Many of us are familiar with the English discipline of dressage: Horses perform a pattern at various gaits, earning scores for each maneuver around the small arena. But are you familiar with the Western equivalent, known as reining? Far from the sedate movements from one letter to the next, reining is fast-paced and explosive with dizzying spins and flashy sliding stops that throw dirt, a bit like water skiing. All this is done on a loose rein with near invisible cues. Are you hooked yet? So are we, as well as many other fans from around the world.
What Is Reining?
A reining pattern consists of a series of maneuvers that mimic moves a cowboy might ask of his horse to corral a cow on a ranch. These include large and small circles, lead changes, sliding stops, rollbacks, backing up and turnarounds—also known as spins. The patterns are pre-written in the competition organization’s rulebook and vary in sequence, although each contain all of the required elements.
Scoring
A horse and rider are scored using a plus and minus system for each maneuver. The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) rulebook says the score is on the basis of zero to infinity, with a score of 70 being an average performance. If a horse incurs a penalty, it is deducted from the overall score. Each maneuver can be scored a zero for a correct move with no degree of difficulty, with half-point increments ranging from a low of -1½ to a high of + 1½.
Major reining competitions have five judges. For each horse and rider pair, both the high and low scores from the five judges are eliminated, and the remaining three scores are added together for the pair’s score.
The NRHA rulebook says, “To rein a horse is not only to guide him, but also to control his every movement. The best reined horses should be willingly guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely.”
Reining Organizations
The NRHA was founded in 1966, and it is the standard-setting body for the sport of reining worldwide. Reining is a recognized discipline for competition in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), American Paint Horse Association (APHA), Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC), and other breeds.
International Popularity
Although it began as a discipline in the United States, reining is internationally beloved from Brazil to Canada and throughout Europe and Australia. Casey Deary is an NRHA $4 Million Rider, and has trained and shown numerous major NRHA event champions, as well as coaching Non Pro and Youth riders. He says the sport is popular both for its opportunities for riders of many abilities as well as the exhilaration of the test of competition.
“There is a place for everyone to compete at a level they are comfortable in,” Deary says. “It’s extremely challenging, but very rewarding when it all works.”
For the spectator, Deary says the athleticism of the horses on display is exciting to see.
“The fact that these horses are so willing and have so much physical ability makes them fun to watch,” he explains.
Major Reining Events
NRHA hosts four major events each year, including the NRHA Futurity at the end of November in Oklahoma City, Okla. (See page 46 for more info on the Futurity).
Local NRHA competitions are held across the country, and in many international locations. The AQHA, APHA, ApHC, and the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) host reining classes at local and national horse shows.
Getting Started in Reining
If reining has caught your eye, you can start by reading the NRHA rulebook here.
Rules for this event are also in AQHA, APHA, ApHC and AHA rulebooks. The nrha.com website also has info about affiliate organizations in your area with a calendar of events, NRHA Professionals, and more.
This article about reining appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
