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.
Back