Learn how to master your reining spins with these tips from trainer Cody Crow. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

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.”

Crow counts each revolution out loud at the start of each turnaround to keep track. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

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.”

Learn how long your horse takes to stop so you can cue the “shut-off” in time to get the right spin count. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

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.

Practice at half speed until closer to a show, then kiss or cluck to add speed. Vary the number of revolutions so your horse doesn’t anticipate when to stop. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

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.

Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

Here, trainer Aaron Ralston demonstrates how the western stop is differs with and without cattle present. Ralston says the same horse can stop well in a reining class and learn how to stop a cow.

“The best cow horse must be as broke as the best reining horse and as connected to a cow as the best cutting horse,” he says. “Then responsibility falls to the rider. If you use your reins and leg, it must be in time with the objective of the cow.”

The horse must be tuned into the rider for the reining stop cue and tuned into the cow for great cow horse stops.

“For the reining stop, you need to have a great stop, then change directions,” he says. “When you’re working cows, the cattle shift right and left, and you’re always reacting.”

Stopping Time

No matter what type of class you’re preparing for, Ralston recommends keeping your cues consistent. When you visualize how to move your hands to rein for the stops, keep in mind the clock image from part 1 of this series.

With the clock face over your horse’s body—and 12 o’clock at his ears—you’ll move your hands toward 6 o’clock to cue for a stop. You’ll then return your hand to the middle of the clock to allow your horse to move his neck freely without a tight rein.

The Reining Stop

For the perfect reining stop, the horse’s back should hunch into the stop while his hind hooves reach toward the front hooves. The horse’s front legs should move freely as the horse skates into the stop.

The horse’s neck naturally telescopes out and down to counterbalance his weight going down in the back. There will be a nice arc from the nose to the hind end. Ralston warns that you don’t want a lot of rein or bit contact—little to none.

To put this scene into action, Ralston says he approaches the stop with gradually building speed. As the horse runs down to the stop, his body position naturally changes, and his shoulders move back with the motion.

When you’re ready to stop, make sure not to force your shoulders back. Instead, the way the horse moves should send your shoulders back—just like a jet taking off propels passengers back into their seats. This relaxed, natural back position means that the horse is moving his shoulders freely without weight tipping forward onto his front legs.

The horse should have a relaxed, rounded back when doing a sliding stop. There should not be any excess pressure on the reins to give the cue. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

When it’s time to ask for the stop, say “whoa,” press the balls of your feet into your stirrups, drive your heels, then lift your hand for light contact. As you sit the stop, point your belt buckle to the sky and keep your chin up.

The reining stop was developed for the arena-performance class. Reining crowds cheer the loudest when horses glide over a long distance. This stop isn’t used to work on the ranch. However, the horse’s free movement and willingness to change speeds on command are always essential.

Cow Horse Stop

For a cow horse stop, the horse’s front end doesn’t pedal to balance the hindquarters’ sliding. Instead, the horse’s front legs move more abruptly to allow him to change directions when the cow turns.

“If the cow and horse move down the fence then stop at the same time, the horse would keep moving down the fence while the cow changed directions and got away,” Ralston says. “The reining stop with sliders is not practical for working cows.”

Ralston says that for a well-trained horse, the easiest way to change from a reining stop to the stop needed for cattle work is to change the shoes. Ralston chooses back shoes for cattle work that allow the horse to move through the footing with his hind hooves but that have more friction than those that allow for a sliding stop.

To stop for a cow horse class, position your body just as when stopping in a reining class. While the horse will move differently, your position remains the same. As you move with the cow down the fence, you want your shoulder, hip, and heel to align.

With your body relaxed and shoulders back, you’ll be balanced for the cow work stop; you don’t want your upper body to lean forward and put weight on your horse’s front end. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

The trained horse will speed to take you to the spot that will stop the cow. The momentum of the horse should naturally move your shoulders behind your hips. With your shoulders back, you’ll be balanced for the stop.

Note that in either stop, your body position should be relaxed with your shoulders back. If you lean forward on a cow turn, you can get thrown forward while the horse tries to change direction. In that case, the horse has all your weight on his front end—making his job difficult. Instead, keep your shoulders slightly back to be ready for any western stop.

This article appeared in the November/December 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Read the first installment of this series, demonstrating the difference in turns between reining and cow horse classes.

The post The Difference in Reining and Cow Horse Stops appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

To compete in reining or working cow horse competitions, your horse will need to turn quickly in response to your cues. In reining, the move is a “turnaround,” or spin—the horse moves forward around a pivot foot and continues the move until directed to stop.

