What do you look for?

[Pippin']

OK so now that I am getting really into training and working with Pippin I want all of your way more knowledgeable opinions on what you look for in a good show horse. I would love to show Pippin in all the classes I can (especially Driving, Trail, Showmanship, and Hunter\Jumper). I want to know what all of you look for personality and conformation wise in a versatility gelding.

A little about Pippin: He is an unregistered grey (i think), 32-33", slightly over weight (dang thing is on a diet but seems to gain weight breathing), gelding that looks more like a little draft than an Arab (though right now he looks like a Yak with a skin problem thanks to shedding). He is three years old (I decided that, since he's named after the drunk hobbit from Lord of the Rings his birthday is St Paddy's Day). He has nice conformation according to my unexperienced eye and my mom's more experienced eye though his hooves do seem to point out a bit when he stops, though that could be from not stellar trimming recently. He is extremely willing and intelligent, he took to the bridle, girth, and despooking in the first day of real training. He loves to be challenged and go out on walks as much as he can. I will post pictures as soon as I can but my mom has the camera at 4-H County Finals in Buckeye.

I would also absolutely LOVE any training\conditioning tips. My mom is helping me with getting him into harness but after ground driving she's admitted she will be of little help. I am in real need of how to set up for halter\showmanship (is it any different from big horses), anything and everything about show grooming for me and him, Liberty work, how to pick the best classes for him, and anything else you would like to give advise on. Also is he going to need to be put on supplements or grain for showing and training because I don't know anything about those since the most experience I've had with supplements is the stuff we give Finn for joints. (side note: he gets about 1 1/2 lbs of Alfalfa per feeding and I am trying to trim it don slowly since I just started weighing)

I am extremely glad I found this forum because I would be completely lost without everyone here. I have learned so much just reading everyone else's posts.

Also really sorry for the bouncing around and weirdly worded post, I have so many questions and really really want to pick everyone's brains.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

He doesn't necessarily need supplements for showing! Keeping him clean, groomed, and in condition is plenty. If his nutrition is right, his coat will gleam anyway! I've never put horses on supplements (except my little guy who had horrid foot and hair quality when i purchased him), just been a stickler to make sure they get proper nutirtion. Won tunrout awards all the time with my big mare.

My inner showmanship nerd is coming out here, so bear with me!

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! All the time. 3 or 4 x a week, even just for 10 minutes. Avoid long training sessions. Its so easy to get frustrated with showmanship, don't ever set yourself up to fail!

With showmanship, patience is the best training tool you can have. The set up, I think the best way to teach it is for you to stand in the showmanship position (toes pointed toward horse, big cheesy smile, eye the "judge" [i use a pole, a pto, another horse, just something to look at!], hands like you're holding a tea tray, etc) hold it for 10 seconds, then set your horse up using only the halter. Try not to use your hands on his feet. ALWAYS use a chain under his nose like you would in showmanship. It can get confusing to a horse to learn it without a chain, then switch to one in the ring, or vice versa. The same halter I practice in, I show in. No excuses this way!

To pivot, once again, PATIENCE! Go one step at a time at first. I used the handle of a jumping bat, and pressed it into his neck, as soon as he crossed a front foot over the other, i immediately released pressure. Then repeat. The first training session, I called it good at 3 consecutive crossovers! Never push a horse with showmanship, never make ti hard, its complicated enough. Build up slowly, then, wean yourself off the pressure on his neck, and more moving towards his front end. If I walk right at my horse's head from the side, he pivots.

Never neglect the walk off and the trot on! Instead of a cue (ie, a click, or a kiss,) put your hands lsightly forward, then you jog as he starts to trot. Once again, over exaggerate the hand motion at first, then click, kiss, tap with a whip, whatever until he trots. Same thing with a walk. Always look so polished to have a horse and handler walk off or trot off at the exact moment!

For the back up, as soon as you turn to face your horse "head on" (hard to describe) he should be backing up. Once again, over exaggerate the turn around, then make him back up. This is the easiest one to teach. Use less and less pressure on the chain, until all you have to do is face him head on and take a step towards him without touching his face. I practiced along a wall for 3 or 4 mos until he was 100% perfect, then we did it in the arena center. That way, my horse didn't learn to back up crooked!

Practice "showing your horse to the judge," have a friend stand, walk your horse up to him, have him walk around the horse as you move around, if your horse moves, just set him back up and do it again. A patient friend is the most useful tool here.

A thing I ALWAYS do is grab showmanship patterns from when i watch friends show, and save my own when i show. We practice 10 to 15 different patterns "all together," then practices just pieces as well. And once again, PATIENCE! It's taken my guy almost a year and a half to learn all this, and be a true "showmanship machine!"

