Discover Top Posts Tagged with #my-dotted-obsession

dear horse :)

Dear Giraffe,

We'll get there buddy. Just wait.

I'd say love but you're a motherfucker and would run away,

Myssi

#i'm the short and sweet kinda person #my-dotted-obsession #non canadian trivia

I'm showing my gelding in halter and showmanship this year so we can get our feet wet with showing, but neither of us have much experience with showmanship. We've been doing well so far (he's got his transitions and such down, I'm actually really happy with it) but he does not know how to pivot. How do I go about teaching him? I have tried having him yield his forequarters as an exercise, but he refuses, so I went with simply pushing him while guiding his head, but he wont retain anything. Help?

Take it really really slow. A horse never masters the pivot right away. Make sure you’re in the right position first. Your shoulders should be even and back, and parallel to his neck so your chest is facing him directly. Start out with your sternum pointed directly at his throat latch, or a couple inches to the right of it, closer to his shoulder.

When you step into him, don’t guide his head. No pressure should be applied to his face or the chain on his halter. Instead, take your hand or a dressage whip, doesn’t matter which, and tap his shoulder as you walk into him. You’ve got to be insistent that he move his shoulder out of your way, not just his head. Move his shoulder, and his head will follow. Start small, just a quarter turn. You want his front legs to step over each other, and ultimately his left hind to step “over” his right hind.

Practice showmanship every chance you get! The more you do it and get your horse paying attention to you, and moving off your body, the better he’ll learn and the quicker he’ll understand :) Correct him firmly if he makes a mistake, but be gentle and understand that he may be misunderstanding your cues. If he’s having an off day, don’t get mad, just step away and try again tomorrow. It’ll take a long time to get the pivot down, so patience and persistence is key. Good luck, and feel free to message me again if you have any other questions!

#advice #showmanship #my-dotted-obsession