Top Joggers Take Honors in SHOWMANSHIP
Winning showmanship exhibitors present their horses in style and precision without over-exaggerated
body positions. It’s possible to look a bit awkward and artificial when trying to maintain your body position,
especially when you run alongside your trotting horse. Here’s some instruction to help you make a
positive impression o the judge and display your skills.
This exhibitor has overall eye appeal—she looks
confident, poised, and in control. She appears
harmonious with her horse and offers a presentation
of togetherness; they look in sync with each other.
The most important thing is that they look authentic.
Their connection and her confidence are real, not
manufactured. Her eyes are up. Her shoulders are
open; her elbows have the proper bend; and she’s
positioned near her horse’s throatlatch, so she’s not
leading out in front of her horse nor lagging behind.
Her hands are closed, and she has a soft feel on the
lead. Her hips are underneath her torso, and she’s
running heel-to-toe. Running in a heel-to-toe motion
reduces the concussion of the exhibitor’s steps. It also
allows a smoother run, without a lot of up-and-down
motion, and keeps her hips steadier. I suggest you
practice running in this way while holding a glass of
water. Focus on the skating-like, heel-to-toe run,
without squatting.
This hander does have the correct leading position (at
Here the exhibitor is bent at the torso. She’s also too
far back on her horse’s neck for proper leading
position. She’s leaning too far forward, with her upper
body in front of her hips. The judge would be focused
more on her awkward body position than on her
pattern and skills.
the horse’s throatlatch) and looks to be in sync with
her horse’s movement. But she is demonstrating what
happens when your eyes and hands drop. Although
watching for the marker is important, the exhibitor
should use her peripheral vision to see the cone. She
is also leaning back for the stop, a cue her horse
shouldn’t need if he is trained correctly. These small
differences in body position can make or break a
great showmanship performance.
44 Miniature Horse World
SUMMER 2017