Schooling
your Reiner in the Show Pen
By Todd Martin
Not every run in reining is a perfect run. In order for our horses
to run honestly in the show pen you have to make sure that they do
not read your pattern. It is one of the biggest reasons why we do
not run complete patterns very often at home.
Unlike most other events,
in reining the place in the pen that causes the most worry for the
reining horse is the center of the show pen. Because it is the place
where the most things happen. It is where most spins are, all lead
changes, most lead departures, and sometimes stops. Not to mention,
that not only are they asked to perform most maneuvers here but, it
is commonly rushed in the show pen as opposed to the work done at
home.
I try to spend most
of my time schooling on my horses at a show that sells paid warm-ups.
This is where a show sets aside time for the main show pen to be used
by people who have purchase an allotted amount of time in the show
pen, usually 5 to 10 minutes. This allows for the trainer or rider
to take their horse into a show environment and not let their horse
get away with problems. It also allows you time to settle your horse
and not feel rushed, which in turn if you are not rushed neither is
your horse. It also allows for the trainer to help fix problems with
horses without worrying about anything but what is best for this horse.
The concept of schooling or paying for a paid warm-up is much like
scoring cattle in roping. Why is it that we do this. Well it is to
settle the horse in the box and let them relax in the box. Why? Because
the box is where we put the pressure and where everything starts from.
The same concept is applied to the schooling run. This is something
that we will continue to work on with our horses until they no longer
compete. This same concept can be applied to every discipline. Consider
barrel racing for a moment. If I were to take the horse I was riding
and approach the gate of a pen that I am about to race in, and upon
entering the pen, I gig the horse and chase him to the first barrel.
I do so until he is out of the pen, and continue this for several
shows. What is he going to do? There are a couple of possibilities,
one being refuse to enter, two is try to rush the beginning. Another
is lean in the direction of the out gate because that is where the
pressure stops. If I am to expect this horse to willingly participate
in the activity with confidence I have to spend just as much time
taking the worry out of the pen.
Here is an example of what I would do with a horse that I have shown
several times, and it is starting to rush himself in the show pen.
I will enter the pen just as I would if I were being judged. I would
stop in the middle and allow the horse to settle, relax, and take
a breath. When I feel that he has sat for a while I will sit a little
longer. I will then begin a lead departure and make him stay bridled
up until he has relaxed at a lope. I will not change leads in the
center of the pen. Instead I will make him wait and counter canter
at least ¼ of a circle in the opposite direction. In my rundowns
I will make him wait on me to say go. If he decides to rush into his
speed, I will pull him into the ground, and lope off again continuing
this until he relaxes and waits for me. Once he has relaxed and is
ready to be stopped, I will send him down the pen and will not stop
him until he has utilized the entire length of the pen. This will
keep him from judging the distance at which I am stopping him. There
are several other things that you can do to fix certain problems.
These are just a couple of general things that I will want to have
a horse thinking about. Basically I am trying to take the rush and
worry out of the show pen and fix problems that are occurring in the
show pen.
One last thought, the
practice or schooling run is for the benefit and longevity of the
horses show career. It is not a place for reprimand but a place to
build confidence and undo what you have been doing. Take some of the
run out, relieve some pressure, make them like to compete. If you
were to show up to work everyday and were rushed and pushed with out
relief or reward you will burn out too.
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