Reining on Horseback

Reining, the Western equivalent of English dressage, is one of the most visually exciting equine sports. The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) recognized reining as an official sport in 1949 and from 1966-2000 it was handled by the National Reining Horse Association. In April of the latter year, it became an FEI-recognized sport.

It involves riders guiding their mounts through a series of eight to twelve maneuvers collectively known as a pattern, all performed at the lope (commonly known as the canter) and the gallop.

In patterns, the horse is asked to execute the following: Flying Changes, in which the horse switches its leading legs, both front and hind, mid-stride at the lope without changing speed or breaking stride. Circles, which the horse must perform large and at a gallop and then tighter ones at the lope, Sliding Stops, where the horse goes from a gallop immediately to a clean halt by planting its hind feet in the ground and allowing them to slide several feet. The movement should finish in a straight line and is usually a crowd favorite, along with Spins, in which the horse, beginning from a standstill, spins 360 degrees or more for four full revelations. In Rundowns, the horse is asked to run a good twenty feet down the long side of the arena along the fence or rail and usually precedes a sliding stop. In Rollbacks, which follow the stops, the horse doubles back exactly in its tracks and immediately launches forward into a lope. This move should be done without hesitation and should also be continuous. The last is the Hesitate, which is not necessarily a maneuver per se but affects the overall score regardless. The horse is asked to wait before beginning another aspect of the pattern and will be penalized if it misbehaves or is ill-mannered.

Reining horses begin their pattern with a score of 70, and points are added or subtracted in increments of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 throughout the pattern based on precision and finesse of the maneuver and how serious an error occurred. The 70 score, left intact, is considered very average. Below 70 scores indicate inappropriate behavior or incorrect movements and a score above 80 reflects an exceptional ride. Significant missteps, such as adding an entire, unnecessary spin in a pattern, might lead to a score of zero. In most classes, awards are given to the top three, six, or ten competitors depending on the type of show and the organization hosting it.

The major reining competitions are Freestyle, National, and International. In freestyle reining, the horse and rider are allowed to present their own pattern set to music. Some competitions allow the rider to perform bareback or sans bridle which significantly increases the difficulty of the maneuvers and often results in higher scores. National reining competitions are handled by the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) in the United States and Canada, and its events are open to all breeds of horse. Working in tandem with the NRHA is the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to sanction shows for individual horse breeds, such as Arabians. Individual breed organizations wanting to arrange a large-scale show generally also work with the NRHA, but reining shows can be offered as part of a larger horse show along with other classes. International competitions are regulated by the International Equestrian Federation. The sport is growing quite popular around the world and is a new addition (circa 2002) to the World Equestrian Games, premiering that year in Spain.