Reining Training Tips
On This page we will try & pass along as much help as we can from different Top Trainers to help you With training on your Reining Horse.
One thing I want to point out , You do not have to show in Reining , or have a Reining Horse to train your horse.
A Good Trail horse Better " Stop , Side Pass , Back up , Neck Rein , Know leg Que & Pivot " Once your horse can do all these Maneuvers you are on your way to a good broke horse. This Training Tips will help you with some of the Major problems that you may encounter when teaching your horse these maneuvers.
PLEASE Take your horse slow when teaching your horse new Maneuvers , teaching your horse slow and allow him to understand what you are asking him to do , you will find you will not have to go back and fix problems you caused by rushing your horse's training.
Training , Workouts should be fun for both you and your horses. If you start to get upset , your horse just is not getting what you are asking him
Take a break , go lope circles or go get a glass of ice tea . Then come back and try again. You just may find a little break is all you BOTH NEEDED to get the job done.
"Rollback & Spin " Tips & Cheat Sheet by Larry Trocha
These tips are by Larry Trocha on Rollbacks & Spins .
You can order videos from Larry Trocha at http://www.horsetrainingvideos.com
Question : rollbacks and spins. Is there a distinct cue for the rollback vs the spin? The hand movement , is to the hocks ( pivot foot) as in teaching to turn over the hocks. Do you raise your rein hand a bit higher for the rollback than for the spin. When handling the reins, is there a separate cue for each maneuver?
Answer : Yes, there is a distinction in the way the reins are handled for the rollback... and the spin too.
When asking for the rollback, I use the rein more decisively (abruptly) and my rein hand is held a little higher to slightly “lift” the horse’s front end as I ask him to come around over his hocks.
This way of handling the reins encourages the horse to make a complete 180 degree turn with one big move. I almost always jump the horse into a lope after a turn like this.
When asking for a spin, I use my reins in a “subtle” way. I’ll keep my hand low and start the spin by laying the rein “very lightly” on the horse’s neck. This first touch of the rein is so light the horse may not feel it.
Then, I give a short quick release of the rein pressure and lay the rein on his neck again, only this time a little heavier so he definitely feels it. On a trained horse, the entire spin is done with light little touches and releases with the reins.
There is a reason for using my hand real low and cueing with light touches and releases. I want the horse’s front end to stay flat on the ground and cross his front legs over on the turn-around. If I startle the horse with an abrupt move of my hand, he’ll pick his front end up and make a big move, this will ruin the low cross-over.
Question : my mare who is not using her inside pivot foot when spinning to the left. I've got her planting it going to the right pretty good. But when we go back to the left she plants the wrong foot. She's using her outside foot to pivot on. What should I do to get her pivoting on the inside foot?
Answer : Great question. Tons of riders are plagued by this.
It’s not as big a problem to fix as you might think (unless the horse has been doing it for years and it’s totally ingrained).
Forget about spins for awhile and concentrate on doing half turns and rollbacks.
The object is to put some speed in the turn. Speed will force your horse to use the correct pivot foot.
From the trot, rollback into the fence and half way through the turn, pop him on the butt to hustle him out of there.
IMPORTANT: When turning to the right, pop him on the outside or left hip.
Review the “Rollback & Spin” video to see exactly how to do this exercise.
Also, do a series of 180 degree half turns. Do a turn and jump out into the trot. Go 20 feet and do another and so on.
The main point is to turn and hustle out of there. Soon, the horse will be turning quickly on its own and the speed of the turn will have the horse using the inside pivot foot.
In a few weeks, using the correct pivot foot will become habit and then you can start working on the spin again
Question: Larry , your tape on spins has made a huge difference in my mare's spins, but there is one problem we have not been able to overcome. She will plant her pivot foot for a little bit, then kicks her butt out one step, goes back on her pivot foot, and repeats this process the entire time. We usually end up about 10 feet from where we started (mainly in a direction she would like to go, like the gate).
She'll usually plant her foot for 3/4 of the turn before kicking out. I have tried the sidepass exercises from your video, as well as popping her on the butt with the reins (which only causes her to kick her butt out more).
