How do you teach a horse (mini) to park out?

[Lil Eowyn]

Hello,

Have any of you taught your miniatures to 'park out' or did a trainer do it?

I really would like to teach Eowyn to park out, and I watched a video on youtube how to but it wasn't really helpful, and when I tap her front feet she keeps pawing the ground instead of going forward. If you have any tips that'd be great! Thanks =)

 

[HGFarm]

I dont 'park' mine- AMHA asks that they be stood squarely and I dont stretch for AMHR either. I stand mine squarely.

 

[Minimor]

Sending you a PM!

 

[Lil Eowyn]

Thank you Minimor! Great information.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I don't think there is a situation where it would be required.....

 

[Lil Eowyn]

I know its not required, but I just want my mini to do it I guess

I just think they look nice posing like that, or with their neck arched. Do any of you have tips of getting their mini's to pose with their neck arched and nose down?

 

[Minimor]

A treat works well to teach the horse to give his neck--then to drop his nose a little bit so the neck arches nicely...that is all in the knees!! Your knees that is--get the horse to give his neck and then bend your knees a little and his nose should drop down to follow your hand. As the nose drops that little bit the neck will have a nice arch to it.

 

[MindyLee]

Remeber that most judges like them parked/stretched in AHMR now a days, even if its a mini and not shetland. I still stand square but was told once to stretch my horse...

Rules!??!

 

[Minimor]

It is not against the rules to stretch an AMHR horse--the rule book says you are to show the horse to its best advantage. So if your horse looks good stretched ( some horses are not flattered by a stretched pose!) then you may show him that way. Personally I like the polished look of parking out. A judge can ask you to square up your horse.

 

[disneyhorse]

The principles for teaching a horse to "park out" are the same whether you want your horse to learn to stand square or park way out.

The gelding in my avatar is shown as a Modern Shetland, so he is not shown square... But he has a short back and doesn't look good WAY parked out. So his cue is to set his back feet and then step by step park the front feet out slowly while I cue him, and then stop moving his feet when my cues stop. That way I have control of him setting his feet. If you allow your horse to just stretch way out, they tend to over stretch because they just think its the right thing to do. Your horse should set the front feet forward only however much you ask.

AMHR minis are often shown slightly stretched, and AMHA has a standard for showing square.

 

[ruffian]

Remeber that most judges like them parked/stretched in AHMR now a days, even if its a mini and not shetland. I still stand square but was told once to stretch my horse...

Rules!??!

Actually most judges prefer them to stand square. The rules state "Horse to be shown to it's best advantage. IT IS PREFERRED THAT THE HORSE STAND SQUARE" Rule 1.7 hatler division.

I've shown under quite a few judges, and have never had one ask me to "stretch" my horse. It's certainly your perogative to teach them to stretch, but if you do decide to show, you will have to unteach that.

 

[BSharpRanch]

Parking out is also a nice thing to have if/when you are driving. I will teach it to horses that tend to be flighty. When you are scared you stop and stretch. It makes it hard for them to just bolt without warning. They can still bolt, but need to regather themselves before they can do it.