For cow horse classes, your horse will also need to turn with precision. However, he’ll turn with his weight shifted back so he can move on to follow the cow in any new direction.

Trainer Aaron Ralston explains that all moves for reining or working cow horse events mirror—or were inspired by—horses on cattle ranches.

“Historically, riders wanted to show off their best-trained, most obedient horses,” he says. “While there’s little structure to working cattle in a natural environment, training your horse to do complex maneuvers shows skill and athleticism. The reining turnaround became that signature move that could be judged on a point system. Then when working cattle, your horse needs to be ready to turn sharply in any direction and to change directions often.”

A reining turn forces the horse’s weight to the inside.

“If the horse needed to stop and change directions quickly, he’d have to take a shuffle step before being able to leave in a new direction,” Ralston continues. “The ‘cow turn’ allows him to shift his weight back so that he can change directions without shuffling or regaining balance.”

Use the Clock

Horses should turn precisely—no matter which type of turn is requested. Ralston says he’s often asked about how to cue for the different turns needed in reining and cow horse events.

To explain how to cue for each turn, he teaches riders to envision a clock face over the top of the horse. Everything straight in front of you and the horse’s poll is 12 o’clock. Straight behind you toward the tail is 6 o’clock. Three and 9 o’clock are positioned at your right and left legs. Knowing these positions will help you know where to move your feet, rein and chin positions to cue for the different turns.

Reining Turns

In reining, you want forward motion into the turn. The outside foot is to cross over the inside front foot. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

In reining, you want forward motion into the turn. The outside foot is to cross over the inside front foot. The inside hind leg is the predominant pivot foot that bears most of the weight. The outside hind foot helps the horse balance and propels him around.

When being judged, the inside hind foot can move within a small area, but you don’t want that leg to displace into a new area. If the foot stays in the same area throughout the turn, you won’t incur a deduction.

The inside hind hoof moves underneath the center of the horse, right below the rider. That’s the pivot point. The more the horse contracts together over the pivot point, the faster he can move.

The inside hind leg acts as a pivot point in reining turns; it can move within a small area, but not move to a new area. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

Imagine a figure skater who spins faster when pulling her arms into her center. The horse will also spin most quickly when his body is tucked and his pivot hoof reaches far under his body.

When you’re ready to start the reining turn to the right, you want your horse’s inside front hoof to step to 3 o’clock continuously to produce the balance point for the optimum turn. To achieve this, use three body cues: Move your inside foot off the horse and point it to 3 o’clock while your outside leg supports the horse without constant cueing.

Lastly, move your chin to 3 o’clock. When you move your chin, other body cues (including your shoulders and hips) naturally follow. Riding one-handed, move your hand above the saddle horn and toward 3 o’clock.

“I like to sit very neutrally with my shoulder, hip and heel alignment in place,” Ralston says. “The cues with the three body parts will tell the horse the destination I expect.”

Ralston says he makes sure to cue the horse once and expect perpetual motion. He doesn’t want to constantly kick the horse, but to teach the horse to keep going until he cues for something different.

If the horse needs encouragement, he will use his outside leg until the horse returns to the speed he wants. He says that if he always pushes with his outside leg, he finds that horses hunt for a change in leg pressure so that they can be done.

“If I’m always pushing with my outside leg, then he’s thinking, ‘When does that outside leg come off, when do I get to quit?’” Ralston says. “That creates a horse that takes smaller steps and is waiting to be done.”

When it’s time to stop the turn, take both legs off the horse and shift your weight to your legs. Return your reining hand to the middle of the horse’s neck and say “whoa.”

Working Cow Horse Turns

“A horse needs to be able to turn in any manner necessary that affects a cow’s flight zone in relation to the destination you want the cow to go,” Ralston says. “Typically, you won’t be making a cow go somewhere. Instead, you shut the door on all the options and open the door to the direction you’d like her to go. It’s pressure and release. The cow releases herself from the pressure the horse puts on and goes where she feels free.”

While working a cow, you shut the door on all the options and open the door to the direction you’d like her to go. The cow releases herself from the pressure the horse puts on and goes where she feels free. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

Ralston says if a cow goes somewhere, she’s going to look there before she takes a step. If you want a cow to go straight ahead but she looks to the right, you need to be able to get to the right side of the cow’s vision to block that move.

If a cow is looking at you and wanting to move toward you, you won’t want to do a reining turn. That type of turn with a forward swing would get into the cow’s flight zone and chase her around you. Instead, you’ll turn the hands of the clock past 3 o’clock, shifting your horse’s weight back.

