The spin is the maneuver specific to reining. The stylized movement shows your horse’s willingness to move on cue with speed and agility. It’s also the move most associated with riders’ concerns. Will I stop on time? Will I get too dizzy? Will I lose count?

Trainer Cody Crow rides reining patterns in working cow horse competitions. There, one of the requirements is to perform a reining pattern before calling for a cow. When in a reining class, you’ll be asked to do four or four-and-a-quarter turns in one direction.

In a reined cow horse competition, you’ll need to do two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half spins. Whether you’re preparing for a reining event or working cow horse, the move is the same.

Crow describes how he prepares for turnarounds (also called spins) in a reining show.

“I let my horse get settled, I take a breath, make sure my horse’s head and neck are straight, then I’ll open my inside leg, look in the direction of the spin and lay my rein on the horse’s neck. That starts the spin and my count. I count out loud as I go, saying the number as soon as I start that revolution.”

With practice and patience, the spin can look smooth and effortless. But that doesn’t mean it starts off that way for every rider.

“A lot of riders panic when they get to the spin,” says Crow. “They run down and think that the horse immediately has to step into the spin. Instead, let your horse settle. Count to five and allow your horse to pause, then spin on your cue. The judge will appreciate that your horse is relaxed and settled. That sets the tone and builds eye appeal before you even start the maneuver.”

Perfect Start

Crow suggests breathing and taking your time.

“Many riders forget that horses have to have time to get balanced. You have to be patient and allow your horse to transition from standing straight and square to rocking back and moving his shoulders laterally in the spin. He has to have a few steps to figure out where his feet are before maintaining a consistent turnaround with some speed.”

Once you stop your horse from the previous maneuver and allow him to stand still, it’s time to find your landmark to help you count your rotations. You’ll pick a spot to look at so you know where to ask your horse to stop at the end of the spins. The spot you’ll choose to look at depends on your horse and how you learn to practice at home.

Start the spin by squaring your shoulders and facing the same direction as your horse. Make sure his head and neck are in a straight line, and take time to correct his nose if needed by picking up and directing his nose.

Then your horse should keep spinning once cued and until you tell him to whoa.

“When I’m ready to turn, I move my chin and rotate my shoulders just slightly into the turn,” says Crow. “Then I rotate my shoulders slightly in the direction of the turn, which also rotates my pelvis. That helps my inside leg open and closes my outside leg and thigh against the horse. I will point my inside toe toward the direction we’re going. That reminds me to open up my leg.”

Count it Out

Counting your spins is crucial to knowing when to stop. The “shut-off,” as Crow calls it, is important because you don’t want a penalty.

“If you over- or under-spin by a quarter, it’s a one-point deduction,” he says. “If you spin much more than is requested, it’s considered being off pattern. You don’t want to lose out because you haven’t practiced counting or planned how to stop.”

Crow says some riders have different counting methods, but his pattern is consistent and helps him keep his spot—even if the horse falters.

“I start by counting out loud as soon as I start spinning,” he says. “Then as I finish that first revolution, I say ‘two’ and continue counting out loud. Only when I finish that revolution will I say the next number. Some riders will count the revolution then say the number, but if your horse sidesteps or stumbles, it’s easy to lose count. If you have the number three in your mind, you may forget if you are on three or just finished three. However you choose to count, keep it consistent.”

Once the horse is moving, he should maintain the speed you request and keep going steadily through all the spins. If a judge sees a horse start slowly, build up, then slow down and anticipate a stop, that spin won’t score well.

The Finish

Crow says every horse has a little different timing in the shut-off.

“When I’ve finished my four revolutions but need to do another quarter, I say whoa and pick my hand straight up. In that time, the horse will take another quarter-turn step. I shut off my horse at the four mark, and by the time he can actually stop, he is at the four-and-a-quarter mark—just as we want. As I finish the fourth spin, I know I need to look at the center marker of the arena. I make sure to look up at the marker I need. I look in the direction of the spin, but up above the horse so I’m not looking at the ground. If I look at the ground, I’ll get dizzy.”

