Freestyle Reining


The following information comes from the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) handbook.  Check out their website here.

 

Reining is a competition that is commonly referred to as the Western version of Dressage.  To rein a horse is to guide him and control his every movement.  A good reining horse will offer no resistance during performance of the pattern.

The maneuvers performed in a reining pattern are based on moves needed while herding and roping cattle on the range and include fast and slow loping circles with flying changes of leads, sliding stops, spins, and rollbacks.

Freestyle reining allows a competitor to design their own patten and set it to music.  Its sort of like freestyle figure skating, or the dressage musical kur.  Patterns must include a left to right canter lead change, a right to left canter lead change, at least 3 stops, and at least 4 consecutive spins to both the left and the right.  Moves such as side and half passes and jogging are permitted in freestyle patterns (they are illegal in regular competition.)  Patterns can be no longer than 4 minutes, including an introduction.  Costumes and props are permitted but are not required.  Emphasis in the judging is on the actual performance rather than the flash.

The sole freestyle event I saw (well, I'm in the northeast.  We just don't *do* that stuff!) had music that was mostly country, but there was a neat "Sergeant Pepper" medley, and a cool version of "La Bamba" as well.  Props included a hoop of fire, which someone rode their horse through three times.  In sweltering 90 degree weather.   A few people even had, for lack of a better term, backup singers during their ride.  I'm not making this up.

I have no idea how many people would have a conniption to hear something along the lines of "Its All About the Pentiums" were actually performed at a Freestyle event, but I think it would be a cool ride. 

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