To initiate the cow turn, move your foot, chin, and hands to 5 o’clock. When the horse’s front hoof turns to that increased turn directive, he has to shift his weight backward. The inside hind foot becomes the pivot foot. With the horse’s weight shifted back, you’ll be ready to go wherever you need to work the cow. The horse will be ready to drive off or turn.

“You could compare this movement in the horse to an athlete,” Ralston says. “Think of a basketball player or volleyball player with a wide stance, ready to move in any direction at any moment, depending on where the ball goes. In this position, you’re always ready.”

Will you ever use a reining turn while working a cow? Ralston says he uses the initial cue of the turn (without the constant spinning) when he wants to send a cow away from him in a defensive move. Once the cow is moving away, he’ll most likely cue the cow turn in the next move.

This article about turns in reining and working cow horse events appeared in the October 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Perfect Your Reining and Working Cow Horse Turns appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

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 your horse changes speed on his own and zooms forward while riding the loop, say “whoa” and calmly and slowly pull back on the reins. After stopping him, guide him in a spin or two. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco.

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.

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.” Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco.

“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’.”

Once a horse becomes hesitant and waits for a cue to speed up, you can gradually add speed. Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco.

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!

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Calculating Reining Moves

You have a chance to score a 0 for an average maneuver or up to + 1½ for an excellent one. If you or your horse mess up, you’ll be penalized with a negative score for that maneuver, from – ½ to – 1½. Does this sport intrigue you? Read on to learn more about each reining move maneuver from reining trainer Nathan Piper.

Reining Moves Glossary

Circles

The maneuver: A common reining move is the circle. Anchored in the center of the arena, you’ll do a combination of two large, fast circles at a lope and one small, slow lope circle in each direction. There will also be at least two flying lead changes.

“You want your horse to be listening to you,” Nathan says. “Wherever you point your rein hand, you want him to go that way, with his body right between your hands and legs. You want to have the ultimate control of your horse’s speed—run fast and then slow down when you ask.”

How to plus it: A noticeable difference in speed.

“If you can have a big slowdown from running fast right up to the middle, and then go right into a pleasure lope, that will impress the judges,” Nathan says.

Watch out for: Falling out of the correct lead because you’re running too quickly or missing your lead change.

Cade McCutcheon and Custom Made Gun performing a spin in reining competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018

Spins

The maneuver: Another reining move are spins. At the center of the arena, you’ll ask your horse to quickly rotate his front end in a circle around his stationary hind end, moving like clock hands. Four complete turns are performed in each direction.

“You lay the rein on your horse’s neck and he should get on his hocks and have cadence with his front end to go around four times, and when you put your hand down, he should stop on a dime,” Nathan says.

How to plus it: The faster and more cadenced you can spin, the better.

“It’s one of the most fun moves in reining—it’s like riding the spinning teacups at Disneyland,” Nathan says.

Watch out for: Sloppy starts and stops. Over- or under-turning can result in penalties.

Sliding Stop

The maneuver: The sliding stop is a very well-known reining move. Beginning at one end of the arena at a lope, you’ll ask your horse to gradually build speed until he’s running, then ask him to stop with a “whoa” and body language. Your horse should drop his hind end to the ground, and if he’s got special hind shoes called “sliders,” he’ll slide on his hind end, paddling his front feet till he’s fully stopped.

“You want the horse’s neck balanced and his front end walking while the hind end is sliding,” Nathan says.

How to plus it: Adding speed to a correct stop will up the “wow” factor.

Watch out for: The horse failing to stop properly or throwing his head due to poorly-timed rein cues.

Rollback

The maneuver: After some stops in the pattern, the horse will pause for a moment, then you’ll cue him to pivot 180 degrees and lope off in the opposite direction.

“It’s important for the stop and rollback to look fluid—that comes from stopping, putting your hand on his neck, pausing for one second and then rolling right back,” Nathan says.

How to plus it: A quick, smooth, snappy move.

Watch out for: Pausing too long, which makes the stop look like a separate maneuver, or trotting out of the rollback.

Backing

The maneuver: On at least one stop in the pattern, your horse will be required to immediately back a horse length or two.

“When the horse is stopping, you want him to be thinking about backing,” Nathan says.

How to plus it: A horse that backs willingly will get bonus points over a horse that’s resistant.

“In an ideal backup, the horse is hustling backwards [with little] rein pressure, if any,” Nathan says. “I want him to feel my weight in the stirrups with my heels down, and then hustle backward without a lot of help.”