For "halter halter," we practice setting up like for showmanship, then "parking em" (moving his front end forward until I say not to). We have a cue that means "I dont care if a bomb goes off, DONT MOVE" He then lets me set his legs with my hands, bait him, etc. Once again patience. He moves a foot, set it back, and move on. Halter is about making the horse look like a star, little mistakes are A-OK at first. We have a cue that lets him know it's ok to move his legs and walk off too.

For halter obstacle, we practice sidepassing, walking over scaryfull stuff, backing around things, etc. We de-spook constantly, even during conditioning. Lunging with a pepsi can with a few rocks in it on his surcingle, bells, walking over bubble wrap, tarps, wood, bags, etc, going over stuff (get crazy with paint on your jumps! caution tape is my BFF, hang it off the pole they are actually jumping, let it blow in the wind, and have them jump that, they will go over everything), going under stuff, fun noises, just go crazy! You will learn when to push your horse, and when not to push it. Just never take away an object when they are spooky, they will soon learn to act like a butt head and they won't have to do anything. However, don't set your horse up for failure (ie, bubble wrap over plywood to walk over when he's still spooky about the plywood!) Watch youtube, it will be your best friend for halter obstacle/trail etc.

For conditioning, I stand fimrly by lunging on a line with a surcingle and side reins. I've seen too many horses completely ruined by free lunging (aka free chasing in a lot of cases) that tweak out at whips, think they just need to RUN everytime soemone gets a whip out, get cut up by getting too close to the round pen, go right through a fence and need to be chased, don't ever come when out in the field, etc. You will hear people talk about "repetitive stress injuries" from lunging, but, on a 20 foot line I really don't think this is an issue with a mini. The "just chase em!" stigma seems to be less with working on a line, as they are attached to your arm. Some people don't like it, but it works too well for me to give it up.

Im no help with driving, I got my guy as an un halter broke 6 yr old. The fact he can do allof the above a year and a half later is good for me, (at this point in time, he WILL DRIVE someday [i hope]). Your guy sounds like the ideal companion - willing to please and likes to learn. Those are the two things I want for a performance horse!

Hope this helps! Im sure other people have other ways to do it that they prefer, however, this is what has worked for me and my guy.

 

[Pippin']

Thanks for the info! Pip's got the pivots down like no one's business. We are working on despooking because the ding dong goes through a "baby phase" every few training sessions where he will spook at something he's seen a million times (his most recent is ditches and bags). He's also got backing up really well because we need to back up a lot. I used to do Showmanship in 4-H but it was always with my friend's Paint gelding who was a Showmanship pro.

I have been lunging him whenever I can but haven't used a surcingle or draw reins yet but I am going to start soon.

Thanks again!

 

[Max's Mom]

We're pretty new to showing. What we did to learn more was to attend a few shows (just to observe) and ask questions. We also joined a miniature horse club in our area, which I would recommend if one is in your area. When you do go to a show, go with the attitude that you and Pippin are there to learn and to have fun, and that as you gain more experience you will become more competitive.

 

[Pippin']

I will have to look for any Mini clubs and shows in my area. I have never seen a Mini show on Horseshoe Park's calendar though I know there are some AMHA and AMHR shows at Westworld so I could talk my mom into taking me there. I go to open shows pretty regularly to practice my photography and just watch but the only time I have seen Minis there are in the Pony rides at Roots N' Boots and at the Breed Showcase during the Draft and Mule Show. Does anyone know if there is a club near Queen Creek Arizona?

 

[chandab]

I don't know of any shows, but do know there is a breeder in Queen Creek. Platinum Stables is in Queen Creek, maybe they can help you with the show information. Here's their website: http://www.minihorses.biz/contact.htm contact page first, and then home page: http://www.minihorses.biz/ I don't know them personally, their name and town just stuck in my head when I came across them previously.

 

[Pippin']

Thank you! I found a club that I think is somewhere near but I don't know if the horse has to be registered to join and my boy's not.

 

[Pippin']

So when looking for a horse to show in a number of classes what do you look for? I am wanting to show Pippin in Pleasure Driving, Halter, Showmanship, Trail, Obstacles, and pretty much anything I can get him in. What do you look for in regards to disposition, conformation, etc?

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Halter - confo and confo only! That's all the judge looks at.

Showmanship - responsiveness, ability to perform motions, not horrible confo

Trail - quiet, does obstacles right

Driving - movement, and temperment, performance ability

So, for all those things, I would look for a well put together horse, easy to train, with good movement.