Training for Reining Horse

When it comes to reining horse and related competitions, training is everything. There are certain breeds chosen specifically for their ability to succeed with reining but training will still play an important role. One of the maneuvers your horse will need to master for reining horse competition is the sliding stop. When horse training your reining horse for sliding stops, there are different thing you should know to be successful.

There are certain things that affect the length of your horse's slide such as:

• The ground the horse has to stop on
• The horse's natural ability for stopping
• The horse's rate of speed going into the stop
• The way the horse is shod
• How the rider cues the horse to stop

Things like the rider's posture and how the reins are worked have an impact on how the horse will stop. These are things that you have control over and can affect the overall appearance and success of the maneuver for the reining horse.

It's important that you fully understand all of these different conditions as well as how they all work combined so that you can properly train your horse. Most horses will be able to pull off a small slide on good ground. However, getting those long stops of 15 to 20 feet is a different story. For this you are going to need great ground as well as a great horse. You need a horse with the ability and the desire needed to stop. If not, you can try and try all day and it just won't work.

It's important to work with a horse that has the aptitude for sliding stops or you will just risk injuring the horse. Next, you need to be sure you are always working on good ground. Bad ground will make the stops difficult and also risk injuring the horse. One way to help improve your ground is to add rice hulls or shavings to your dirt. This can loosen it up and make it light and better for sliding.

The speed that your horse is going will also greatly improve his ability to slide. Remember the faster the horse is going, the farther the length of the slide. It's also critical that you ask for the slide when the horse is accelerating. This is when his shoulders are more elevated and his back legs will reach farther underneath him, creating an ideal situation for the slide.

All of these factors combine can help you train your reining horse to perform the best sliding stops around.