Training Your Halter Horse for the Show Ring

By Ken Adkins

Consistency, as stated in the previous article, will be the key to everything you do in the training portion of this entire process.  Consistency in feeding, schedules, and exercise.

I don't want to oversimplify the training process of the halter horse but it is definitely not rocket science.  As a professional horse trainer, I would like nothing more than to have everyone use a trainer to fit their horse.  The reality is that if you have the facilities, the time and the dedication you can successfully train a successful halter horse at home.  I would be remiss if I did not say that at a certain point along the way you may need professional help to get over some hurdles and in the end to reach your ultimate goal.  I have had several customers over the years that have used me just to get their horse off to a good start early in the year and because of economics cannot keep the horse in training throughout the show season.

First, during the handling process, try to keep the contact with your horse strictly business.  It is one of the biggest problem areas for people who work their own horse because the horse comes to expect interaction with the handler and that gets in the way of getting the horse shown.  Use a simple measure to distinguish between work time and normal handling by placing the chain under the chin during all work time.  Also, anytime you stop your horse, regardless of what you are doing, ask the horse to set up square and stand quietly.

Training begins with the conditioning routine that we established in the previous article.  I always ask the horse to go through the halter show routine right out of the barn.  This does two things.  The first is that it serves to focus the horse's attention on what we are about to do and second, it serves as a gauge as to how the horse will show right out of the stall which will be the case at some horse shows.  Do not spend a great deal of time with this and try not to start a fight that you are not prepared to finish.  Again this time should be used for focusing the horse and providing you with some insight, not seeking perfection.

Next it’s conditioning time, which hopefully is very consistent time spent either lunging or ponying.  As soon as the conditioning time is over and you have hand walked your horse to refocus his or her attention you are ready to begin.

I generally do not use cones and or ring setups like the ones found at your local horse show in an effort to have the horse focus on my cue and not the visual cue of a cone.  During this time I'm looking for perfection and not only looking for it but demanding it.

Properly setting your horse up is huge in the training process.  It is critical in the pen and is vital to your success.  There is much more to it than just getting all four feet square.  Depending on the overall conformation of your horse, you may need to set the back feet further forward rather than perpendicular to the ground or vice versa. The best way to decide is to set the horse up, then stand back and look at how each different setup makes your horse look.  The goal is to find a setup of the front and back feet that enhances the horse’s strengths and hides their weaknesses.  Too much to the extreme of either will hinder your success. Also keep in mind that you can only hide so much.

Ideally your horse should be set up square, front and back legs perpendicular to the ground.  The horse’s back, chest, shoulder, hips and hind legs usually dictate where you need to set your horse.  Front and back feet closer together help the back look stronger.  Front feet back makes the chest and forearm have a little more "pop" or look bigger.  Certain placement of the back feet will do the same for the hip and stifle along with the hind leg.  The point of all this is you must determine what looks best and practice getting to that point when your are training your horse so that he or she is comfortable in that position when you ask for it in the show ring.  The good thing about this part of the training process is that you can reinforce it just about anytime by practicing in the barn aisle way.   Trust me in training, repetition and consistency are key.  If you have trouble determining what looks best, have someone video you setting the horse up or ask for help from someone who knows.  Remember you have to get comfortable with this process as well as your horse because the horse can only do what it is asked to do.  If you park it out like a gaited horse or stand it on a postage stamp it will probably try to accommodate your request.

The actual training of setting up can start as simply as hand placing a young horses feet each time you stop.  You will find that with repetition the horse will start getting close to the desired set up on its own.  The fine tuning is done with the use of subtle cues using the chain, which is under the horse’s chin and run up the opposite side of the halter, and with the right hand and right foot or toe.  Most trainers use the chain to set the back feet, moving the chain forward and back to get the horse to move the feet into the desired location.  The front feet are moved by placing the hand on the wither and gently pulling and using your right foot or toe to show the horse the desired location of first, the right front foot and then the left front foot.  In the beginning this may seem a little awkward but remember you have to get comfortable with the process too as you will ultimately be critical to the success of the horse.

During this time while training, if at any time you feel discouraged just hand place the feet.  Again, you want to reinforce the desired setup.  I usually discourage hand placement of the feet on the right side of the horse just for safety reasons as it is very easy to lose control when you are bent over holding the tip of the lead.  The level of the head also needs to factor into your equation.  Some horses look better with their heads up high and others tend to look better with the head held a little more level.  Consider this when you are working on the overall setup of your horse.

Although I find it hard to believe, getting the horse to jog beside the handler can sometimes be a nightmare.  During the training process ask the horse repeatedly to jog off using some cue like clucking.  Remember if you use the same cue to jog in the round pen or on the lounge line the horse is more apt to understand your request.  The key here is to get the horse to jog beside you under control and in a straight line so that the judge can evaluate your horse’s movement and muscling.  The best showmen I've observed are just about invisible during the presentation of their horse.  I want to emphasize at this time that although there is "showmanship" involved in halter it is not showmanship, so practice standing still and presenting your horse to the best of your ability.  I'll discuss that more in the showing your horse next month.  The more you practice jogging your horse, the more comfortable you will both become with it.  Don't run so fast with your horse that you lose control.  The goal is to walk or jog beside your horse, whatever allows the horse to show  clean, fluid movement.  This will vary from person to person depending on the size of the horse and the stride of the handler.  Try to establish a routine of jogging or trotting off and setting up that takes about twenty minutes at the most.  Most horses become bored with the whole process at that point and you will be limited on how much you get out of your horse.

As I stated earlier, training a halter horse isn't difficult, but it is detail oriented work that requires consistency and repetition.