PaintsandPintos70 said:
OMG!! I might do a bridleless pattern in the Freestyle Reining at the Pinto World show if they have it!!! YAYYYY
Awesome, I actually wanted to ask about something like that. We have the annual parade of stallions coming up on May 11. Stallion owners from around the state bring their horses, and get their couple of minutes in the arena to strut their stuff. There are a lot of stallions there and also many mares and foals for the sale horse section at the end, so energy and tensions are traditionally very high.
With all of the talk about bridle-less, I thought it would be awesome to do a reining pattern bridle-less for my entry. I have done reining patterns in a bridle, his spins and stops are mediocre at the moment. He rides very soft in a bridle or halter, or whatever. I have been able to stop from walk, trot, or canter with reins dropped. And I can back with reins dropped. He understands my leg cues for his leads, and he is beginning to get the idea of direction based on my leg position.
My question is...is a bridle-less reining pattern at an even full of stallions, spring mares, and foals....to lofty a goal for my soon to be six year old stallion??
Would three months between now and May 11 be enough time to really solidify this training?
If that is too much of a goal, any ideas of what we could do instead to really show him off?...we get to make up our own routine.
I have had him at other arenas and at shows here in town with mares and geldings (maybe a stallion here or there) - and he has done REALLY well, but this even is 300 miles away, and full of stallions...What do you guys think? I would bring my gelding and his rider as comfort for him, and I would take him a day ahead of time. What I don't want to happen is for him to misrepresent himself by being all freaked out.
Give me whatever feedback you guys can - You guys really got me on a kick with this bridle-less thing - I just think it is really a great display of communication and respect between horse and rider. What better way to show a stallion off.