Why You're Not Winning - Showmanship

Showmanship is a popular class. It's also a class a lot of people think is easier than it really is. There are a lot of times exhibitors come out of a class without a ribbon and no idea why they didn't get one. I entitled this "Why You're Not Winning" because if you aren't doing most of these things, you are probably not in the ribbons.

How It's Scored:
Showmanship is scored on a 20 point basis.
Some judges score as 10 points for pattern and 10 points for turn out.
Other judges break it down by quality of run. 19-20 is Excellent, no faults, excellent presentation and pattern. And on down the line.
Most judges do NOT have a "points off" system that I hear so many people claim. "Oh you lost at least 2 points when you crossed over too slow!" No, it's all cumulative on the judges opinion of your run. Most judges (all the good ones) won't be seen writing anything down until the end of the run. If you look down while it's going on, you'll miss something.

At the Cone:
You really ought to be showing your horse before you even reach this marker. At the first marker of your pattern, you should have your horse set up correctly. Unlike halter, in showmanship your horse should have a level or nearly level head set throughout the pattern. You shouldn't pull his head down in front of the judge, as most judges frown on this. Also, be in the correct quarter at the very start of your pattern. Watch your judge for his nod. As soon as he tells you he's ready, get moving. If he's standing there waving at you for 30 seconds to get your attention, you're out. Every second counts in Showmanship. Your pattern should flow seamlessly from beginning to end. At the cone, be ready to go!

Setting Up and Inspection:
You've got about 4 seconds to get your horse set up for inspection. So, practice, practice, practice at home. Remember, you can not touch your horse, point at his feet (with your hand or your own feet), or be loud while telling him what to do. Practice, practice, practice. Haul your horse to different arenas and make him practice at places other than at home. When your horse is set up squarely, if you were to draw a line from his left front to left rear, right front to right rear, left front to right front, and left hind to right hind, you'd have a rectangle. Not a rhombus, trapezoid, etc.
You've got to teach your horse how to set up with minimal movement on your part. Most horses are trained to move their feet by the exhibitor lifting and lowering their hand. Find a way that works for you, and train yourself and your horse to do that.
When you have your horse set up, it is important that you are holding yourself correctly. Stand up tall. Have your right hand on the shank - never switch hands. Keep your elbow slightly bent. For your free arm, hold your free hand up, so your arm is at a right angle. Thumbs on top of your fist, wrists straight. Keep your toes pointing forward. Don't lock your knees. Look up. Keep an eye on the judge, but also check that your horse remains set up. Some judges will look to see you "address" your horse.


Something that seems to give newbies to Shomanship trouble is the Quarter System. The QS dictates where you should be while the judge is inspecting your horse. Here's a diagram (assume the weird brown blob is your horse...):



The lines go from your horses poll to his tail and across his withers. Basically, you should always be on the same side of the judge when he is a rear quarter. When he is in a front quarter, you should be opposite the judge. So, when he is in I you are in II. When he is in II you are in I. When he is in III, you are in II. When he is in IV, you are in I.

You should cross over quickly and effectively. Avoid bumping into your horse. You should point your toes towards the front hoof opposite from you to be in the correct position. Do not forget to address your horse. Take as many steps as you need to cross over cleanly and effortlessly, but don't scuttle across. Do not cross over until the judge has made his way COMPLETELY across the invisible line. The moment his second step is across the line, you should be in the correct quarter. Practice it at home with your trainer, parent, husband, or friend.

Walking:
When you are walking with your horse, most judges prefer to see the exhibitor walking even with the horse's throatlatch. Don't have your horse right on top of you. This is also refered to as the exhibitor being "tight" to the horse. You should be far enough away that the horse won't bump into you as you are traveling.
Walk with a purpose. Look where you are going. Don't look at your horse. Hold your arms in the same way as you would during inspection.

Trotting:
You have to run with the horse! I don't get the people who think that just because their horse will trot while they walk that it's acceptable in a showmanship class. You should be in the same position next to your horse. Practice at home to see what it takes to get your horse trotting from a stand still. A helpful hint: if your horse is a little bit slower to trot off, begin prepping him prior to the marker in order that you don't miss it.

Stopping:
Don't look at the horse. Don't look at the horse. Don't look at the horse. When you are stopping and look at your horse before he has stopped fully, he will swing his haunches out. To teach your horse to stop squarely, practice with the horse between you and the fence. Trot parallel to the fence and stop. The horse can't swing his hind end out because the fence is there to stop him. Once you've stopped, face your horse. If the pattern calls for going to a walk from the trot, you should not face your horse, but rather just transition down.
Do not run over the judge. Stop about 3-4 feet from the judge. It is important that whenever you are approaching a judge that you line your horse up with him, NOT yourself. Remember, showmanship is showing your HORSE. You will be slightly off to the judge's left.

Pivots:
Pivots seem to cause a lot of problems for people. It involves a lot of practice at home. Teach your horse to move his shoulders away and cross over when you walk at him. You should never, ever touch your horse to get him to turn. The horse should plant a pivot foot. A lot of judges don't mind which foot the horse plants, as long as he does it and keeps it planted through out the rotation. The horse should keep a straight line from poll to tail.
It's important that you don't push your horse backwards through a pivot because he is likely to step out and just back around his turn. Instead, focus on lateral forward movement.
Make sure you cue your horse to turn at the same time as you start moving towards him so you don't run into his face. Most exhibitors like to walk at the horse's nose as it leaves you in better position to leave the pivot.

Pull Turns:
Pull turns aren't quite as popular anymore as a lot of judges don't feel that they are very safe. And they aren't, really. When doing a pull turn, you need to face the horse and step backwards. The horse should plant and turn on the hindquarter.
Pull turns should never be bigger than 90 degrees. If a pattern calls for a larger one, contest it at the show office.

Backing:
When backing, face your horse. Do not stand directly in front of him. This is another thing to practice at home. When you walk at him, he goes backward quickly and in a straight line. Practice backing the same as practicing stopping - against the fence. This will get your horse backing straighter more easily.

Things to Avoid:

• Don't ever have your hand on the chain.
• Don't have more than one coil of "tail". One large loop is it. Do not have your loop tight around your hand.
• Don't touch your horse
• Don't ever stop showing.

Helpful Exercises:

• When practicing leading your horse to the judge, pick a tree or a fence post and practice taking your horse straight to it at both a walk and a trot. Some horses don't like going towards people straight on, so practice at home.
• Get a friend to video tape you. If you've got a trainer, have them tape you so that you can go over the footage together. Once you can see what you are doing, you'll know what's right, and what needs to be fixed.
• Smile, relax, and have fun with it. Showmanship can be a fun class if you do your homework and don't make it tougher than necessary. Judges love smiles!

The deal with showmanship is that it's something you can practice with your horse every single time you lead him. So, saying you don't ever get to practice is no excuse. Practice makes perfect!