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 Zeal Queen
Posts: 3826
    
Location: TEXAS | How do show people get halter horses in shape and ready to show? |
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 Expert
Posts: 1516
Location: Illinois | I did an internship with a halter farm once in college. We didn't "fit" ours, we just fed them. They got lunged at a slow trot for no more than 5 minutes a day & lived in stalls. Ate 2 flakes of hay a day and about 13lbs of grain. They looked heavily muscled, but it was actually just fat. The place down the road would do the same, except instead of lunging them they'd hand walk them up and down a hill one time daily. I think a lot of halter horses are just obese horses that are bred to carry their weight to look like its muscle. I'm sure there are a lot who do exercise theirs, but nobody in our area did & they were all World and Congress horses |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| Thats exactly what I have heard, like 10-12 POUNDS a day of oats. Crazy |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I have a friend that shows them. They hand walk them, some of the bigger places will put them on a walker. Mostly fed feed and more feed. Similar to 4H hogs and show steers. Very little exercize, lots of hot feed and just as many supplements that will give the appearance of muscle.
I think it is a sad life, and most insurance companies won't even insure halter horses due to the nature of their program and risks there after |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Those poor fat Halter horses, lol..Its feed feed and more feed..  |
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 That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| Sounds alot like what we do to ourselves. Feed Feed and more Feed. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4625
Location: Desert Land | I used to work for a very well known halter trainer when he was here in So Cal. We would vacuum them, boot them up and trotted them off a golf cart every day for 5-20 minutes depending on their fitness level. At the shows we would lunge them at a trot only for the same amount of time. After a work out they were put on the hot walker to walk for about an hour, bathed, tied up to dry and then put away. We did this 5 days a week, the same routine. We fed purina strategy and they got about the size of a large coffee can 2x daily. We had a few aged horses that were broke to ride also but we never rode any of them. More than half of them were half crippled. We did have a couple of horses that were built decently enough to ride, but most of them I would want no part of trying to ride. |
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 Saint Stacey
| We always lunged them for about 30 minutes (15 each direction) with a neck sweat. Then tied them up with the sweat left on for another hour. Then the sweats were pulled and they were hosed off. Before we lunged them, they were raked on with a small rubber curry and vacuumed. Alfalfa, 2 gallons of oats morning and night along with 707 was what they were fed on average. |
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Saint Stacey
| A fat horse is a fat horse. True muscling is viewed in the forearms and gaskins. No matter how fat, or even how skinny (to a certain degree within reason), that area does not change. It’s hard to ride a halter horse (if they can ride) because it sweats all the weight off the back. The numbers one criteria is balance, followed by breed and sex characteristics. I was told I needed to ignore legs because they were down on the list and I placed too much emphasis on them. |
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Zeal Queen
Posts: 3826
Location: TEXAS | Thanks for all the replys. I did not realize that was how they were prepped for show. My boys showed two of our performance horses in county and now want to show them in district. I thought we'd get them looking a little more like show horses but no thank you. Not like that!! |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | slacy09 - 2018-05-02 4:16 PM Thanks for all the replys. I did not realize that was how they were prepped for show. My boys showed two of our performance horses in county and now want to show them in district. I thought we'd get them looking a little more like show horses but no thank you. Not like that!!
Is this for 4-H? |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Southtxponygirl - 2018-05-02 4:30 PM slacy09 - 2018-05-02 4:16 PM Thanks for all the replys. I did not realize that was how they were prepped for show. My boys showed two of our performance horses in county and now want to show them in district. I thought we'd get them looking a little more like show horses but no thank you. Not like that!! Is this for 4-H?
If this is for Distric 4H you should be good with just a "fit" performance horse. Once you hit state you will be too lean, too fit, Too fat, too this or too that... The judges at State levels are always picky and difficult. |
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Zeal Queen
Posts: 3826
Location: TEXAS | IRunOnFaith - 2018-05-02 4:50 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-05-02 4:30 PM slacy09 - 2018-05-02 4:16 PM Thanks for all the replys. I did not realize that was how they were prepped for show. My boys showed two of our performance horses in county and now want to show them in district. I thought we'd get them looking a little more like show horses but no thank you. Not like that!! Is this for 4-H?
Oh ok! Yes we were planning on stopping at district since we don't have sure enough halter horses but we have nice looking performance horses! |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | oh you can prep them for 4h easy enough and usually still do well. I cleaned house at county fair every year with 3 horses, but lost to the real halter horses at state. |
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 The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | I spent several years showing APHA halter. Most is genetics. They are heavily muscled and thin skinned. The rest is high quality food (not necessarily more than a barrel horse or any other discipline gets) and the workout routine is trotting for 20 minutes each day with sweats and then standing for 2 hours in the sweats. Occasionally, I'd lunge at a lope with a saddle to work on topline. Not much more to it than that. People from outside disciplines like to make it seem as if halter horses are given all kinds of junk to beef them up. Not that I encountered. 80% genetic, 20% workout and feed.
