Training your horse to "stand" for show classes.

[wingnut]

Okay....its year 3 for us and showing at our local club show. We've got several routines pretty figured out and nearly set in stone. For the first two years, it was more about getting there with a horse ready for showing than anything else. The fact that we did well was partly due to small class sizes as much as anything else.

This year, the competition is increased by a large amount. Now, its time to really get in there and SHOW. This rookie needs to step it up a few notches.

So, what's your best tips on getting a horse to stand square and stand STILL while in the ring? Remember, you're talking to a horse neophyte here!. I've learned *a lot* since we started in 2009, but there's still so much we don't know. Speak slowly and as descriptively as possible.

Any videos you could link to would be very helpful too!

 

[disneyhorse]

Practice, but not to the point you burn your horses out.

Some horses just plain don't like to stand still, so the best tip there is to "save" your horse's patience for when it really matters in the ring. You will see a lot of the experienced trainers will try to be the last one in the ring, because this means they won't be needing to do anything while the others trot in for the judge. They aren't just being "polite" by letting you go in first! However, don't be at a standoff to delay going into the ring, but it's something to consider.

Secondly, don't go in and immediately set up your horse while the other exhibitors come in. Wait until the last horse has come in, and then ask your horse to show. Set the feet, but wait for ears and neck until the judges actually start coming over. And for after, while they are comparing entries to place.

For young horses, just don't sweat it, it makes the horses more jittery if you're frustrated. A good judge will be slightly (slightly) patient for 30 seconds while you set your youngster up for them to get a good look. Some judges are not patient, but some are.

Anyway, practice a couple times a week on setting up, and be sure to give a cue to "release" and walk forward so the horse knows you aren't asking them to stand forever. My horses set up when I squeeze their withers, and when I give a loud "kiss" they can walk out of the pose.

I actually make them set up quickly each night they are brought in for dinner... The quicker they cooperate and square up their feet and set their necks, the faster they'll get their dinners.

Some horses like it and some hate it, but training and consistency is the key.

Hope that helps.

Andrea

 

[Sandee]

I like the "set up" before dinner idea.

However, I was told to just walk them on the lead, think whoa 1, and say whoa with maybe a slight tug if they aren't used to the "whoa" cue and remember to stop your body motion. They'll pick up on you moving or getting ready to move or not stopping etc. After the "1" there shoud be no movement (from you or the horse) for a beat or two. My first trainer said my stallion was a "natural" because when he stopped he stopped square. If he doesn't stop and stay you must correct him by saying NO or backing him and trying again until he "gets it".

After all forward motion has stopped, you should calmly step in front of the horse (if he is squared) to get his attention for his neck and ears. Make yourself BIG.......if you're not big as I'm not then make yourself big in your mind. If he hasn't stopped square then work with him to get him to stand square. Taking one step to one side or the other (you and the horse) will sometimes work to bring their feet together.

If you need to work on squaring him, work for no more than 10 minutes (5 is probably enough) a day. Square him up and tell him whoa and count to 5 then reward him. The next time try counting to 7 or 10. If he stays reward him. The key is to watch him and before he moves out of position release and reward him. Working to get the time longer and longer. My trainer could take my stallion out in the arena and drape the lead casually over his arm, even look away from him, and expect that horse to NOT MOVE and he did not. It took me 2 or 3 years before he would do that for me.

Patience.......lots and lots of patience.

Just a word of encouragement. It only took my mare about a month to get to the stage that my stallion and I were at after 3 years.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

http://www.starsminiatures.com/newwhoa.html

 

[ThreeCFarm]

I know we all do things differently, and what works for one may not work for another, but I never use the word "no" with a horse. No sounds too much like whoa, and they mean two totally different things. If I'm getting onto a horse for doing something wrong, I say "quit" or make an "eh" sound, that way there is no confusion.

 

[wingnut]

Thanks everyone! We have a week before our next show so we'll see if we can make any progress. I know Rome wasn't built in a day so I won't expect miracles. Especially since for my one girl, this is her first year of doing this. In fact, last week was her first time away from our place or in a trailer since we brought her home last year. Out of a class of 9, they placed 4th (new girl) and 5th ("old" girl...in my avatar) in their senior mare class. I was tickled pink with the results considering how green we all are...we can only do better if we work at it though.

 

[Sandee]

I know we all do things differently, and what works for one may not work for another, but I never use the word "no" with a horse. No sounds too much like whoa, and they mean two totally different things. If I'm getting onto a horse for doing something wrong, I say "quit" or make an "eh" sound, that way there is no confusion.

