Ridin’ and slidin’ — the reining horse runs a precise pattern at speed. This equine athlete excels at galloping full out, screeching to a sliding stop, and whirling in a high-speed pirouette. He responds to his rider instantly, at the touch of rein or leg. The sport demonstrates the skills of a ranch horse, with contests that have been dubbed “Western dressage” sponsored by the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA). In the show pen, the reining horse performs a series of maneuvers as specified in one of nine patterns. Horses also compete in breed-specific contests, following patterns similar to those developed by NRHA. Competitions of the NRHA are capped by the prestigious Futurity. Every December in Oklahoma City, hundreds of three-year-olds compete for the top prize of more than $100,000.

Reining is possibly the most demanding discipline. Champion reiners perform brilliantly at speed on a loose rein. The horse is under complete control, responding to minimal cues from the rider. These athletes perform in the rundown, galloping on a straight line, then halt in a rollback or the spectacular sliding stop. Patterns also require backing up fast and straight. Horses lope small, slow circles and gallop large, fast circles, with flying lead changes at the centers of figure eights. In the circles, they “shut off” in transitions from fast to slow, or move out from lope to gallop. In the spin, also called the turnaround, riders seek a horse that will “spin a hole in the ground.” The horse plants a hind foot and sweeps the forehand in a series of circles. The best performers crouch to pivot flat