Edited by horsegirl 2018-05-03 8:16 AM
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Regular
Posts: 93
| My aunt raises halter horses. Most are genetics for sure (and it ticks me off she gives no cares about 5 panel). All of hers get 10-12lbs of grain...Usually a mix of safechoice and ultium with alfalfa. They never see the outside of their stall except for when they are on the walker. Boots and neck sweats on while they trot for 10 minutes each direction. Hosed, and back to their stalls. I'm sure all of her would try to kill themselves being turned out. They don't know anything different. |
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 Half-Eaten Cookies
Posts: 2075
Location: Fort Worth / Springtown | I have known one person, personally, (that I knew of) that showed halter. I asked her one question - how they build the topline. She said "lots of backing."
Kind of different than the comments I'm reading, here. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | slacy09 - 2018-05-02 6:59 PM IRunOnFaith - 2018-05-02 4:50 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-05-02 4:30 PM slacy09 - 2018-05-02 4:16 PM Thanks for all the replys. I did not realize that was how they were prepped for show. My boys showed two of our performance horses in county and now want to show them in district. I thought we'd get them looking a little more like show horses but no thank you. Not like that!! Is this for 4-H?
Since its for 4-H I would not stress out over getting a halter horse look, I seen kids show their barrel horses in the 4-H shows in the halter classes and do very well, lots of the barrel horses had better builts then some of the halter horses used for 4-H.
Just make sure your horses are really cleaned up, clean jaw lines ears bridle paths, the judges look for all that... Now if you were showing in a AQHA halter classs then I dont think your 4-H horses were have a chance unless its a true halter horse with the bulk, lol..
When I was a kido in 4-H we had a blast showing our speed event horses in halter and my horses always did very well against the real bulky ones. My horses were muscle hard and the halter horses were always puggy looking. But it was fun and had a blast, awww the good old days were so fun when I was a kid..LOL.. Hope your kidos have fun with what they are doing.. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| txbredbr - 2018-05-03 9:19 AM
I have known one person, personally, (that I knew of) that showed halter. I asked her one question - how they build the topline. She said "lots of backing."
Kind of different than the comments I'm reading, here.
I, also, have a friend who does/did halter events. She did it as an amateur in the AQHA shows and open shows. She fed them up, sweated the necks, longed them for probably 30 minutes and also did the backing up thing. Her kids also did Youth for a while. They did well with them. I remember she did give them some turn out time at night sometimes, usually in the summer when it is so hot down here. |
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 Champ
Posts: 19623
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | horsegirl - 2018-05-03 6:14 AM
I spent several years showing APHA halter. Most is genetics. They are heavily muscled and thin skinned. The rest is high quality food (not necessarily more than a barrel horse or any other discipline gets) and the workout routine is trotting for 20 minutes each day with sweats and then standing for 2 hours in the sweats. Occasionally, I'd lunge at a lope with a saddle to work on topline. Not much more to it than that. People from outside disciplines like to make it seem as if halter horses are given all kinds of junk to beef them up. Not that I encountered. 80% genetic, 20% workout and feed.
This ^^^
I'm friends with a family that raises and shows APHA halter horses. They win a lot and go to the world show and do well. They work hard at it. Those horses don't just stand in a stall all the time. This family works just as hard on each horse as I used to on my barrel horses. I am acquaintances with another set of people who have one of those equisicors. It's a walker without them being tied to it. They get worked on that everyday. There is SO much attention paid to the hair coat and sweating the neck so it's not heavy and thick. PLUS a horse that is ready to show and win is NOT fat. It's muscle. YES they genetically are bred to be muscular, it still takes work to get them ready. The horses I have would never be able to look like their horses look because of genetics.
While I don't really like that type of horse, I respect my friends and how hard they work to get the wins they get.
But to the question about 4H level showing. You aren't going to beat a real halter horse in a halter class. But you can maximize what you have to be the fittest and most beautiful it can be. Work on hair coat, getting just the right amount of muscle and flesh on the horse. I think 4H should only be looking at the showmanship (handling and presentation) part of the class and not penalize for having a non-halter horse in those classes. But that's the reason I've always like timed events and never had halter horses.  |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | Southtxponygirl - 2018-05-03 9:21 AM
slacy09 - 2018-05-02 6:59 PM IRunOnFaith - 2018-05-02 4:50 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-05-02 4:30 PM slacy09 - 2018-05-02 4:16 PM Thanks for all the replys. I did not realize that was how they were prepped for show. My boys showed two of our performance horses in county and now want to show them in district. I thought we'd get them looking a little more like show horses but no thank you. Not like that!! Is this for 4-H?
Just make sure your horses are really cleaned up, clean jaw lines ears bridle paths, the judges look for all that... Now if you were showing in a AQHA halter classs then I dont think your 4-H horses were have a chance unless its a true halter horse with the bulk, lol..
