Build pauses and actual wait times into your practice turns and those in your in your non-priority classes. Make your horse stand still until he's calm before you ask him to turn, and insist that he pause again before changing directions.
Stopping Right
Reining stops have a high degree of difficulty. Your horse must be going faster at the end of the run-up to the stop than he was at the beginning for the stop to be executed correctly and yield high marks. Stopping from an accelerating speed causes the horse to stop correctly with his weight transferred to his hind end and his back legs tucked underneath him. You can't execute a quality reining stop when decelerating. If you slow down as you head down the arena, your horse will stop on his front end with his head down and his hind end up in the air. Not only will you receive poor scores, but you'll be lucky if you're not ejected from the saddle.
From a judge's perspective, a stop is composed of three elements: the approach, the stop, and the maneuver called for directly after the stop (usually a rollback). Judges evaluate each element separately, and then total the points. The approach begins directly after the previous maneuver is executed. For example, as soon as you release from a previous rollback, you'll begin your approach and your new stop score begins.
Your approach is important for two reasons: The speed of your approach affects the quality of your stop, and the judge evaluates the approach itself on its own merit. Your horse's ability to wait on you for the cue to accelerate is crucial to a good approach, and subsequently a good stop.
If your horse rushes ahead of you, accelerating too early during the approach without your cueing him to do so, there's little chance he'll be at his top speed when it's time to stop. Because he increased his speed too soon, he'll likely be burned out by the time he stops. When his speed decreases, his stop will likely be sloppy and he'll end up over his front end--resulting in low marks for this part of the maneuver.
The judge will also notice that your horse took off without your cue and appears out of your control. Whether you let him go on or try to rein him in, you'll still receive poor marks for the approach.
Don't let your horse anticipate that it's time to go and take off at full speed. You can prevent this by practicing the deconstructed stops I discussed in November's article, "Wait on Me." Practicing those stops will teach your horse that you're in control of all aspects of the maneuver, especially when to go and when to wait. In the show ring, you'll be able to build speed gradually, constantly accelerating, and when you take your leg off your horse, he'll melt into the ground for a correct stop.
Dave Moore trains reiners and coaches non-pros at his Moore Performance Horses in Southwest Ranches, Fla. Before specializing in reining, Moore trained and showed Appaloosas in many events, including Western riding and trail. With his wife, Kim, he's produced more than 150 national and world champions. Moore is also a judge with the NRHA and Appaloosa Horse Club.