I know what you're saying but I couldn't help thinking about when I "talk" to my horses. LOL I doubt very much if they confuse my Whoooa with my NO!

 

[Jill]

What I used to do, was to have a very short sessions each time to and from the round pen. A lot of times I was able to simply rock them back and forth with their halter, and they would square up. If not, I would work with setting their fee (back feet first). Each session was less than 5 minutes long, and I would work with them to give their ears and neck. As soon as I gott heir ears and neck, they would get a reward. It seems to work really well, and I think a key factor was that the sessions were short. Youngsters do not have a long attention span, and they get frustrated quickly. You don't want them to start feeling frustrated with standing pretty.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

You've been at it long enough Sandee that I have no doubt you are correct. However, newbies often don't realize it is their tone of voice, etc that the horse is listening to. I have a friend that is just starting out with horses (big horses) and she's having trouble understanding that concept. She uses the same tone no matter what she says. We're working on it, LOL.

 

[Sandee]

You've been at it long enough Sandee that I have no doubt you are correct. However, newbies often don't realize it is their tone of voice, etc that the horse is listening to. I have a friend that is just starting out with horses (big horses) and she's having trouble understanding that concept. She uses the same tone no matter what she says. We're working on it, LOL.

Oh, boy, do I understand what you're saying. I try to tell my grandchildren the difference between saying whoa and Whoooa is more like their mom saying "pretty please (insert child's name) ,please" and "(child's first and middle name), do it now!" And this involves the reins as well as the voice. It is a hard concept to get across but when I tell them in terms of their Mom talking to them they seem to "get it" easier. LOL

In fact I love the lopsided little grin my grandson gives me when he thinks about how his Mom might talk to him.

 

[Helicopter]

No help here but just want to share.

I bought an older experienced show gelding. The first 2 shows I took him to he never stood still not even for a moment....even though he did in practice at home.

It was SO EMBARRASSING.

Anyway I rang his previous owner and she said LIquorice. He had figured out that in the ring he could not be vigorously corrected and could get away with murder unless he had an incentive to do the right thing.... like liquorice in the glove (or whatever). Next show the boy never moved a muscle.

Him experienced, me not so......and he knew it. Rascal.

 

[Hayley~Diaz]

I have found this the most useful for me:

Consistency is the key.

Dont 'talk' to your horse when training. Horses don't understand english (or any human language for that fact). Tone of voice is what they understand. Also if your horse 'gets it wrong', it's probably not HIS fault - you could be giving him 100 different commands at once...which one does he follow???

I also find that people will 'hold grudges' against their horse. The horse does something wrong and the handler gets annoyed and gives the horse all this 'negative energy' which the horse reacts on, thereby creating an angry handler and an upset horse.

I often am a steward at shows and one thing that annoys me the most is seeing a handler trying to stand their horse up while holding them right by their head (i.e. short length of lead). Horses like their head space and don't like feeling claustrophic - this does not mean holding the lead riiiggghhhttt a the end letting the horse do whatever it feels. So basically, give the horse about 1ft of head space.

Use the lead to get his attention. This means everytime the horse loses focus, jerk the lead until he is listening to you again (I sometimes stamp my foot too lol). But like children, horses can get sick of doing the same thing for a long time, so stand your horse up just as you feel the judge is ready to come and look.

An exercise I do: I say 'Stand' in a firm voice, as soon as the horse moves I jerk the lead and say again 'Stand'. Even with my young, naughty stallion I can make him stand, go to the end of the lead, walk around him as he watches me. - Do you want me to do a video to show you??

Getting a horse to stand can also be affected by his respect for you - if he doesn't respect you, why should he stand for you?

Remember you are the LEAD HORSE. When you're with your horses you are affectively in 'the herd'. Training is as simple as if he bit or kicked you, you kick him back (with a growl). Yes, this may sound as 'abusive' to some people but it is actually assertive. A lead horse in a herd would very quickly kick the horse back - you are playing lead horse. --- By this I dont mean beat your horse up, a simple kick back, enough to make the horse goes "oppps!!! sorry!!" - as I said above, don't hold a grudge on the horse either!

ANOTHER THING. Sometimes horses rear. When they rear, they're looking for a reaction, like a child. Don't give them a reaction. Just completely ignore it and they do stop - I know this from experience.

Any other questions just ask.

Hope you found this helpful.