When it comes to knowing where to stop, Crow says some horses will stop their spin as soon as you pick up your hand. Other horses will need a few steps to stop completely. You’ll need to practice this at home to find out where your horse needs to get the cue so that he’ll consistently shut off at the point where you need it.

“When I ask a horse to stop, I move my legs off and lift my reining hand up and say ‘whoa,’” says Crow. “If I have a horse that is a little sloppy, I will say ‘whoa,’ then may use my inside leg to support that horse in the stop.”

Reining Spin Practice Tips

Crow says that most horses don’t get dizzy after turning just four times. He has found that horses get dizzy if you practice too many spins in one direction during practice at home. How do you avoid this? Don’t require your horses to spin his best during every practice. Keep your horse relaxed.

Crow recommends practicing at home with half the speed your horse could go. You’ll keep your horse turning on your cue and keep a consistent pace until the cue to stop. If you don’t cluck or kiss to your horse to ask for more speed, he should just go in a nice slow speed.

When it’s closer to a show and you want to practice just as you’ll perform at a show, kiss or cluck and ask for the show speed. Remember, once you cue your horse to spin, he should stay in the turnaround until you tell him to whoa.

When working with students, Crow has his riders practice their cues, then work on the horse’s performance.

“I want to know that the rider can count correctly and get the correct number of spins for the show. Once I know that the rider is trained, I also want to make sure the horse is ready and doesn’t learn to anticipate. I’ll mix up the number of spins we do. I don’t want my riders to constantly spin four times. I don’t want the horses to anticipate and shut off at four. Instead, I like riders to practice spinning six revolutions. That’s just enough to not get dizzy while keeping them from anticipating and learning to stop the spin too soon.”

The post Master Your Reining Spins appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

A creation of Teton Ridge, The American Performance Horseman takes place during The American Western Weekend — a multi-event western showcase known for its title event, The American Rodeo. With support from the American Quarter Horse Association, American Paint Horse Association, National Cutting Horse Association, National Reining Horse Association, and the National Reined Cow Horse Association, The American Performance Horseman remains the only event to showcase each of these three western performance disciplines in the same night at the same venue. 

Following the same format as its debut last year, The American Performance Horseman saw the top five horsemen from the NCHA, NRHA and NRCHA battle head to head. A team format sent one horse and rider pair into the ring per discipline, with five horses and horsemen facing off per event for a total of fifteen performances. An individual winner was crowned for each respective discipline, and the cumulative final of all three disciplines determined the winning team.

2024 American Performance Horseman Teams

Burnt Orange Team

1. Morgan Cromer and Cool Guitar – Cutting
2. Brian Bell and Gunna Whoa – Reining
3. Corey Cushing and SJR Talkin Diamonds – Reined Cow Horse

Racing Green Team

1. Wesley Galyean and Nineteen 42 – Cutting
2. Andrea Fappani and All Bettss Are Off – Reining
3. Matt Koch and Smart Ladies Sparkle – Reined Cow Horse

Royal Blue Team

1. Adan Banuelos and Storyteler – Cutting
2. Casey Deary and Down Right Amazing – Reining
3. Clayton Edsall and Bet He Sparks – Reined Cow Horse

Imperial Purple Team

1. James Payne and Summer Time Fun – Cutting
2. Jason Vanlandingham and Gunnabebigtime – Reining
3. Justin Wright and Scooter Kat – Reined Cow Horse

Regal Red Team

1. Austin Shepard and Kittennish – Cutting
2. Cade McCutcheon and Finals Bound – Reining
3. Sarah Dawson and Smart Chic An Tari – Reined Cow Horse

Cutting

The cutters were the first up to bat, delighting the crowd with their athleticism as they separated cattle from the herd. The audience roared with cheers and whistles as the cutting horses dug deep in the dirt and turned on the dime while working the cattle.

Ultimately, it was Adan Banuelos who defended his title as The American Performance Horseman Cutting Champion. Banuelos clenched the victory with a score of 230 aboard the AQHA/APHA double-registered stallion Storyteler, an eye-catching sorrel whose agility in the cutting pen was remarkable.

At the awards ceremony as a large crowd gathered, Banuelos was clearly touched by what this fan-focused event has done for western performance sports.

