Sport horse Handling – it is not just for sport horse handlers!

02 Jul Sport horse Handling – it is not just for sport horse handlers!

By Judi Dauterive
Photographs by Marie Cobb of Ree Photographics 

Thanks to a generous grant from The Dressage Foundation, SEDA was recently able to host a clinic with a renowned professional sport horse handler, Christine Smith. Although she has now retired from handling dressage prospects at shows, for many years she was a familiar face at breed inspections and major shows around the country, including Dressage at Devon where she was DAD Handler of the Year more than once. Retirement does not mean she has slowed down though, and Christine’s handling skills mean she is highly sought after as an air attendant for horses flying around the world, and when she is not doing that, she is breeding her own sport horses, a member of the USDF Sport horse Committee, and a USDF-certified clinician for in-hand showing. Christine is an enthusiastic and engaging clinician who delights in sharing her knowledge and skill set. 

It was an oppressively muggy day in June when nine handlers and a gallery of auditors gathered in the shade of the covered arena at Kalie Beckers Dressage in Folsom, Louisiana, to learn the intricacies of sport horse handling and how to correctly run the triangle at a USDF breed show. To get things started, Christine used one of Kalie’s young horses to show how the finished product would look once she had given the participants all the pieces, parts, and tools to put it all together. It’s like IKEA furniture for equestrians. One missing piece and it can all fall apart. Christine stressed that we breed performance horses, not in-hand horses, so good behavior is more important than any points or ribbons earned, making in-hand skills essential to raising a good, safe citizen regardless of whether or not you will be running the triangle. Absolutely everyone and every horse can benefit from this training. 

EQUIPMENT/ATTIRE/ETIQUETTE/POSITIONING 

With borrowed horse in hand, Christine ran through the procedure and etiquette needed for an in-hand class. She addressed the importance of the equipment in which to show your horse. For horses two years and above, a clean, correctly fitting bridle with reins, and for those under two, a well-fitting halter with lead rope or correctly fitted chain shank. Next, she mentioned that handlers should be smartly dressed, wearing neat, conservative shirts tucked into belted pants with comfortable running shoes on their feet. Helmet and gloves should always be worn, especially when handling young stock. 

*Top tip from Christine: When handling young stock, wear a helmet with the brim removed so you have a full range of vision. You never want to be unsighted while managing young horses. 

Christine explained that while you are waiting to be called over, you should keenly watch the judge at all times so as not to miss your summons. When it is your turn, approach the judge, smiling as though there is nowhere else you would rather be at that particular moment. Greet the official with a cheerful ‘Good morning/afternoon!’ before positioning your horse in an open stance (legs closest to the judge are furthest apart so all four legs are visible) 6-10 feet away from the eagerly waiting official. As the judge moves around to the front of the horse you move out of the way so as not to obstruct the view, repositioning the front feet, as necessary. As the judge moves around to the other side, you reposition the horse back into an open stance. When the judge moves to the back, you once again move the horse, so the back legs are evenly and clearly shown. The judge will then ask you to walk. You will say ‘Thank you’ and proceed in a straight line away from the judge down one side of the smaller triangle, make a sharp right turn at the first marker being sure to maximize your walk while you are sideways on, then make another sharp right turn at the next and head back to the judge in a straight line, veering off in front shortly before reaching them. The judge will then ask you to trot. Thank them again and proceed at a comfortable trot in a straight line down the first side of the big triangle. Turning onto the second side is your opportunity to really show off your horse’s big movement. The cones are just a guideline, so take as many steps as possible before half halting and re-composing your horse before turning straight back towards the judge back in your comfortable trot. You will again veer off and pass safely in front of the judge, so take that opportunity to show more big steps as you go by. Once you have safely passed the judge, turn the horse to the right and again set up in an open stance facing the opposite direction to when you first entered. When the judge dismisses you, be sure to thank them and leave promptly. Christine made it all look so easy, but we know it is not. She also emphasized that the initial approach and stand up for the judge is worth 30 points on the score sheet, so capitalize on that by presenting a polite, composed horse rather than an orangutan, bent on chaos and mayhem. You only have one chance to make a first impression so be sure it is memorable for all the right reasons. 

*Ringcraft tip from Christine: Any flaws in the horse’s paces such as winging and paddling are more obvious at speed, so make your direct lines to and from the judge more conservative to minimize issues. Winging and paddling are not so obvious from the side, so the second line of the triangle can be as big as is manageable. 

First into the ring was Cameron with her own home-bred yearling colt, Maximum Effort. Max was living up to his name, constantly bellowing his displeasure at this turn of events. Christine had Cameron and Max run the triangle to the best of their ability then return to her for analysis. The entire way around, Max kept up his commentary about the injustices of the world and the tragic situation in which he found himself. Upon return, Christine complimented Max on the fact he did appear well handled, if a little distracted, then set about helping Cameron regain his focus. 

