2016 Miniature Horse WORLD Issues April/May 2016 - Volume 32, Number 2 | Page 20

Optimize Your
Groundwork

Refining Your
Showmanship Stop

By Lana Grieve

L

eading your horse doesn’t have to
be boring or repetitive, it can be a
training session all on its own with a
constructive purpose. Teaching your horse to
read body language is imperative to creating
a precise performance horse, especially when
developing subtle cues for showmanship. By
incorporating this Stopping and Leading
Exercise, you will not only improve the
communication with your horse, it will
set the foundation for achieving prompt,
correct responses relating to all groundwork
maneuvers.
Recommended Training Tools: A knotted
rope halter, a standard length lead rope, and
a 4 foot training stick without the string attached. By using a rope halter versus a chain,
it will be easier to cue your horse’s body and
achieve responses on a natural level.  Over
time, you can use a regular mesh halter with
a lead shank (chain) to refine your horse’s
timing for performance classes.
Ten month
old filly,
The Perfect
Storm, and
Lana Grieve of
Star Point
Horsemanship
demonstrate
this article.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIP
Stand by the
throat latch of
your horse while
holding the
training stick in
your left hand.

18 Miniature Horse World

A P R I L / M AY 2016

If your horse swings his hindquarters
around when you stop: 

✓

You and your horse stop together, but if he continues to move around
(specifically moving his hindquarters,) position yourself on the right side
of your horse and tap his hindquarters around back straight, then calmly
return to your leading position. If your horse moves his feet again, repeat
the correction until he holds his feet still. Always remember to return to
your original leading position so your horse learns to hold his feet still
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