About Reining

What is Reining? Reining is typically called “Western Dressage” because the rider pilots the horse through a prescribed pattern while being judged on the smoothness, finesse, attitude, quickness and authority of performing various maneuvers. What makes it “Western” is the hard driving, sliding stops and fast spins dictated by the rider, but willfully performed by the horse without any resistance.

The History of Reining
Today’s reining horse has evolved from the cowboy’s everyday ranch work of efficiently maneuvering cattle on the open range, moving, holding, and sorting cattle, a cowboy needs an agile saddle horse that’s quick on his feet, can be controlled by a light rein and has an explosive start and stop.

In past times, cowboys and vaqueros prided themselves on riding these hard-working horses, and enjoyed challenging one another to see whose mount could stop harder, slide farther and turn around faster. It was the beginning of the reining horse competition as we know it today.

Although the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is over 40 years old, membership continues to grow. In the last seven years, membership has doubled and everything about the sport has changed in the last five years, from the horses to the riders to the execution of the patterns.

According to the rules, to rein a horse is not only to guide him, but also control his every movement. The intent of the rider should be to willfully guide and control the horse with little or no apparent resistance. The horse essentially should be dictated to completely. Any movement on the part of the horse should be considered a lack of control. All deviations from an exact written pattern must be considered a lack of or a temporary loss of control, and a fault must be assessed by the judge according to severity.

The NRHA uses ten possible patterns, and has a special "Short Stirrup" pattern for young youth riders. Each pattern is a different arrangement of the same maneuvers. Each pattern includes small slow circles, large fast circles, flying lead changes, roll backs over the hocks, 360-degree spins done in place, and the exciting sliding stops that are the hallmark of the Reining horse.

Most classes require the rider to maneuver through the competition pattern with only one hand on the reins. Contestants wear Western attire – Western hat or safety helmet, cowboy boots and long-sleeved shirts. Horses are tacked in a Western saddle and other tack.

The newest class at a reining might include a freestyle. This event allows the riders to dictate the order of the necessary maneuvers. Such an event could be performed to a musical score…costumes permissible…and the event would allow the rider the use of both hands unlike rules governing other maneuvers.

NRHA, AQHA and the United States Equestrian Team (USET) offer several classes in which reining horses and their riders may compete. Riders and horses must qualify for a particular class or classes. There are also rules and regulations, which must be followed.