This month, Darlene Trein offers her expert Showmanship advice to help exhibitors move up from being simply a good exhibitor to being a winning exhibitor.
 
Trein stresses that different levels of Showmanship need different levels of attack. For a basic Showmanship performance, please read our January issue, which featured ‘Be a Salesman,’ where the expert trainer explained some basic Showmanship maneuvers, as well as an explanation of the class.
 
For the upper echelon of Showmanship exhibitors, Trein maintained that relaxation and confidence are key, along with lots of practice. “For the upper level showman, the Showmanship maneuvers themselves will not be that much harder, but the level of excellence will be that much higher,” Trein began. “All the Showmanship maneuvers must be performed on a draped lead strap. The horse needs to be so advanced and focused that he looks for your body movements. The judge should never even see your hand move.”
 
There are several maneuvers that are asked for in almost every Showmanship pattern, including a trot off from a stop, the set up and the back up. These are the movements that are often overlooked because of their commonality, but should be practiced constantly. Once the horse learns the basics of each maneuver, he will learn to follow your body position, not the lead.
 
To teach the horse to trot off on a draped lead, Trein recommended lots of repetition. “I tell exhibitors to start off at a halt, with a drape in the lead shank. You don’t want the lead so loose that there’s a lot hanging between you and the horse, but you do want about six to eight inches, so that it’s obvious that the horse is following you through the pattern,” Trein explained. “From the stop, you move your hand forward slightly, step off with your body and cluck or smooch. If the horse doesn’t immediately trot off with your body, I tell my students to pull him forward.
 
“Once you pull him forward into the trot, stop him and try it again. He’ll learn to watch your body to move off, so he doesn’t get the pull on his face. As soon as he follows your body once, stop him and praise him. Go do something else and then try it again. Do the same things as you did the first time; if he doesn’t trot right off with you, pull him forward.”
 
Trein pointed out that teaching the horse to trot off of your body will help immensely with the harder movements that are being requested in upper level Showmanship patterns. Moving from the normal trot to an extended trot is a maneuver that can cause problems for many exhibitors to execute cleanly. If the horse learns to watch your body position, Trein explained that the horse will move with you and your leg rhythm, helping to increase and decrease speed without any pulling on the lead.
 
To set a horse’s feet, Trein stressed that it must be performed as a ‘one-two’ maneuver. “The set up has to be a quick, no-fuss set up. The exhibitor has to be extremely exact, but also efficient.” Trein went on, “Once you’ve stopped your horse, you should be able to turn your body toward him and have him set his feet with two movements. Being that quick and exact will make your score so much higher. The judges have been standing out there for hours and will appreciate a quick, yet exact, set up and will reward you.”
 
Another maneuver that Trein pointed out as becoming more and more advanced is the back up. “There was a time where you could turn around and basically push your horse back. Now, the back up has to be done on a drape as well. To score high, you must be able to turn toward your horse and have him prepare for the back. Once you’ve turned, you want him to step away quickly and steer himself from the step of your body.”
 
Trein teaches her Showmanship horses this maneuver in the same way that she teaches the trot off. She begins by stopping the horse and turning her body toward it. Once she turns, she moves straight back toward the horse. If the horse does not immediately begin moving backward with her, she pushes him back with the lead rope, stops and tries the maneuver again. Eventually, the horse learns to prepare himself for the back up when the exhibitor turns, and learns to move off as soon as the exhibitor takes a step.
 
Although Trein maintained that practice makes perfect, she also pointed that there can be too much. “You have to be efficient with your practices and use them in small doses. Drilling a horse in Showmanship for hours doesn’t necessarily help. Practice one maneuver or a couple maneuvers and get them correct, then stop for awhile. You can (and will) always go back to work on them more later.
 
“This way, the horse doesn’t get burned out and stop trying. You want your horse to look happy and pleased in a Showmanship class. Making him hate the practices will not help. Praising the horse and giving him breaks will make a world of difference. Sometimes you can work and work with these horses and all the sudden it’s like, ‘oh, I get it!’ That’s a really good place to take a break.”
 
Trein also recommended pulling the horse forward to gain focus. “Everything we do is forward. If our horses don’t set up promptly, we pull them forward. We walk off, and then ask again. If they start paying attention to something else, we pull them forward. They also have to know ‘whoa.’ No Showmanship horse can excel unless he knows ‘whoa’ and knows it well.”
 
Not only does the Showmanship pattern determine the overall placing, the outfit can also affect the results. “I absolutely believe that your performance, presentation and outfit are all about your personality. Your outfit doesn’t have to be high dollar, but it does have to be neat and unique. Your outfit should represent you,” Trein said. She has seen many exhibitors that have a fairly inexpensive outfit that outshines the rest. A clean outfit that complements the exhibitor’s body and personality will always look the best.
 
One of the most important pieces of any outfit is the hat. The hat should match the outfit, be extremely clean and be professionally creased.
 
“Something I’ve noticed that many exhibitors ignore is the appearance of your hands,” Trein pointed out. “We personally don’t use gloves, so your hands are always visible in the show pen. I’ve noticed a lot of exhibitors do their own work to get their horse ready. They’ll be rushed and won’t take the time to clean up their hands before they go in.  
 
“You don’t have to have fake nails, but that whole hand area needs to look very neat. You lift your hand to show your horse to the judge, so dirt is very visible during your pattern.”
 
Trein also pointed out that makeup and jewelry are part of any female exhibitor’s outfit. Female exhibitors should be aware of their makeup, and try to look pleasant and happy, not overdone. “Have someone you trust look at your makeup before you show!” Trein recommended. The jewelry should also be simple and not overdone. Small pieces show attention to detail without overpowering the exhibitor.
 
For the overall outfit, Trein prefers an outfit that reflects the exhibitor’s personality. “Clothing is all about your personality. You can be extremely conservative and exquisite looking or bold and edgy,” Trein commented. “You also should pay attention to your body size. Black isn’t always the answer. You can slim areas with longer, clean lines that fit you.”
 
Trein has noticed that exhibitors often will try to wear outfits that are similar to what their competitors are wearing. She warned against following someone else’s style. “I think all the Showmanship clothing is a take-off of the current fashions, but your outfit has to fit your body type. You are the one that has to be happy with how your clothes feel and fit, because that will affect your showing. You want your pants to be neatly fitted and at least touching your boot heel. Your boots should be the same color as your pants, so the eye travels to you, not toward your feet.”
 
Other than those tips, the experienced trainer likes her exhibitors to pick out their own outfits. “We have clients that love long, clean, simple lines. They like to be elegant and simple. We also have some girls that want to have the edgiest, newest outfit out there. As long as it’s not too overt and it fits them well, I think it’s great. If the exhibitor is happy with the outfit, their confidence level will be that much higher.”
  
These tips should help any exhibitor polish their performance to move up and consistenly have better Showmanship performances. Trein constantly reminds students that the main thing to remember is confidence. If you are happy with yourself, your horse and your pattern, it will show.
 
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.