CLUCK, WHIP, GO. 

Likening it to riding, Christine explained that the horse should move up into the contact. She demonstrated how to hold the lead and gauge the proper feel so Cameron would not restrict Max or give him so much freedom to where she would lose control. She had Cameron stand by his shoulder with the lead in her right hand and the whip in her left, then cluck her tongue immediately followed up with a flick of the whip on Max’s buttocks to push him up into the correct connection and not drag behind. The goal being that with consistent practice Max will associate the cluck with the whip so move smartly away without having to use the whip at all, which will be most useful when he starts under saddle. Christine then stressed the importance of moving in… 

STRAIGHT LINES. 

Christine emphasized that moving in straight lines is of the utmost importance. Judges do not want to see handlers Weeble-wobbling around the triangle since it detracts from the quality of the exhibited paces. In order to achieve this, Christine had Cameron pick a spot high up and way beyond the arena walls then walk straight towards it no matter what shenanigans Max was engaged in. She suggested a high spot since it stops the handler looking down thus giving a much better overall impression. Christine showed Cameron how to use the whip as an extension of her arm to prevent Max from crossing in front of her and to turn him without ever losing focus on where she was going. 

Before every change of direction or pace, Cameron half-halted Max to keep his attention and to let him know something was about to happen. By the end of the session Cameron was blessed with more of Max’s attention, less of his opinion, and they ran a very creditable triangle. 

Two young ladies with similar situations were in the diverse mix of clinic participants. Claire and her 14-year-old, Freckles Little High, AKA Tre, and Emma with 17-year-old Splish Splash Confetti. Being older horses who have clearly been there and done that, Claire and Emma would not face the same issues as the earlier combination, so Christine focused on the issue of… 

PERSONAL SPACE 

Being sweethearts, Tre and Splash wanted nothing more than to be where Claire and Emma were. Christine explained that you are allowed to move into a horse’s space but for your safety, no matter what is happening, it can never move into yours; particularly important if you are in a new environment and the horse is anxious, amped up and wants nothing more than to jump into your arms. Christine had Claire and Emma draw a large circle around themselves into which Tre and Splash were forbidden entry. She showed the young ladies that by keeping one foot planted and using body language and/or a quick shank and release, they could keep their ground, and the ponies would respect boundaries, learning that their safe space was not on top of their handlers. By the end of their respective sessions, both girls were able to run straight, turn sharply and stand up the horses without them creeping into the forbidden zone.

Clearly a glutton for punishment, Cameron brought in her second exhibit of the day, the Author’s own home-bred yearling, Milord FlashHeart. Although blessed with the kind, calm nature of his dam, Flash can be a bit lazy and will bully his way out of anything that resembles work by throwing his shoulder into the handler, knocking them off balance. In order to give Cameron fingertip control and good brakes, Christine introduced the correct fitting and use of a chain shank and then unpacked another tool called… 

RIGHT SPINS 

Christine enlightened the audience to the fact that a dominant horse will spin a submissive one, so to assert dominance, a handler should look the horse in the eye and sharply spin it to the right, disorganizing its back legs. This discombobulation causes the animal to doubt its perceived authority and accept the handler as the dominant force. Once the horse submissively drops its head, the handler quickly goes back to the task in hand and only repeats the spinning process when necessary. The horse soon learns that the spins are more work than the question actually being asked, so usually capitulates. We all learned that Flash is exceedingly flexible. He did not like it when Cameron looked him in the eye so bent his head so far back against his side, she had difficulty in doing so. He has now been rechristened ‘Gumby.’ Christine then demonstrated that if you stick your elbow into a horse to push it off you, it actually pushes back so it is more effective to flip your hand and turn your elbow in as you push your hand under the horse’s chin to straighten his neck and shoulder. The same goes for pulling. If you pull on the horse, it will pull back against you. Use your CLUCK WHIP GO in that situation. 

A simple trick that drew astonished ‘Oooohs!’ from the assembled throng is what I fondly call the VULCAN MIND MELD. Christine has a little ploy where she squeezes one side of the horse’s neck and the opposite hind leg steps back immediately and without fail. Even a little nudge with the end of the whip in that spot elicits the desired result. No more unattractive pulling, pushing, or flapping about to make the horse move. If you were at the clinic, you know exactly where to press. If you were not in attendance, be sure to take part in the next clinic to have the magic button revealed. 

