Showmanship at Halter is a class for youth and amateur exhibitors that is designed to judge the exhibitor’s ability to fit and show a horse at halter. According to the American Quarter Horse Association rulebook, “the horse is merely a prop to demonstrate the ability and preparation of the exhibitor. The ideal showmanship performance consists of a poised, confident, neatly attired exhibitor leading a well groomed and conditioned horse that quickly and efficiently performs the requested pattern with promptness, smoothness and precision.”
The Horse’s Appearance
According to AQHA Professional Horseman, Darlene Trein, one of the biggest components of a Showmanship pattern is the appearance of the horse and exhibitor. Confidence, good posture and grooming can make or break a Showmanship pattern.
Trein pointed out, “Anytime you talk about Showmanship, you have to talk about the appearance of the horse. It doesn’t have to be the most beautifully built horse out there with the best head, but it needs to be well-prepared.”
Well-prepared, the trainer says, includes having a clean, fit horse with a short, shiny hair coat. The horse should also be wearing a clean, well-fitting leather halter and lead strap. This portrays that the horse has been taken care of properly, and that the exhibitor put in time and hard work to prepare for the show. Along with the appearance of the body, there are some grooming details that are very important when exhibiting in a Showmanship class.
“The horse’s hooves should be perfectly manicured by your blacksmith, whether that means they are shod or just trimmed. The morning of the show, they should be groomed, either with hoof oil, a glossy spray or hoof black,” Trein says. “The horse should also be clipped very carefully, paying close attention to the bridle path, ears, fetlocks and muzzle. The tail must be perfectly washed and flowing. If a tail extension is used, it needs to match as closely as possible and be concealed. You also want the mane clean, combed and laying down. In stock horse breeds, it is important to have the mane banded or braided.  
“Basically, Showmanship is a whole collage of grooming. The more time you spend and details you pay attention to, the better your horse will look.”
The Exhibitor
Now that the horse’s appearance is taken care of, Trein moves on to the exhibitor. “The ideal showmanship performance consists of poise and confidence.
“Often times, I observe the halter showmen,” she says. “The main purpose of Showmanship is to present the horse as if it were a halter class. I have taken a lot of moves from the halter exhibitors and applied it to Showmanship. They’re goal is completely to present the horse to the judge. It’s an act of salesmanship.”
According to Trein, it is the portrayal of being a salesman that turns a good Showmanship pattern into an excellent pattern. “In halter, the exhibitor’s complete focus is on the horse. Their eye movements, body language and gestures are all to present that horse.” Because of this, the trainer teaches her students to always use body movements that will accentuate the horse, not take away from it.  
Natural and Confident
The first maneuver Trein teaches new students is to be able to walk a straight line toward the judge and stop squarely. She recommends looking just above the judge’s hat when walking toward him or her. “It gives the impression that the exhibitor is actually looking at the judge. Looking up over the judge’s head (without lifting your entire face) also helps with confidence, because the exhibitor can avoid the intimidation of staring a stranger in the face.”
After a straight line and square stop, Trein teaches her students to square the horse’s feet precisely. Once the feet are set, Trein likes the exhibitor to take one step back at an angle (toes pointing toward the horse), like a halter horse exhibitor would do.
“That body language says that your body is focused on your horse. After you take a step back; look up at the horse’s ear and then out at the judge. You’ve already looked at the feet to do the set-up, so there’s no reason to look over the whole body again once you step back,” Trein tells her students. “That step back say’s you’re ready to present your horse with confidence.”
Another key point the trainer emphasizes is to be natural. She often has students run around the arena without the horse and then with the horse. The goal is to mimic the free run as closely as possible with the horse. “Not everybody runs pretty,” Trein says. “But when you try to alter your run, you make it look worse.”
Practice, Practice, Practice
Although Trein’s tips sound easy, a bobble in the pattern can throw off any exhibitor’s confidence. That’s why at Trein Training Center, Showmanship horses go through practice drills daily.
“I tell exhibitors that when they present their horse in Showmanship they will need a ‘tool box,’” Trein says. “The horse needs to know how to spin quickly and easily, stop at the judge squarely and walk and trot off with the exhibitor. After enough practice, all this should be able to happen with slack in the lead.”
The Drills
To do this, Trein maintains that hours and hours of consistent practice are mandatory for a good Showmanship horse. “We practice Showmanship every day,” Trein says. The most effective way the trainer has found to perfect Showmanship moves is by running drills, which consist of performing certain maneuvers over and over. Trein will usually trot off, stop, turn and set-up the feet in a drill.
“You want to make sure the horse trots off immediately as you move your hand forward and stops with your body. You also want the horse to begin spinning as soon as you step toward their body and sets their feet up immediately when you ask. Usually, by the time you get to the end of the drill, you’ve encountered at least ten problems. So you just do it again.”
Trein also points out that drilling a horse through Showmanship maneuvers can be very tasking and rewards are necessary. “The presentation of a Showmanship horse is a happy, alert horse that has its ears up. If you constantly drill the horse and never give a reward, he will get sour. When the horse does something right during drills, I tell students to reach up and pet their heads. It makes the experience more pleasurable for the horse.”
During drills, Trein also breaks up the monotony for the horse by walking off and turning to the left. She also incorporates backing into some drills. This way, the horse learns to follow the exhibitor, not to just follow the pattern.  
Trein says the most important thing for a winning Showmanship pattern is to do your homework at home. If you practice consistently at home, your horse will learn to do the maneuvers with precision and you will become more confident in your own movements.
 
Darlene Trein
Darlene Trein has been an equine industry professional for over 35 years. She and her husband, Dan, train out of Trein Training Center in Seville, Ohio. Together, the Trein’s have trained and coached multiple AQHA World and Congress Champions in open, youth and amateur events. Trein Training Center focuses on all-around events and have had many successful clients over the years. Darlene has also presented clinics throughout the country on Showmanship.