“Thank you for acknowledging the fact that horses are the original athlete in here,” Banuelos said. “I’m very grateful. I love you guys very much.”

Reining

After an intermission that featured a performance from jazz-infused rock band Ghost Hounds, reining was on deck. Performing NRHA Pattern 10, each horse and rider team galloped down the center of the arena before coming to a sliding stop at the beginning of their individual performances, setting up the excitement.

Medleys of classic rock and current pop hits roared through the ballpark as each horse displayed their athleticism and ability to be willingly guided. The audience howled at the thrilling maneuvers of sliding stops, electric spins, brisk circles and powerful rollbacks.

Yet again, a title from the original 2023 event was redeemed in 2024 — this time aboard the same horse. Last year’s The American Performance Horseman Reining Champion Casey Deary aboard the AQHA/APHA stallion Down Right Amazing performed an outstanding pattern, earning a score of 226.5.

For Deary, it was all about protecting the talented horse’s reputation. When asked what makes Down Right Amazing so special, he had nothing but admiration for the flashy sorrel stallion.

“His temperament is fantastic,” Deary said. “Nothing rattles him. He shows up to work and is just a real honest horse.”

Reined Cow Horse

The final inning of The American Performance Horseman featured the reined cow horse competitors, where horse and rider must prove their ability to work a cow. Though this event combines reining and cow work, the reined cow horse competitors performed their rein work earlier in the day, saving the exciting cow work for the Friday night crowd.

The tension in the air was palpable as the crowd watched each horse and rider team maneuver their assigned cow, first holding it at one end of the arena (boxing), before then running the cow down the rail of the arena and turning it back (fencing), and finally pushing the cow into tight circles (circling).

The athleticism of these western performance horses was vividly on display in this event, and one gleaming palomino stood out from the others. Wowing both the crowd and judges was the duo of SJR Talkin Diamonds, an AQHA/APHA stallion, and Corey Cushing, a legendary name in the reined cow horse industry with more than $3 million in earnings and a collection of important titles to his name.

Though their first cow required a call by the judges to reassign a new cow, that official performance from Cushing and SJR Talkin Diamonds was stellar, scoring a 220.5 (for a total of 439) to claim the win.

“I believed in that horse ever since I started taking him down the fence as a 3-year-old,” Cushing said in his winning interview. “We’ve been the bridesmaid quite a few times but never the bride, and tonight was his night. If I had to do it all again, I’d turn right around and call on him again to give me everything he got again.”

Team Results

With repeat wins in their divisions, Adan Banuelos and Casey Deary yet again boosted their team — Team Royal Blue — to victory. Joined by reined cow horse rider Clayton Edsall, who had a good start in his cow work but unfortunately ended up with a bumpy performance, the trio stepped on stage before the large crowd to accept their hardware and give a nod to the horsemen they’ve had the chance to work with and learn from.

“Just on our way up here, I learned a reminder that we all have ups and downs,” Banuelos said. “[Edsall] is one of the best horsemen I know, and him handling a day like today and supporting us the way that he did. I know that it wasn’t a good go at it, but he made the most of it and got us a win. And that’s what it’s all about to me. It’s all about family, it’s all about keeping your chin up, about making somebody feel good on their way out of the arena. And we’re very grateful for this man right here.”

Deary also acknowledged the teamwork that went into play with this event.

“Every single point counts toward that deal,” Deary said. “The first one counts just as much as the last one.”

This article about the 2024 The American Performance Horseman is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated and Western Life Today magazines. Click here to subscribe!

The post 2024 The American Performance Horseman Results: A Championship Night appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

In an atmosphere that can only be described as electric, the top horsemen and equine athletes in the sports of cutting, reining and reined cow horse took to the diamond of Globe Life Field for the first-ever The American Performance Horseman on March 10, 2023. Before a crowd of 18,000, the horse and rider teams pursued a prize pool of $1 million.

