[BarrelRaceQH]

my mare when i do halter her front stand side by side but her back dont they are like a foot apart. how can i make her stand square.



Aslo her head goes pretty high in saddle and in halter how can her head go down for show.

[Blistering Winds]

A foot apart forward and backwards? Or a foot apart side by side? You DON"T want the feet to stand on top of each other. That makes the hips stand out too much and makes them look funny.

LOTS and LOTS of work. EVERY time you stop, square her up. Then let her relax. I mean EVERY time you stop.

As for the head in halter, it is ok. Don't sweat it. As she relaxes, the head will relax too. A good judge can see conformation with a head up. Sometimes makes it EASIER to see the neck ties and stuff. At least it does for me.

As for riding. Collection and impulsion. As the horse builds the back muscles, the head and neck will follow. Mine, at 6 yrs old, and lots and lots of work this past year, has finally begun to drop his head. YIPEE!!! Not much, but it is a start.

You can speed things up with a good trainer. Who knows what they are doing with the aids. I do not suggest someone who does not know how to use them try, as they can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

Good Luck

[Moostang]

I found the easiest way to square a horse was to square the back by backing the horse up until the backs are even(don't worrie about the fronts yet), then using your feet to adjust the front to be square(you should be able to take your foot and slightly pick up the horses foot foward and put it where you want it), if you do this everytime you stop the horse, even when leading in the pasture they tend to get the idea and start stopping this way.

[belle4]

BRQH,

How to square up for showmanship. Keep the right hind still and set the left hind first. The right hind will eventually be used for the pivot. Want to reinforce keeping it planted now. Get so you can swing the left hind by pulling forward and pushing back with the lead. Ignore all of the other feet and only concentrate on that left hind. When the horse moves the left hind, stop and praise him. Even if it is not "square". In the beginning, you are teaching the horse to move the foot you choose. Back and forth for the hind, up and down on the lead for the front. Let's say you want to move the left front foot. The horse has to have it's weight on the right front foot or it won't work. Push the head away from you and pull up on the lead. Have you hand close to the halter. This will transfer his weight to the right and free up the left so the horse can move it. Think of this. If you are leaning on your right foot and someone pushes you, you will step forward with your left foot. You don't want to throw the horse off balance, just help him by freeing up the foot you want him to move. You have to be able to isolate all 4 feet and move them independently on command. Once this is accomplished, you can move his feet anywhere and "settin up" will be no problem.

In showmanship, to perform a correct pivot the horse must perform the pivot on the right hind and will recieve more points than a horse performing a pivot on the left hind (in a push turn). When you are starting out it's ok to put your hand on the horses shoulder to push them away from you. They have to learn that when you are facing them and step towards them they should step away. Start out big by leading straight about 10 steps and then turning right maybe 10 degrees. The horse has to learn to get out of your way. As the lesson progresses, you can increase the degrees in the turn and decrease the amount of forward steps. When you can walk forward a few steps and close your left shoulder in on the horse and he starts moving right, you will know that the lessons are working. This is when you can start asking for one step of the pivot from the stop. Face the horse, you are still on the left side, out in front so you can see the horses hip (your toes pointing towards his hooves) bring your hand forward, I cluck as a verbal que, and step towards your horse. If the horse bends his head, neck, shoulder and doesn't move his feet, pull him back towards you and ask him again. It also helps to have the left hind ahead of the right hind so he is set up to make the correct decision from the start. Eventually, as the horse steps away from you and crosses left over right with his front feet, you will "pull" the left hind forward with the lead. Your left shoulder will prevent forward motion and the lead will prevent him from backing up. The left hind has to step around the right hind. The right hind will stay planted. When you get to a point in the turn where the left hind is too far behing the pivot foot, pull the left hind forward. I hope this makes sense. I have taught many horses showmanship and just like anything else it takes time and practice. I think it is the hardest class because it is soooo precise. Body position is huge. Joe will perform showmanship patterns halterless, but if you are in the wrong position, he will step out of the turn.


For showmanship, you are not allowed to touch the horse at all. You can not physically place the feet. They have to be able to set up with just the lead rope.

[cassidy]

there are lots of different methods of getting a horse to stand square ill get you some info be right back

[cassidy]

Training and Maneuvers for the Halter Horse

Mark Arns, Ph.D., Mary Ann Papay-Harris, M.S., Libby Lugar, M.S., & Sue Webb, M.S.

The ability to have a horse stand square is not only important in the show ring (showmanship and halter)and sale ring, but is also important to the training process. Ground work introduces the horse to the concept of giving to pressure and develops the relationship between the horse and handler. If the horse learns to respond promptly and willingly to light cues on the halter, it will more readily respond to cues given by the handler in the more advanced stages of the horse's training. Being able to have your horse presented to judges and prospective buyers in an alert, correct manner, is part of the key of becoming a successful horseperson. Too many times young horsemen rely on "chance" when presenting horses in halter and showmanship classes. Some exercises and training tips which will help handlers develop a consistent "showmanship" horse include:

Responding to Halter Pressure

I) Horses must respond to light pressure from the halter before being asked to perform other maneuvers.

a.Proper fit of the halter is crucial in developing the horses response. Halters should fit snugly around the bridge of nose and under the throatlatch.