She is not a very motivated spinner, which may be causing the problem. I have also used an exercise where I back her up in a circle while bending her to the outside and exiting with a spin to the outside, which works really well in getting her weight back and she'll hold the pivot longer, but the minute I ask for more speed we lose it.
Do you have any other suggestions for me to try? Thank you for a great set of videos and any help you may be able to provide.
Answer :I'll have to just guess here because there could be a multitude of reasons why your mare isn't holding the pivot foot. Plus, you didn't specify "how" you are asking the mare for speed. "How" you ask, is critical.
My guess is you may be pulling too hard on the reins instead of encouraging the mare by clucking to her. Pulling too hard will cause her hind-end to swing out.
You mentioned the mare not being very motivated may be the key. I'd suggest you "get" her motivated. Good performance is seldom achieved by horses that don't take their job seriously.
On the other end of the spectrum, you mention that your attempts to increase the "speed" of the spin, just messes her up more.
If you pop her on the butt and she kicks her butt out more, she either isn't ready for more speed or she resents being pushed and kicks her butt out in defiance. When you pop her on the butt, I'm assuming you are popping her on the "outside hip". If you are popping her on the "inside" you are causing the problem yourself.
Also, it has been my experience that many riders make their corrections too late. They miss the timing. You said your mare starts kicking her butt out spiraling toward the gate, you need to make a correction the INSTANT this happens.
Important:
A. Your mare wants to go to the gate because she thinks going out of the arena is where the work ends. Let her go to the gate and continue to work her. Let her know that being at the gate is more work than being inside the arena.
B. Backing your horse up the way you described, will get your horse to use a pivot foot all right... the wrong one. It's okay to back-up and then turn but you need to hustle forward immediately after the turn.
Here is something that may help:
If a horse's front end is moving off the reins correctly, the hind end will stay in place. For a horse to swing his butt out, he "first" has to stop his front end. So, your primary job is to keep the front end moving off the reins. If you'll do that, the hind end will stay in place.
1. Turn your horse, then 'immediately' accelerate forward and leave the turn. Start by doing 90 or 180 degree turns only.
This "turning and leaving" is key for teaching the horse to plant his pivot foot.
If you let the horse hesitate between the turn and leaving, he won't get the idea.
If needed, pop him on the butt (outside hip) right after the turn.
Important note:
When you drive forward after the turn you must accelerate immediately. If you turn and just stand or turn slowly all the time, you will either teach the horse to swing his hind-end out of gear or pivot on the outside (wrong) pivot foot.
2. Your horse 'must' move his front end away from rein pressure. If he doesn't, use your leg as a reprimand.
Example: Pick up the reins and move your hands to the left. If the horse doesn't
move his front end to the left, press him with your right spur as an incentive for
him to "move away" from the rein. (You could also just bump him with your leg).
3. Use your hands with 'rein and release' action. Do not use steady pressure.
Cue for the spin with light touches and releases (rein and release). Using the reins with the "pull and release" method, keeps the front end free and moving off the rein. Using the reins with steady pressure will cause a horse to lock his front end and swing his butt out of gear. Be sure to keep your rein hand low and use the correct angle when applying the reins -- rein towards the horse's hip.
Important note:
Make sure you are using your hands correctly. When riding, your hands should be in front of the saddle swells. Many people ride with too long a rein, causing their hands to travel too far back to signal the horse correctly. This is a biggie.
4. Remember to sit in the middle of your horse. Do not lean into the turn.
Leaning will cause your horse to kick his butt out instead of using his pivot foot. Turn your head and look towards the direction you want to spin but keep your
body centered over the horse.
5. When spinning, make sure to correctly "time the reins".
When the horse's outside front leg is just starting forward, apply rein pressure and then release. Repeat this timing with every step of the outside front foot. Applying the reins at the correct time is what allows the horse to do a smooth cross-over with his front legs.
6. To add more speed to the spin, cluck to the horse.
If he doesn't respond to the cluck, pop him on the "outside hip" with the end of the rein. Sometimes a crop is easier to use. Remember to cluck before you pop him. You want to teach him to speed up in response to your voice command.
7. A spin is very similar to trotting a circle... The smallest circle you can do.
Don't let all the technical instruction bog you down. Start trotting your horse in a circle and bring it down smaller and smaller until the horse goes into a spin (remember you have to keep the impulsion going). After only one revolution of spinning, jump out and trot a circle again. Repeat this lesson until the horse can stay in the spin two or three revolutions.
