How do you trot up a horse to impress the judge? Retired showman Allister Hood explains that it isn’t just about showing your horse moves correctly
According to Allister, impressing the judges is not just about showing your horse moves correctly. It requires the following three things as well:
1. Maintaining the horse’s rhythm
2. Maintaining the horse’s balance
3. Ensuring the horse stays straight
“If he isn’t straight, he may look as if he’s throwing out a leg to the side even when he isn’t,” explains Allister.
How to teach a correct trot-up
• At home, teach your horse to lead from both sides and change the rein on both reins, so he doesn’t become one-sided.
• Walk away in a straight line and move him slightly to the left before turning right and heading straight back to the judge. Ask the horse to trot when he is straight, not bending round the turn.
• Hold your line. It’s the judge’s job to get out of your way.
• Remember that rhythm. If your horse is a naturally extravagant mover, don’t let him get too long and free – “You might not be able to keep up with him – and in any case, the judge will still see the quality of his movement,” says Allister.
Tip one: stay straight
If a horse tends to curl around their handler through their head and neck when trotting up, Alister recommends using a surcingle with loose side-reins at home when practising. “The side-reins shouldn’t be tight,” he emphasises. “You don’t want to restrict the horse’s movement or force them into an outline, just discourage the horse from swinging their head to the side. This will encourage them to stay straight.”
Tip two: gain experience
Allister says clinics provide great experience for inexperienced or nervous horses. An overhead gallery, with people coming and going, is distracting, but Allister instructs handlers not to force the issue.
“Don’t make them confront things that make them spook,” he says. “Keep a distance from the wall at first, then gradually get closer.”
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