Correct Fit . ............................................Incorrect Fit

Figure 4. Proper fit of halters not only assures consistent presentation of halter cues, but is safer for the horse as well.

b. Horses must come forward freely (and back) and willingly when asked to do so by the handler.

1. If a horse is reluctant to go forward, ask him to do so nicely with halter cue (push with hand and lead - not a jerk). If response doesn’t come, drive him forward from behind with the end of a lead rope or with a buggy whip. Let the horse walk/trot forward, and relax. Then ask again. Only use lead/whip to reinforce stimulus when response is lacking. Don’t rely on them as a cue! Vocal cues aid in moving the horse forward.

2. Use a similar philopsophy when teaching a horse to back. This time, pressure is applied to the front quarter if response is lacking.

c. Chains placed under the chin can be used to reinforce cues. Chains can and should be used in a positive manner in order to receive a response with a lighter cue. However, many horses will respond to a chain with a timid reaction when the chain is first used. It is important to incorporate the chain in a slow and patient fashion so the horse will not respond in an undesirable manner.

d. War bridles can be used to sharpen the horse’s response and reinforce cues. They should be used by experienced handlers only. Misuse can hurt horse and/or handler. Often horses will strike out or lurch forward when pressure is applied for the first time.

Figure 5. The war bridle provides simultaneous pressure on the horse’s poll, nose, and chin. When used properly, it sharpens your horse’s response to halter cues.

II) Leading the horse

It is very important when leading horses that the handler remain even with the horses’ throat latch (on the left side) at all times.

a. The handler must walk "with" the horse, being careful not to pull or push the horse forward.

1. Pulling a horse will result in a tense and scared horse that will respond by moving very slowly if at all.

2. Pushing a horse (standing at the shoulder while leading) will cause horse to "wait" until the handler catches up before moving at a faster pace.

b. The same position is crucial when asking horse to trot. Extend the right arm forward and cluck or kiss to the horse. The handler must wait for the horse to take the first step before he/she starts to trot with the horse.





Figure 6. Proper position (A) of handler while leading a horse. Too far ahead (B) or behind (C) the horse presents an unprofessional appearance, and does not allow for proper presentation of cues.

III) Setting up (standing square)

a. This process must be executed consistently each time horse is asked to stand square. Always set hind feet first. Generally, the horse’s left foot is stationary, and the handler aligns the right foot to meet the left.

1. It is very important that every time setting up is practiced, the handler only moves the right hind foot while the left remains stationary. Note: Selecting the foot to be stationary is up to the individuals preference as long as it is practiced the same way every time. To prevent nervous movement, pause between each movement to keep the horse calm. Eventually, the horse will naturally "search" for the proper alignment when handler begins to apply cues. When the proper alignment is achieved, the handler should say "whoa" to let the horse know to stop.

2. After hind feet are set, align the front feet. With logical thinking the handler can position the horse’s front feet by lifting the horse’s head (to shift the weight to the hindquarters) and moving the lead with straight forward or backward motions. The horse will respond by moving the proper foot.

Figure 7. Teaching a horse to stand square. Note, the handler may need to "help" the horse by placing a hand on the withers to shift the horse’s weight.

b. Once horse is set up, the handler should say "whoa" and take one step away from horse. This lets the horse know the handler no longer is trying to move the horse’s feet and that the horse is to remain in that position. This movement also gives the handler a larger field of vision around the horse.

IV) Pivots

When turnarounds or pivots are performed correctly, the horse turns over his hindquarters with the inside hind foot being the stationary pivot foot. The horse’s body remains relatively straight as the left front foot crosses over the right front while turning.

a. This maneuver can be difficult for some horses. Remember, start slow, let the horse become comfortable doing 90° turns before progressing to 180°, 270°, 360°, and so on.

b. The handler must be able to move the horse’s shoulder. Too many beginners try pushing the horse’s head around. As a result, the horse becomes over-bent and does not pivot. During the initial training period, it may be necessary to hold the lead with the left hand and encourage the horse to move the shoulder with the right hand.

c. The handler’s position during the turn is crucial. If the handler walks out, or backs out of the turn, the horse will do the same. Therefore, it is very important for the handler to stay on the arc of the turn.

d. Once the horse is taught the necessary maneuvers to complete a showmanship class, the next step is to put all maneuvers together so they may be performed in a smooth and subtle manner.

Working on these maneuvers every day is a must. The handler needs to make sure to keep the horse’s attention at all times and to never allow the horse to become dull or lethargic when working at halter. A key to good showmanship/salesmanship is to be able to get the horse’s attention when needed so that he is alert at opportune times.

[i_luv_moth]

What i do is tell him u want him to go forward and then when they start to move but not step i push her back and she stands square

[rodeoqueen18]

If you keep making her walk backwards for a while she might get it, just tug a bit on her halter, also, for the head thing if you say 'head down' and pull down slightly on the lead rope or reins until she does it, then release the pressure and say good girl, and keep doing that every time she does it, she'll finally get it.
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Shelby

[PinkJumper]

when i get my horse to stand sqaure for modeling we don't get the in complete sqaure--
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../petemodel.jpg that is my horse that is how we get them sqaured up,but his head should be down and arched