tips on showing a stallion

[Cara]

heyy

I have been showing for around 5 or 6 years now, and in a few weeks i will be starting to show a stallion, who needs some work on his maners, im working on that, but i havent really watched the stallion classes too much, and i was hoping i could get some pointers? i know how to set up ect, any info would be helpful! thanks

ps i have been showing a mare and sometimes a gelding

 

[Leeana]

Ive shown several yearling colts, a few sr stallions and a few jr stallions. I showed a two year old stallion this past weekend who has been out with mares all year basically, he let everyone at the show in the barn know that he is THE stallion, even a stallion with good manners can have one of those DOH moment at the first sniff of a mare.

My boys know i mean business, if they attempt to get out of hand i give a firm yank on the lead which is just enough to bring them back to reality and go "hey...what did i do?" and bring that attention back to me.

 

[J&HMinis]

Practice, practice, practice. If you are having trouble with him now, he will be worse at a show. I personally would not take him to a show until he learns to respect you on home turf. My biggest pet peeve at shows is people that cannot control their stallions (or any horse).

Make sure he is doing everything you ask of him, use lots of praise. You can always try putting a little vicks vapor rub on his nose to distract him of the other horses smells.

 

[Cara]

ya i have heard about puting vicks on there nose, his things it biting tho

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

ya i have heard about puting vicks on there nose, his things it biting tho

Biting is not allowed!!!

Everyone has their own way of dealing with this and not everybody agrees, but you have got to stop that bad habit right now! I guarantee you if he will bite you at home he will do worse at a show.

If you want my personal tips on dealing with biters you can pm me.

Good luck!

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Bop him on the nose when he tries to bite, do somethin to get into his head that biting is not a way to go.

I agree I would not take him too a show until you can control him at home first. Cause you are going to have more problems at a show.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

Ugh! Biters are such a pain.

Vicks is great, lavender oil works well too. (I use Vicks as it's generally easier to get.)

As for showing - it would be good if you can practice show him with other stallions, as getting them to be focused on you, with other stallions in front/behind and on the sides takes effort. Even the best behaved horse at home will not want to stand with another stallion directly behind them without wanting to take a look! It's putting them in a vulnerable position and they need to understand in the show ring is business time and you're in control.

Stud chains some like, and if your horse does not work well off of the show chain popping it, there are bumper bars - these do a world of good on a stallion and usually require one to two thuds under the jaw to make the know you mean business!

It also helps to know your horses personality and how he will react. Some are pushy, others are big babies. I have one hates to show - paces in his stall til its a dust cloud, practically hides behind me with other horses around, leans (not in being bossy) almost as if he's scared of all the activity. Easy to deal with at home and fairly dominant in our herd so go figure. Another one fiesty all the way.

 

[MiLo Minis]

One of the most important things you need to remember when showing a stallion is that both in and out of the ring you need to keep focused on him and him focused on you. You can't just stand around casually chatting with your friends when you have a stallion on the lead shank. If your attention wanders so will his and that could lead to trouble. Enter and leave the show ring briskly and get him back to the trailer. If waiting for a class means you must be in a group of horses be very careful to keep his attention, if he starts to get excited do something - a firm "HEY", back him up, circle him, rattle the shank, whatever to get him focused back on you. Be aware that other people don't necessarily realize he is a stallion and they may bring their mares or geldings too close to you so you need to be prepared to move him quickly to prevent him striking or kicking at the other horse. You are not only responsible for yourself and him but for the safety of others around you. This is the reason it is not suitable for youths to show stallions as this can be a challenge to keep up for the whole day. Good luck Cara!

Word of caution about bopping under the chin and stud chains - you can easily cause the horse to rear with this punishment.

 

[Maxi'sMinis]

Very good thread, anymore suggestions? Should you use a halter that is stronger? Is the little chain on a show halter strong enough? I envision getting to the ring and a bunch of other horses there and my stallion pulling on this little cable halter and busting it wide open. Ever happen to anyone? My boy is a big baby. If they drop out you just move, correct them etc. to get them to suck it back up? How about training next to a pen of mares?

 

[MiLo Minis]

The only reason for having a stallion is to breed those mares at home. You can't train a stallion's instincts out of him and you certainly don't want to punish him overly for them or when it comes time for breeding you may have difficulties. Not only would it be difficult to train him next to a pen of mares it would be terribly unfair to your boy. You can, in your daily life with him, teach him manners and to behave properly when in hand but you need to be extra diligent out in the excitement of a show.

Well made, sturdy equipment is always advised when handling stallions. Yes, some cable halters have been known to break.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

I' ve had a chain break - on a mare - fortunately it was at home and she was in an enclosed area. The cable halters can break too

There is definitely a fine line between correcting a behavior and abuse as well as letting them know when it is okay to be a guy. When he's on a lead with me he better be behaving - it's not time to be the guy! I've never used a bumper bar or stud chain - I have them, but have never needed them yet.

Another thought - if you're stallion is new to showing and just gets wound up at shows, take him a day early so he can get it out of his system and it becomes old news. The horses that behave the best are generally ones that enjoy shows yet are use to all the commotion. Horses that are soured on showing are just as ba as newbie horses but for different reasons.

 

[backwoodsnanny]

We show a stallion locally and he does mind fairly well but that said he still wants to talk all the time how do you train him to stop talking? That really is his biggest flaw he wants everyone to know hes there from the time he is trailered onto the grounds. Hes just turning 4 and we tried the vicks at the last show he still would talk to all the other horses both in the ring and out. In fact it seemed to us that the vicks made him act worse as he was always putting his head in the air trying to wind what he couldnt with the vicks in his nose. He seemed anxious because he couldnt smell what he thought he should be smelling. He doesnt bite or kick but does dance if a stallion gets to close behind him and wont stand. WE have continued to work with him and he is getting better but he still wants to tell everyone hes there. Most who show with us now know its Roy doing the screaming. On this same topic what do you think of a fellow competitor who knows you have a stallion but insists on visiting with mare in hand every chance she gets?