Hello,

I am new to the show pig world and I was wondering about how I should train my pig for the ring. I have a small play area in his pen that I try to lead him around but he's too big to try and do anything like that. Should I take him out into my yard? I'm not sure I feel experienced enough to let him that free yet. Should I take small trips and extend them into longer ones or should I keep him in the play area until I get him trained enough?

Thank you

Here is a book I just read on Kindle that I thought did a nice job going step by step with pig training and showmanship.

https://www.amazon.com/Show-Your-Way-To ... merReviews

you should start by bonding with the pig, brushing giving them treats and just sitting with them will do it.
Do you know what kind of tool you are using? pipe? whip? show stick? cane? Ive used whips for the past two years, be aware that the whip will leave marks on a white pig if popped to hard. introduce the showing tool in the pen once he/she knows left and right go ahead and let him out.

Books you can read are: swine resource handbook and the FFA guide to raising pigs, Both have a chapter dedicated to showmanship

you can also Google pig showmanship and read up online

good luck!

Try if it's possible to find an enclosed area to let the pig out in. If your pig knows its left from right after you hit it, i think you would be okay when walking. If you need more control use two sticks (a pipe and a whip) pigs usually respond better to whips if you need them to listen. if you need any further help feel free to PM me.

Take him out of the pen. I won 1st place Showmanship in my age division this past year - it was my first year! I taught myself how to do it - I read MANY articles and watched tons of videos of showmanship. I started training my pig the second day I got her (too early). Wait 2 weeks to take him out of the pen to make sure he feels comfortable with you and trusts you. After that, take him out and start with baby steps. Guide them where to go, but don't get intense. Also, practice EVERY day. Start out with 2 mins. and work your way up to the amount of time you will be in the show ring (e.g. 15 mins.). You want to make sure you can go a little longer than the time you'll be in the show ring because you don't want your pig to get tired and stop walking. My best recommendation is to read MANY articles and watch videos - that helped me win, and showed me how different judges prefer different styles of showmanship. I also recommend using a whip unless it's a boar. Make sure you keep consistent with training and work your way up in time amounts - most importantly, HAVE FUN! Good luck!