Reining began on the working cattle ranches, where a cowboy
or vaquero used their horses to gather, move and hold cattle on the
open range. These horses had to be athletic, quick and agile. They
had to be extremely responsive to a very light rein. In years gone by,
cowboys and vaqueros took pride in their hard working, well-trained
horses. Challenges often arose as to who had the best horse. The most talented
riders would put their horses through a series of stops and turns, letting
the watching crowd determine which rider and horse were the best.
These displays are the forerunners of today's reining competitions.
Today's reining competitions provide a venue for hundred's of riders to
demonstrate the skills of their highly trained and conditioned horses.
Trained judges score the reining horse based on its execution of the
maneuver groups required in a specific pattern. All
patterns are divided into
seven or eight maneuvers.
The Maneuvers
Circles are maneuvers at the lope, of designated size and speed, which
demonstrate control, willingness to guide, and degree of difficulty in
speed and speed changes. Circles, performed at a lope, are run in a designated
location at a defined speed and size and with a common center point. All large,
fast circles should be of a consistent speed and size. All small, slow
circles should also be of a consistent speed and size.
Lead Changes are the act of changing the leading (or inside) front and
rear pair of legs when changing the direction traveled. To be considered
correct, this maneuver must be performed at a lope with no change of gait
or speed, be performed at the exact location as specified by the pattern
and the change must take place on both the front and rear legs in the
same stride.
The Spins are a thrilling maneuver both to watch and ride. The horse is asked to
turn his front end around in a series of 360-degree turns, executed while
his inside back foot remains in one spot. Correctly done, the horse will
cross the outside front leg over the inside front leg, effortlessly moving his
front end around in a smooth, flowing manner. Higher marks are given to
the horse that shows no resistance, a high degree of speed and the ability
to stop spinning on a specified mark.
In a Sliding Stop, the rider, while loping, cues the horse to stop.
The horse brings his back legs up underneath in a locked position that will
cause it to begin sliding on his back feet. the horse maintains forward
movement by continuing to run with the front feet and using his head and neck
for balance. Throughout the stop, the horse continues in a straight line while
his back feet slide over the ground. When done properly, this has the effect
of causing the horse to slide anywhere from 10 to 30 feet or further.
In a Rollback the horse runs to a stop, rolls the shoulders back in the
opposite direction completing a 180 degree reversal of forward motion and
departs in a canter, all performed in one continuous motion.
A Backup is a maneuver requiring the horse to move backwards in a
straight line at least 10 feet.
Today, Reining is gaining popularity at lightning speed. There are now over
30 countries in the world that have Reining Associations and hold competitions.
The first international competiton was held in June, 2000 in Gladstone,
New Jersey with teams from the US, Canada, Japan, Italy and Venezuela.
The US team won the Gold, Canada the Silver and Italy the Bronze.
The sport of Reining is attracting riders of all ages and skill levels.
Reining has set the equestrian world on fire with its thrilling maneuvers
and excellence in horsemanship.
At this time, Reining has not been accepted as an Olympic discipline,
however Reiner enthusiasts worldwide are working hard to make this a reality.
Wouldn't you like to see Reining in the Olympics?
