How to Train a Pig for Showmanship

Kids showing their animals in the fair are so cute. Look at the little 50-pound children showing that 250-pound pig. How do the kids get that pig to cooperate? Getting that pig to cooperate with the small tykes isn't too hard if the pig has been well trained. It can be a lot of work, but will pay off tenfold for the child who pours their heart and soul into it.

Things You'll Need

  • Pig
  • Pen
  • Water nipple
  • Feed pan
  • Feed
  • Cane
  • Practice Ring
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Instructions

    • 1

      Bringing the piglet home for the first time is bound to cause it fear and discomfort at being removed from all that it has known in its young life so far. Spending time in the pen touching the pig, talking to it and just getting it used to its surroundings, is the first step one must take in preparing the pig for the fair. After a few days when the pig has gotten used to its new surroundings, let it out of the pen and walk around. Don’t try to work it at this point.

    • 2

      Cane break the pig once the pig is used to being around its new owner and new surroundings. To cane break the pig, it has to understand that it needs to react to the cane. A tap on the right jowl with the cane will have the pig turning to the left, and a tap on the left jowl will turn it to the right. A light tap on the hind quarters will encourage it to walk. One thing to remember is that the idea is to have the pig react whenever the cane is moved within the pig’s line of vision, so that the cane doesn’t connect with the pig more than absolutely necessary.

    • 3

      Practice showing the pig in an open area. Practice working the pig without touching it with a cane. One of the best ways to do this is to put the cane down and only use hands to move the pig.

    • 4

      Put the pig in a ring. Make a show ring and practice showing the pig in the ring. Keep the pig away from gates and walls, and seven feet from the judge’s spot. If two or more pigs are available for practice, this would be a good time to get them used to being in a show pen with other pigs. Keep the pig as calm as it can be while walking slowly back and forth in front of the judge.