With showmanship deep into the season, I thought I would give a few votes of confidence for someone who's just beginning. For every cousin, friend or boyfriend who are just starting with horses, I always use these tips to get them bonding with the horse and confident in the show ring. Take them as you please, use them or don't, but they always help me. It's so important to keep the word fun in your mind as well.
11. You are never too young or old to start mastering showmanship.
Practice certainly makes perfect and the pattern is the equalizer! If you're eight or 80-years-old, its all about your presence.
10. Old and young horses are welcome!
We all know as horses age, their stamina and pleasure performance can slowly decrease, and for the youngins' their mind may not be able to handle an all day show filled with 15 plus classes. Showmanship is a great way to prepare a young mind for the ring surroundings, or an old mind to wake them up for a day of show.
8. Patience is a virtue.
Standing perfectly still, ignoring flies, pivoting on cue and waiting to walk when told...easy peasy...yea right! Showmanship is the ultimate test for not only the horse but also the handler. Being in sync with a 1200 pound animal and teaching it to move from body cues is way harder than being on a horse back and using spurs to send a message.
7. Picture Perfect!
Once your horse accepts the cues of showmanship they come in handy. For many horse girls out there, like myself, prom, couple photos, senior pictures, engagement pictures, wedding photos, etc. all call for a perfect picture with a trusty steed! Showmanship patience trains the horse to be camera patient.
6. A cool down.
I always practice showmanship after a solid ride! The horse is hot, tired and desires to go in the stall. I use showmanship as a form of a cool down for a worked horse. This allows the horse to know that no matter what condition they are in they still must be patient, listen and have their ground matters in tact. It's required that my horse "sets up for inspection" before I lay the grain bin down.
5. #ALLBREEDSMATTER.
Showmanship is not discriminating! Any horse can be trained for showmanship, it's not just an American Quarter Horse Association point earning class!
4. Got chicken wings?
Showmanship is a great way to practice posture that can carry over into riding! One of my favorite tools is to stick a dollar under my arms or the arms of someone I am helping. Keeping your arms in tight is imperative to the balance of running across a sand arena or balancing in horsemanship or equitation. If the dollar is there at the end of the session, you keep the dollar!
3. Showmanship increases confidence.
Since showmanship is solely judged on the handler and how they maneuver the horse through the pattern, as time goes on the handler only gains confidence. Every new day the horse and the handler become better at what they are practicing. Confidence is key in the "chin up, chest out, walk like your'e going somewhere" lingo of the showmanship world.
2. Mornings.
Eventually you will grow to love showmanship. You will live and breathe it. Mornings are very tough and as we all know showmanship is also at the top of a show bill. You may be tired, your horse may be tired, but you will wake up at 6 a.m. to lunge, prep and memorize that pattern guaranteed. It's perfectly normal to be "in the zone" for that morning start time.
1. Showmanship stays with you.
It's like riding a bike, if you take off a year, it will come back quickly. In addition, once you master horse showmanship you can master any animal showmanship. It's truly all the same, minor tweaks to each animal, but the overall idea is to present the animal in its best form and impress the judge. Showmanship is all about the showman, the confidence, the ability, the work ethic and the sportsmanship to fellow competitors.
