Starting Reining Lessons!! What can I expect?

Wooo! So, since the first time I saw a reining pattern, I have always wanted to do it! I found out today that the owner of the barn where I teach beginner horsemanship lessons is going to bi-weekly reining clinics with Cindy Lewis. Anyone ever heard of her? Apparently she has worked with Bob Avila and the likes, and travels up here every other week.. anyway

The owner of the barn is going to let me use one of her horses for it I'm incredibly thankful and super excited.

What can I expect to learn first lesson? Are there any red flags I should watch for as far as the instructor is concerned? Anything I can do to prepare physically or mentally? (like terms unique to reining?) Anything I can do to prepare the horse? (my first one starts in 2 weeks)

Thanks!

Well, you can expect folks here to be wanting regular updates, so you can expect to be spending some time writing them.

Haha, very well! I can do that.

I agree with tinyliny! Lol

Lucky you.

Be prepared to use a LOT LIGHTER CUES! The more still and quiet you keep your hands and the more subtle you use your legs and the quieter you 'sit' your horse, the less you will be told all of the above.

Depending on how well-tuned your lesson horse is, most novice riders over-que their horses and are constantly being told to 'do less' and to be more subtle.

Good luck. You will love it.

Awesome! Thanks Cherie! That's exactly what I want! I think that's what draws me to reining so much. It's like, the ultimate communication with your horse. I mean, Dressage is beautiful, but reining is on a loose rein! The horses always look so in-tune with their rider. Watching Stacy Westfall perform a reining pattern with no saddle or bridle totally made my jaw drop. I immediately thought "I want to do that!!" I know I am many, many, many years from that, but I'm looking forward to the journey there! Sorry for the rant. Haha. I can hardly contain my excitement. I feel like a giddy teenager.

I feel your excitement! I have worked for a reining trainer, mostly warm up, cool down work.....however, what an awesome education just warming up and cooling down the horses was! I did do a few exercises, like 'slicing the cake' and a few other things. But because I just got on horse, after horse, after horse all day and did virtually the same thing I got very good at many things because the trainer would make a point of correcting me etc etc....it was like free lessons with all the practice you want!!!
Some of the horses we're so in tune with you, that you just had to think about doing something and it would happen! One had to learn not to think too much!
I'm so happy now because I just bought my first reining horse and I just love him to pieces! He's very willing and is happy in his work not lazy at all, he's not a superstar but he's a gentleman and his is easy to be around....he's also very soft and sensitive but level headed enough not to lay an egg if you do something wrong!

Please update us about your lessons

Wow, that sounds like an awesome job Muppetgirl! What is 'slicing the cake'? Congrats on your new horse! I will definitely be posting updates! Ahhh yes, qualities we look for in any good man. Lol

Have fun and soak it up like a sponge. It is incredibly fun. You will learn a lot and I have no idea what you have done, but it can be really hard to learn to use such little cues.......and lope SO much! I swear my trainer doesn't think me horse is even warmed up until he has loped at least an hour. It can be really confusing at times, so make sure you clearly understand what the instructor tells you and know 100% how to do that before moving on. Above all-have fun!

Slicing the cake or slicing the pizza....or whatever your slicing is an exercise where you jog/trot or lope circles and use your seat and legs to turn the horse in across the circle to slice the pie....it's hard to explain, but you use your reins on his neck as a final cue, it all kind of works together at the same time....haha this is really hard to explain, but you want the horse to turn sharp but not barrel turn, he lifts his front end and comes around very acurrately.....
It's kind of like a square turn, 90o turn from the outside of a circle directly into the circle and across......then back onto the circle and do it again....it's quite fun doing it on a young horse, they pick it up quite fast
Someone else here might be able to explain it in better terminology than me that's easier to understand.