When I was a kido in 4-H we had a blast showing our speed event horses in halter and my horses always did very well against the real bulky ones. My horses were muscle hard and the halter horses were always puggy looking. But it was fun and had a blast, awww the good old days were so fun when I was a kid..LOL.. Hope your kidos have fun with what they are doing..
I agree. It's 4-H, just clean them up real good, and find someone who knows the basics to show your boys. My mom contacted a lady that just let us drive out to her barn and in 10 minutes she showed me very simple things to help me not look like I was lost. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | wyoming barrel racer - 2018-05-03 8:11 AM
oh you can prep them for 4h easy enough and usually still do well. I cleaned house at county fair every year with 3 horses, but lost to the real halter horses at state.
When Chandler was 8, he took a cutting horse and won the youth registered gelding. Then won overall reserve grand champion. He was clueless---Junior is just an awesome equine!!! It was the first thing he won with a horse, and boy was I a proud momma. |
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | txbredbr - 2018-05-03 9:19 AM
I have known one person, personally, (that I knew of) that showed halter. I asked her one question - how they build the topline. She said "lots of backing."
Kind of different than the comments I'm reading, here.
Yep. I grew up with halter horses. My uncle (whom was more of a grandfather role) was an ApHC hall of fame halter horse breeder and he showed his own and for others. House full of National World Champion trophies from both ApHC and AQHA. He did use a lot of Impressive blood in his program (before Impressive was taboo) and stood two son's, one an App world champ that he raised, and the other a QH world champ that he purchased.
He fed the dickens out of them. Lots of grain, and he fed alfalfa either 4 or 5 times a day. He lunged 15-20 mins a day in a deep deep sand round pen, depending on the horse, and he did actually allow each of them about an hour of free play in his front pen of grass each day. After lunging he backed them a lot (I do not recall the time or distance) and they spent a fair amount of time in sweats. They were bathed regularly and rubber curried then vacuumed daily.
The best one that we ever had at our house was a son of the appy son of Impressive, HYPP H/H unfortunately, but my mom followed his program and protocol except for the vacuuming because we didn't have one. But that colt won the open futurity at the Denver Nat'l Stock Show, and just about everything else that he could show in...except he never did win the world or Nat'l show :( Just reserve and lots of top 3 and 5 finishes. He was the coolest horse, but HYPP claimed him and a sister and we have never owned one again.
Edited by RockinGR 2018-05-04 11:46 AM
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Chandler's Mom - 2018-05-03 7:16 PM wyoming barrel racer - 2018-05-03 8:11 AM oh you can prep them for 4h easy enough and usually still do well. I cleaned house at county fair every year with 3 horses, but lost to the real halter horses at state. When Chandler was 8, he took a cutting horse and won the youth registered gelding. Then won overall reserve grand champion. He was clueless---Junior is just an awesome equine!!! It was the first thing he won with a horse, and boy was I a proud momma.
Love that! My son's first year of 4H was last year. I had zero help as a kid so everything I won was all me. I struggled though but asked a lot of questions. Colt won 1st Year Showmanship with his horse and pigs. I made him watch videos, practive and groom both pigs and horses a lot. He hated it at times, but learned it was so worth it at the end. He worked so hard with his horse Tucker and we kept him covered in a UV sheet about 60 days before fair. Keeping sweat and the sun off a coat is half the battle. |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | wyoming barrel racer - 2018-05-05 1:34 PM
Chandler's Mom - 2018-05-03 7:16 PM wyoming barrel racer - 2018-05-03 8:11 AM oh you can prep them for 4h easy enough and usually still do well. I cleaned house at county fair every year with 3 horses, but lost to the real halter horses at state. When Chandler was 8, he took a cutting horse and won the youth registered gelding. Then won overall reserve grand champion. He was clueless---Junior is just an awesome equine!!! It was the first thing he won with a horse, and boy was I a proud momma.
Our fair is small, but there was a certain faction that was very irritated C did so well. We borrowed the horse from our close friends that have very nice cutting horses, and the director of the event didn't like Becky---so there were comments made. About an 8 year old winning his first little check, ribbon, trophy, and buckle (which he proudly wore not too terribly long ago!!!). Chan might not have been the best showman, but I ASSURE you the best horse won!!!! He's a red roan with conformation out the wazoo, and he took perfect care of/acted perfectly for a nervous little boy. Who just happened to be going thru the most heartbreaking time of his life up to that point because of his parents' nasty divorce. So I was beyond proud of my baby and his beautiful borrowed horse.
I think there's nothing more special than a boy (or girl) and his (or her) horse. . . . I know I'm off subject---sorry y'all.
(Colt has an awesome momma  )
Edited by Chandler's Mom 2018-05-05 10:07 PM
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Halter horses