Watch out for: Resistance to backing, backing crookedly, or not backing far enough will all cost you points.

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2019 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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The Ideal Way to Ride the Reining Rollback

To execute a rollback that can earn a + ½ or higher score requires the horse to engage his hindquarters in a move similar to turning back a cow in cattle events.

“I want the horse to get back on his hocks and be able to lift his front end around to turn 180 degrees, picking his shoulders up, moving them around and landing back on his sliding [stop] tracks, loping out of the rollback with force, and at the same time, be relaxed,” says reining trainer Nathan Piper.

Watch the video below on how to ride the reining rollback:

(https://youtu.be/K_1t6stvqjs)

Riding the Reining Rollback

While competing, you’ll do this maneuver one-handed, and no matter the pattern, it all begins with a rundown from one end of the arena to the other.

“I go into the rundown in gears,” says Piper. “When I sit back and move my inside leg forward and ask the horse to speed up, I’m in a different position. If I was in a horsemanship position—straight up and down—the horse is not supposed to go fast. But as soon as I sit deeper in my saddle and sit back, my horse knows to move into the second gear and start running for that stop.”

You’ll ask your horse to build speed from a lope gradually up to a gallop during the run down, and then ask for a sliding stop.

“When I sit down on my pockets and say ‘whoa,’ I want a nice sliding stop,” says Piper. “Whether I pick up my hand slightly to balance the horse or not, at the end of the stop, I’ll push my hand forward and press his neck with my hand to get a ‘fresh mouth.’“

Piper explains a “fresh mouth” as completely releasing any contact you have with the mouth before picking up contact for the rollback.

Once the horse has finished stopping, start your rollback by looking over your shoulder in the direction you’re going to be turning.

“As I look over my shoulder, my pelvis and back twist, just like if someone was calling my name,” says Piper. “This makes my hand move a couple of inches, which is my cue for asking for the rollback. Once I feel my horse’s inside [of the turn] foot pick up in response to that cue, I will follow through with my rein hand, coming across my pocket, and I point that hand 180 degrees from the way we stopped, ideally going right over my slide tracks.”

When your horse has turned 90 degrees of that rollback, you can begin cueing for a lead departure by adding your outside leg and kissing. If you are turning left, you’ll want the horse to lope off on the left lead most times. But look ahead in your pattern. If you’re doing a rollback into a circle, you’ll ask for the lead for the direction you’ll be circling.

Troubleshooting the Reining Rollback

Piper says riders often rush their hand cue in an effort to attain a snappy rollback. But he explains this is counterproductive.

“You can’t move your hand too quickly in a rollback, because if you pull on your horse’s head while his feet are flat on the ground, you’re going to pull on his chin and the outside rein is going to pull on the outside part of his mouth,” says Piper. “He’s going to flip his head and you’ll have an ugly rollback.”

It’s better to teach the horse that your slight movement from looking in the direction of the rollback is the cue to start the turn. Don’t follow up with your hand until your horse begins to respond with his feet.

“Always let him have that second to know that it’s coming,” Piper says. “It will actually speed up your rollback.”

Improper timing can also mess up your rollback, says Piper. Make sure to separate the rollback into three parts.

“The first is the asking by looking over my shoulder, moving my hand just a touch,” Piper says. “The minute they initiate the rollback, then you draw them through it [with your reins and outside leg] and then you lope out of the turn. Sometimes people lope out too early, and then you’ll end up with a ‘U’ rollback. That’s why you want to wait until they’re almost past the 90-degree point before you ask for the lope.”

Asking for a lope too late can result in over-turning, which is also a penalty from the judges. Practice the sequence at home until you know exactly when to cue your horse for a precise 180-degree turn and departure.

“The timing of the draw of your reins through the rollback and loping out of the rollback are key elements to getting that rollback to be a plus maneuver,” says Piper.

Practicing for Plusses

At home, you can practice on how to ride the reining rollback with two hands. Piper will stop, ask the horse to back a few steps to get him on his hind end, and then ask for a rollback using a slight direct rein on the inside and neck rein on the outside, following up with his outside leg. Other times, he’ll ask the horse for a complete 360-degree turn—or more—before loping back out.

“Once they really load their hocks and understand the neck rein cue from the turn, I can start sending them out of the rollback pretty hard,” says Piper. “At the beginning, I will lope the horse out soft, but when he figures it out, you can ask for more effort. That will make him crack back a little quicker and get a little cattier in the rollback.”

This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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