A creation of Teton Ridge, The American Performance Horseman was held during The American Western Weekend—a multi-event western showcase known for its title event, The American Rodeo. With support from the American Quarter Horse Association, American Paint Horse Association, National Cutting Horse Association, National Reining Horse Association, and the National Reined Cow Horse Association, The American Performance Horseman was the first event of its kind to shine the spotlight on each of these three western performance disciplines in the same night at the same venue.

The top five horsemen from the NCHA, NRHA and NRCHA battled head to head, offering fans the chance to see the most elite of these unique disciplines compete. The team format sent one horse and rider pair into the ring per discipline, with five horses and horsemen facing off per event for a total of fifteen performances. 

The teams were as follows:

Burnt Orange Team

1. Austin Shepherd – Cutting
2. Matt Mills – Reining
3. Lee Deacon – Reined Cow Horse

Racing Green Team

1. Lindy Thorn – Cutting
2. Casey Deary – Reining
3. Chris Dawson – Reined Cow Horse

Royal Blue Team

1. Adan Banuelos – Cutting
2. Fernando Salgado – Reining
3. Sarah Dawson – Reined Cow Horse

Imperial Purple Team

1. Wesley Galyean – Cutting
2. Andrea Fappani – Reining
3. Corey Cushing – Reined Cow Horse

Regal Red Team

1. Lloyd Cox – Cutting
2. Shawn Flarida – Reining
3. Justin Wright – Reined Cow Horse

Cutting was the first on deck and after the herd of cattle had been settled, the cutting team members were up to bat as ‘80s rock medleys set the tone. The crowd delighted in the athleticism of the cutting horses, erupting with cheers as the cutters dug deep in the dirt while working their selected cattle.

The Royal Blue Team’s Adan Banuelos, aboard Teton Ridge’s mare All Spice, lit up the scoreboard with a 229. This clenched a win in the cutting, and following the event, Banuelos admitted to the crowd that the only love letter he has ever written in life was for the talented red roan mare. He had won the 2020 National Cutting Horse Futurity Open with All Spice, but soon had to say goodbye to her when Teton Ridge made the decision to retire her. However, he had the chance to be reunited with her for this groundbreaking event and the two did not disappoint.

“Whenever I won the Futurity, I didn’t know what was next,” said Banuelos. “And Teton Ridge came out with something that created a bunch of energy and nerves, and it was fresh ground per se. I can’t tell you how blessed and lucky we are. This was an arena full of talent.”

Once the cutting was over, Sheryl Crow took to the stage as the arena crew worked to prepare the ring for reining. The crowd delighted in the Grammy Award-winning artist’s performance before turning their attention to the prowess of the reining athletes.

Whistling and howling as the reiners performed their exciting maneuvers of sliding stops, rapid spins, speedy circles and powerful rollbacks, the audience was enthralled by all five reining performances. 

Ultimately, it was Casey Deary aboard Down Right Amazing, a stallion double-registered with the AQHA and APHA, that most impressed the judges. With a score of 231.5, Deary and the bald-faced sorrel stallion took the reining title for the Racing Green Team.

“The reason that I do what I do is because I love that horse,” said Deary after his big win. “Everything that we do daily is about preparing that horse to handle any situation that we put him in—down to the daily care that he gets. Those horses are treated better than I am.”

The last event of the night displayed the fence work of the reined cow horse, a nail-biting performance in which horse and rider prove their ability to control a cow at a fast pace. Having already completed the rein work stage of the reined cow horse discipline earlier in the day, the teams saved this exciting portion of the event for the crowd—and they certainly did not disappoint. From the edges of their seats, spectators watched as horse and rider teams boxed their cow before running it down the side of the arena and then circling it each way—all performed at a quick pace. 

The final rider of the night was also the only female rider in the competition, Sarah Dawson aboard Shine Smarter. Dawson saved the best for last, guiding the sorrel mare through an eye-catching run. Together, Dawson and Shine Smarter marked a 226.5 for their fence work, with their 226-point rein work score from earlier in the day giving them a composite score of 452.5. With Sarah Dawson’s win in the reined cow horse discipline, her score pushed “Team Blue” to victory. 

