W n Riding ester
Rob Dalton AQHA-UK & WES Area 5
Introduces us to the sport of Reining
horse coming to a standstill.
Rollbacks – following a sliding stop the horse will be asked to rollback or turn 180 degrees. The manoeuvre must be carried out without hesitation with the horse immediately taking up the lope again.
Hesitation – prior to, and in between a change of direction in the spins you will see the rider ask the horse to stand for a few seconds. Whilst not a manoeuvre in itself, the hesitation shows that the horse is listening to the rider. Although it is not marked as such, an impatient or ill mannered horse will be penalised.
Back Up – often a6t the end of the pattern, the horse will be asked to back up a distance of 10 feet or so. The back up should be fast, responsive and above all straight.
These manoeuvres, when put together to
Of the Western disciplines practiced here in the UK, reining is probably the most high profile and exciting to watch. The 2010 World Equestrian Games held in Kentucky saw our riders holding their own with the world’ s best with Sussex based rider, Doug Allen taking 10th place in the individual final and Nottinghamshire based, Lee Rutter taking 15th
place.
The discipline can trace its roots back to the cowboys of the Old West in the USA. A cowboy needed a horse that was nimble, quick and able to stop
based. The pattern will include various manoeuvres and movements which must be performed accurately and with style. All patterns will include –
Circles – the circles consist of large fast ones and smaller slower ones, all performed at the lope (the Western equivalent of the canter). They must be perfectly round and will incorporate flying lead changes. The horse must be seen to move freely and willingly and transitions between the fast and slow circles should be smooth with little apparent rider aid.
and change direction in order to outwit their cattle. That horse also needed to be responsive to the leg and be able to be ridden with only one hand on a light rein so that the free hand was available to use a rope , open gates or just to wave a hat to move reluctant cattle along. Informal demonstrations and competitions between the cowboys evolved into the sport of reining.
As disciplines, reining is pattern with many western smoothness and speed.
Spins – a reining horse must be able to pivot on one hind leg. Starting from a stationary position they will build up speed and perform up to 4 ¼ 360 degree turns before stopping abruptly in the designated place. Every pattern will require the horse to spin in both directions. The spin will be judged on its accuracy,
Sliding Stops – thehorse will accelerate to a gallop before coming to a sudden stop. During the stop it will tuck its hind quarters beneath itself and the hind legs will stop completely whilst the front legs continue to walk forward. On the correct surface and with the right rear shoes, this will cause the horse to slide several feet, kicking up sand or dirt in the process . The stop should be straight and complete with the
the pattern will be scored by one or more judges. Each horse will start on a score of 70. Points will be added or deducted for each manoeuvre in ½ point to 1 ½ point increments. Finishing on a score of 70 will be the horse who made no or few errors but equally failed to impress the
style and panache. Serious errors or transgressions, such as going off pattern will result in a ‘no score’ or disqualification.
Reining can be carried out by most breeds of horses but is best suited to the American stock breeds – Quarter Horse, Appaloosa and American Paint – who are naturally suited to the manoeuvres with their combination of power and agility.
Tack is standard Western fare with a Western saddle and western bridle (without a noseband). Junior horses may be ridden two handed with a snaffle bit but will then progress to being ridden one handed in a kerb. In either case there will be only light contact. The horses front legs will be protected by wraps or splint boots and skid boots will be worn to protect the hind fetlocks. The rear shoes differ to English shoes in that they are totally smooth and extend slightly to the sides and the rear of the hoof. Sliders, as
info@southernhorsemagazine.co.uk
suggests, riders are able to choose their manoeuvres and incorporate them into a pattern of their choice. The maximum time allowed is 3 ½ minutes and the pattern will be set to music. Costumes are allowed but not essential and the horses may be ridden one or two handed or with no hands or bridle at all. Freestyle classes tend to be real crowd pleasers.
Reining in Britain is governed by British Reining but is practiced at most Western shows run for the American Quarter Horse Association, the Western Equestrian Society and British Reining itself. Any of these organisations can help anyone interested in taking up the sport.
judge with its form
they are known, allow the horse to slide and pivot without fear of injury.
The rider will wear a long sleeve shirt, cowboy boots and a Stetson. Spurs are permitted but not a requirement and most riders prefer to wear chaps. Female competitors will normally wear brighter colours and often a decorated jacket or shirt.
A further, more recent development of reining is the freestyle class. As the name
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104