How to Train a Horse for Halter Showmanship

The showmanship at halter class is designed to exhibit not only how well you are able to control your horse, but also how well you are able to highlight the beauty and the athleticism of the animal. A polished showmanship performance may look easy, but a lot of hard work and dedication goes into creating that flawless performance. Training your horse for showmanship can be just as challenging as training for any other equine discipline.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter
  • Lead rope
  • Crop
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a quality halter on your horse. A rope halter works well for training, since it provides more control than a flat nylon halter or a leather show halter.

    • 2

      Attach a quality lead rope to the halter. The rope should be soft and easy to grasp, and it should have a solid brass snap that is strong and difficult to break.

    • 3

      Lead your horse with the horse's shoulder lined up with your own. Cluck to encourage your horse if it begins to fall behind. Reach back with the crop and lightly tap the horse if it fails to respond to your verbal cues.

    • 4

      Say "whoa" to your horse and stop moving. Your horse should respond and stop moving its feet. If it doesn't, quickly pull back on the lead rope to stop your horse. Continue working with moving off and stopping until your horse stops as soon as you do.

    • 5

      Move around in as flat an area as you can, starting and stopping your horse as you go. Change pace and have your horse move with you. Changing speeds often will help your horse remain energized and engaged.

    • 6

      Stop your horse and stand facing the side of its head. Push lightly on the horse's shoulder until the horse moves away from the pressure. Continue to apply more pressure until your horse moves. Work on this exercise until your horse moves away at the slightest pressure to its shoulder.

    • 7

      Apply that shoulder pressure and push lightly on the lead rope at the same time. Continue working until your horse moves his shoulder away and turns as soon as you move the lead rope. Work on both sides until your horse is turning freely and is eventually able to turn all the way around with just pressure from the rope.