RIGHT TURNS 

With the benefit of having watched previous sessions and taking copious notes, next up was the self-confessed absolute beginner, Kathy, and her seven-year-old OTTB, Chesapeake Storm. Kathy primarily wanted to learn how to handle Chessie, safely and effectively. Christine showed Kathy how to lead, stop, vary pace, and showed the benefit of only ever making RIGHT turns when handling from the ground. By turning the horse away from you to the right, you will always avoid being stepped on. Even if your stall door is on the left, make three right turns instead of one left turn. Your feet will thank you. 

Christine was adamant that when turning right, the handler should not turn around the horse, but turn ‘through’ it, making the horse move his feet to accommodate the trajectory of the handler. Nothing the horse does should sway the handler from his or her chosen path. Kathy left the arena brimming with new-found confidence in her ability to manage Chessie safely and correctly in every situation. 

VARY YOUR PACE 

Harmony was touched upon with Natasha and Goliath who is not named ironically – he is only marginally smaller than the average brontosaurus. Natasha is dipping her toes into the world of USDF Amateur Handler classes, so was eager to learn all the tricks of the trade. Christine quickly pointed out that Natasha was dressed perfectly to go in front of a judge and indicated that her legs were the same length as Goo’s, so the overall impression was extremely harmonious. Although Goo felt he should really be taking an afternoon nap in his stall, he played along congenially. To get his attention, Natasha was instructed to vary her pace, making Goo match her speed and not the other way around. Each change of pace was accompanied by a quick half-halt to let him know something was imminent. As he is so tall, Natasha was shown how to use the whip as an extension of her arm to keep him straight, effect crisp turns, and to halt. When Goo’s haunches strayed to the inside during their trot lines, Christine pointed out that by pumping her arms while running, Natasha was inadvertently influencing his hindquarters with the whip. Natasha was shown how to run with her hands forward as though she was riding and although it is awkward, it does put them in a better position to straighten, turn, or stop Goo without his hindquarters going all cattywhompus. 

Likewise included in the harmony conversation was Lydia with Chili. Facing similar issues as Natasha and Goo but shorter in stature, Lydia and Chili also presented a very harmonious picture with legs the same length as each other, giving them the ability to match one another stride for stride at the pace of Lydia’s choosing. Also dabbling with USDF Amateur Handler classes, Lydia was keen to improve her skills and was happy to be given the tools to cope with extra pushy pony power. 

Sally came in with a big and boisterous Kermie. Her goal was to refine her skills on a fairly solid citizen before taking them home to her more dramatic two-year-old. It is not often you hear “Do try this at home…’ 

Running with her hands forward was key to keeping Kermie straight and Sally soon got the hang of making herself look bigger by positioning the whip strategically, so she was able to turn and stop him effectively. He did not make it too easy for her, but easy never makes teachable moments, so Sally was happy to be safely challenged while staying relevant to her home situation. 

Last into the ring was Ethan and Turbo Tax, a chestnut yearling with four perfectly matched white stockings. Ethan very quickly learned the value of wearing a helmet as Turbo swung his head round, clonking Ethan’s head in passing. Despite it being only the second time Turbo had left home, with Christine’s instruction, Ethan was able to gain and keep Turbo’s attention while successfully practicing his new skill set. Ethan works on a cattle farm and was excited that the handling techniques learned in the clinic would translate to managing cattle too. 

Despite being under the gun to catch her flight home, Christine did not bolt out immediately once the clinic ended. She answered questions and once again demonstrated the correct fitting of a chain shank emphasizing how it is only used for correction and not punishment. Christine found the most gratifying moments to be when the handlers were moving away from or coming to the audience, and with the small adjustments she suggested, the horses would go from walking with their heads turned towards the handler to full front and back alignment with head, neck and body in a straight line. You could watch significant progress in the moment as the handlers centered their hands under the horses’ head and neck areas without using their elbows, making for a far more relaxed and confident presentation that would please any judge. 

While only a few of the clinic participants have ambitions to run the triangle in breed shows, they all realized the value of being able to safely and effectively handle their equine partners. The skills learned are not just for the arena, but for everyday situations such as trailering, holding for the vet or farrier and simply coming in from or going out to the field. A polite horse is far more desirable to have around the barn and with good ground manners will be more likely to find a secure and loving home. We can all help our equine buddies by learning the skills that will keep both them and us safe. Ground handling skills build communication based on trust and boundaries, which will carry over into their under-saddle careers. Sport horse handling – it is not just for sport horse handlers, it is for everyone. 

Christine’s parting remark was that there are very few professional handlers in the country and they are much in demand, so there is room for enthusiastic, athletic individuals to learn, hone, and perfect the craft. Handlers fly all over the country (and sometimes the world) to shows, sales and breed keurings with ALL EXPENSES PAID plus a handling fee for each horse they run. Is it time to think about a new side hustle or career?