8. When doing a rollback, it's critical to slack the reins between the "stop" and the "turn".
Be sure to jump-out into a lope after the turn. This "jump out" is what makes the turn clean, fluid and correct. Make sure the horse starts the turn "nose first".
Important note:
When asking for a rollback, use your rein hand decisively and a little more elevated to slightly "lift" the horse's front end and encourage him to turn a full 180 degrees.
9. In the "stop" part of the rollback, the reins are handled the same as if you were asking for a good stop on the hindquarters or a sliding stop.
You must ask for the stop when the horse's hind feet are in the air and on the way forward. This timing of the horse's stride is "critical" for a good hindquarter stop. Miss it and you'll force the horse to stop on his front end - ruining the rollback. Its also important to "sit" the rollback just like you would a sliding stop.
Go back and review the Teach Your Horse to Rollback and Spin video with this list
in front of you. Make any extra notes that you feel may help you.
Have fun training your horse.
How To Teach A Green-Broke Colt Correct Leads
This Training help is offered by Champion Horse Trainer Larry Trocha
You can order videos from Larry Trocha at http://www.horsetrainingvideos.com
When you're riding a colt that you've just started, you'll notice that he almost always takes the same lead, no matter which direction he is loping. This is normal. Just like people who are left or right handed, most colts will be left or right leaded. It's not a big deal or something you should be overly concerned about.
All you really need to do, is get your horse to lope on his bad lead until he gets comfortable with it. Once he gets used to loping in either lead, then you can start adding refinement to his lead departures.
Of course, the problem is getting him to take the bad lead to begin with. In this issue I describe how I get a colt to do that.
Let's say the colt won't pick up the right lead. I trot the horse alongside the fence, placing the fence on my right. My horse will be parallel and about 6’ from the fence. From the walk or trot, I'll turn the colt into the fence.
Halfway through that turn, I'll kick him with my outside leg (which would be my left leg) and I'll cluck to him to pick up the lope. If he won't pick up the lope, I might swat him on the butt with the end of the rein. If I can get him to turn to the right and pick up the lope at the same time, he is almost forced to pick up that right lead.
Note: I should point out, if you have to swat the colt on the butt to get him to pick up the lope, make sure you swat him on the side “opposite” from the lead. In other words, if you want him to pick up the “right” lead, swat him on the “left” hip.
Also, its important to handle your reins correctly when doing this. Let's say you're going to turn the colt into the fence to the right. Cross your reins and put them in your right hand. Have your right rein shorter than your left rein so you can turn him into the fence “nose first” with a direct rein.
Have the end of your rein in your left hand so that when you turn into the fence, halfway through you can pop him on the butt.
The timing of this is pretty critical. Halfway through the turn — while he's facing the fence - use your outside (left) leg. Right after you bump him with your outside leg, you swat him on the butt with the end of the rein using your left hand. If you want, you could use a bat to pop him on the hip, instead of the rein.
Sometimes you’ll have a horse that will pick up the correct lead - but then take a couple strides and switch to the wrong lead again. The way you fix that is to ride him into a circle “immediately” after he picks up the lead.
If he won't hold the “right” lead, you’d turn him into the fence, jump him into the right lead, and then lope him into a circle to the “right”.
Here is the sequence of steps to pick up the right lead:
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Ride parallel to a fence on your right
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Turn to the right, into the fence
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Halfway thought the turn, kick with your outside (left) leg
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If necessary, swat on the outside (left) hip with the rein or bat
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Go into the lope
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Circle to the right to encourage him stay on the right lead
If you’ll be consistent with this procedure, it will have your colt picking up the correct lead almost every time. However, when you first start this, you have to make sure you don’t over do it. Repeating it two or three times each direction, is probably enough on a particular ride.
Don't do it so many times in one ride that you scare him half to death. Do it just enough to give him the idea and that’s all. If he gets it, great. If he doesn't get it, wait until the following day to try it again.
That way you'll keep him calm and your progress will be smoother.
In my new video, Foundation Training For Turns, Circles and Leads, I show you exactly how to do this.