One by one, each individual discipline winner entered the arena to accept their awards, including a $100,000 check and a Rolex watch. Then, Team Blue—consisting of Adan Banuelos, Fernando Salgado and Sarah Dawson—gathered before the crowd to celebrate their victory as a team and accept their awards: Lesley Rand Bennett hand-crafted rings and individual $25,000 checks. Every rider was outwardly emotional about their achievements and expressed gratitude toward their equine athletes.

Following the awards ceremony, it was clear the energy of the night and the significance of their accomplishments still had not sunk in.

“Honestly, I haven’t even wrapped my mind around the money yet,” said Dawson. “I just can’t get over the feeling that I have that this mare has accomplished what she accomplished tonight.”

At the conclusion of the night, it was evident something special had been born. Each horseman seemed to feel the momentum that the atmosphere the first-ever The American Performance Horseman had produced and was eager to see where it could take these western performance disciplines.

“We’ve always kind of talked amongst ourselves, knowing that our sports are so cool but that the biggest problem that we’ve had is that they haven’t been spectator sports,” said Dawson. “We kind of get the same people seeing them again and again, and I think Teton Ridge has just come in and proved that we can turn this into a spectator sport. I’m just excited to see what it’s gonna turn into from here, because I think they’ve just opened a door that we didn’t know we could open.”

This article about the first-ever The American Performance Horseman is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post The American Performance Horseman Shines Spotlight on Western Performance Sports appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

To reach the point in the reining arena where you’ll slide to a stop, you must first build up speed and guide your horse in the rundown. But what happens when your horse thinks that heading straight across the arena means that he should bolt forward? If your horse speeds up on his own, you’ll lose points on the reining maneuver that combines the rundown, the stop, and the rollback.

Here, reining trainer Sharee Schwartzenberger of Longmont, Colo., focuses on control during the rundown. She says that it’s easy for riders to overlook this important part of the maneuver. If a horse has a good stop and rollback, the team may lose unnecessary points if there is a lack of control. Plus, it can be difficult for a horse to stop with collection if he has bolted ahead in the rundown.

What makes horses speed ahead on their own? Schwartzenberger says many horses get excited about the big sliding stop finish and want to get there faster. Instead, Schwartzenberger wants to train her horses to listen to her every cue and only speed up on command.

The Practice Loop

Instead of practicing rundown after rundown, Schwartzenberger warms up her horse, then practices rundowns while riding in a large oval, using the longest portions of the arena and riding in a continuous loop. Starting in the middle of the arena, she rides to the end and picks up the left lead as she tracks left.

She picks a straight line for her rundown then gradually builds up speed. When she reaches the opposite end of the arena, she doesn’t go for the big stop. Instead, she simply slows her horse and rides back to repeat the oval.

If her horse changes speed on his own and zooms forward, she says “whoa” and calmly and slowly pulls back on the reins to stop him from moving ahead to the location where he thinks he should stop. After stopping him short, she guides him in a spin or two, turns him right and left in a serpentine pattern, then picks up a lope again to ride the longest oval the arena will allow.

A Listening Mount

Schwartzenberger reminds you not to angrily correct your horse, but simply remind him that you can cue for any maneuver at any time. He needs to check in and listen to your aids instead of anticipating.

“You want the horse to switch and listen to you instead of doing his own thing,” she says. “Change up the drill so that the horse will listen to you for the cue. You want to be slow with your commands, not jerking.”

When you cue your horse for an early stop to end the bolt, first say “whoa” so that you don’t shock him with the change. Then remove your legs from his sides and pull up and back gently to “draw him to the ground.”

“I don’t want to catch a horse off guard or get him scared when I stop,” Schwartzenberger says. “The softer you are with your hands, the more the horse will soften in response. If you pull back harshly in a correction mode, the horse will be tense and throw his head in the air. That will affect your good sliding stops later. Move slowly.”

Adding Back Speed

Schwartzenberger says she’ll slow or stop the horse and then turn in a new direction every time he tries to bolt. Once a horse becomes hesitant and waits for a cue to speed up, she’ll gradually add speed.

