his everyday halter, you'd risk not only a different level of responsiveness when he's wearing his show gear at an event, but also that he'd spook from the look and feel of an unfamiliar halter. (Don't laugh--it's happened.)
               • Arrive at the show grounds well before your class to get your weanling used to the sights and sounds in and out of the arena. If it's a multiday show, arrive a day or 2 early to give him plenty of time to acclimate.
               • Keep handling sessions brief but frequent. Your weanling's attention span will be short, so limit training sessions to about 10 minutes. But handle him as often as possible every day, whether grooming and bathing him, or simply strolling down the barn aisle. The more you work around your youngster, the better you'll be able to read his body language--and he yours--which will pay off in the show pen.
               • If you notice your weanling's head go up and his body tense in response to a sight or sound, distract him by walking a circle, if possible; or saying "whoa," then backing him a step or two. You'll return his focus onto you, while taking it off the possible spook-maker, thus heading off a potential problem.Based in Gainesville, Texas, Mike and his wife, Marrita (our "judge"), specialize in the training and conditioning of halter horses at their McMillian Quarter Horses, Inc. Over the past 27 years, Mike has prepared or led 17 horses to world championships, as well as to high-point titles, futurity wins, and state championships. This article first appeared in the August 1997 issue of Horse & Rider magazine.