“Eventually, I’ll start asking my horse to build speed,” she says. “When you ask him to lope straight across the arena, you’ll feel him reach the point where he used to blast off, then he’ll almost hesitate like he’s thinking, ‘I don’t want to blast off, I know I’ll get stopped for that.’ That hesitation is what you want. You want your horse to be tuned in to you and only go faster when you ask for it.”

Ride in your oval pattern to help your horse tune in to you without anticipating the sliding stop. You’ll gain control and learn when and where in the rundown you want to ask your horse to move faster. You’ll also have more confidence when you know you are in control.

Ready for Sliding Stops

Soon you’ll be ready to practice the rundown with the stop at the end.

“You want your rundown to be smooth—just like an airplane taking off,” Schwartzenberger says. “You want a smooth gain of speed and to hit your max speed just before you say ‘whoa’.”

When you practice the oval pattern and mix in some full-stop practice, you’ll remind your horse that you’re the driver and that it’s best to listen to you.

Special thanks to trainer and coach Sharee Schwartzenberger, whose freestyle reining performances have earned her top championship titles. She coaches riders and trains reining horses in Longmont, Colo. Thanks to our horse model, Shineywhippersnapper (“Schmidty”). The 3-year-old finished in the top 15 at the National Reining Horse Association Non Pro Futurity.

This article about horse reining rundowns originally appeared in the September 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Guide to a Smooth Reining Rundown appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

This action takes into consideration the health and safety of all NRHA members and their horses, as well as spectators, grounds crews, facilities management, and show-production staff.

NRHA has already rescheduled the NRHA European Futurity from March to November due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, where citizens are still coping with the effects of the virus. Additionally, some NRHA-approved shows in the U.S. are being forced to cancel due to state or regional mandates.

“I’m not sure any of us has experienced times like these in our lifetime,” noted NRHA President Mike Hancock. “The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has been very scary to watch. It has accelerated and at a pace that no one could’ve imagined. Our international members are already suffering, and we all need to do our part to manage this situation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has been impacted by this outbreak.”

NRHA recommends that show managers make decisions as soon as possible to allow members and exhibitors to make plans to travel or stay home. The NRHA team is ready to assist show management with time-sensitive issues and will be as flexible as possible to reschedule events.

If you do plan to show in the next 30 days, please check with event management about possible cancelation or postponement. The following events have officially notified the NRHA Office that they have been postponed or canceled. If you’re an event producer, please email Christa Morris-Stone at cmorris@nrha.com to be added to this list.

◆ DRHA Spring Slide; Netherlands
◆ FRHA March Spin; Jacksonville, Fla.
◆ KV Spring Challenge; Finland
◆ EPRHA No Foolin Slide; Logan Township, N.J.
◆ French Kick-Off 2020; France
◆ Heart of Dixie; Perry, Ga.
◆ Carolina Classic; Tryon, N.C.

NRHA Office Closure Due to COVID-19

In addition, due to coronavirus, the National Reining Horse Association will be closing the Oklahoma City office beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, with a target to re-open on Monday, March 30, 2020.

The NRHA team is ready and available to assist show management and members addressing time-sensitive issues, following regular business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., CT), while working remotely to implement social distancing. If you need to contact a team member directly, all NRHA staff email addresses can be found at www.nrha.com/staff. General membership and processing questions should be emailed to memberships@nrha.com. We encourage you to text or email first to create a written follow-up record. NRHA services will continue to be provided, though the majority of the team is working remotely.

Here are suggestions for what you can do to help us better assist you with your needs.

◆ Use ReinerSuite™. This convenient option allows you to access information and conduct business 24/7.
◆ Email us. Access to phones will be limited.
◆ Avoid sending mail. With the NRHA office closed, distribution of mail among staff members will be limited. Especially avoid sending time-sensitive transactions.
◆ Go digital. Download digital membership cards and competition licenses from your ReinerSuite account.

To log in to ReinerSuite, click here. For first-time users, scroll to the bottom of the ReinerSuite page for registration instructions.

For the most up-to-date information from NRHA, follow us on Facebook and check nrha.com regularly.

For information about affected horse industry events, visit the official event website.

Complete COVID-19 Coverage

The post National Reining Horse Association Recommends Postponement of Events Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19); Closes Offices and Staff Working Remotely appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.