Reining?

1839 Views 22 Replies 13 Participants Last post by Elliesmith, 10 mo ago

fawnprintz

Discussion Starter · 10 mo ago

Hello everyone!

I am getting into the big-time reiners this Fall and I have some questions and concerns.

1) I have a trainer who is helping me horse shop and she wants me to stay in her barn after we find a horse. I am skilled/experienced enough to maintain a non-pro reiner on my own (aside from general lessons and occasional guidance ofc), which means I don't feel the need to keep my new horse in training with her 24/7 and only ride during shows(which is what she advised). I want to bring my horse to my own farm and work with him there and occasionally haul in for lessons/training.
She tells me that a non-pro level reiner will not be able to do things like the occasional fun show (a lot of my friends do county fun shows, just to hang out and enjoy our animals) and will not be able to be trail ridden. It's been a little discouraging. I want to be able to do fun things, experiment with different disciplines and bond with this horse. I don't enjoy doing the same patterns and drills in the same arena all the time.
2) She also says that horses of that caliber can't be turned out. EVER. She says that sliders prevent these horses from going outside and also prevents them from doing things other than arena work. That bothers me a lot. The horse we will be getting will likely be under the age of 10, so I assume they need playtime and just time to decompress. I have a field that is away from other horses (so kicking others won't be an issue).. but is it even safe to turn these horses out or do anything other than arena work with them?
3) My Dad is a farrier (he's not going to try to put sliders on my horse lol we're getting someone experienced in that field for that so don't fret!) and he wondered if there was an over-the-shoe boot we could put on the horse for traction so he would be turned out and go on trails and such?

I know that these horses require a lot of leg/muscle care. I know that they're athletes that need maintenance. That isn't at ALL an issue! I LOVE showing and riding reiners, but now that it's time for my own I wonder if this is the right path after all she's told me. My friends enjoy hauling to local trails and doing all kinds of spontaneous things with their horses and I don't want to have to sit out because I have a high-level performance horse.
Should I reconsider getting a reining horse? I would like a little reassurance and guidance.. please

Thank you and have a blessed day!!

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Zimalia22

· #4 · 10 mo ago

I agree, that's what all trainers want. But! That's not what they all get!
Of course you can keep your horse at your place. And YES It's great for them to be rode for something else in their off time. It keeps their minds fresh, and looking forward to the next work.
We bred, raised, and showed cutting horses for many years. We always kept our horses at home. If there was a young horse we put in training, of course, he stayed at the trainers. But our older show horses were home with us. We used them in general ranch work. it's good for them to do something else!

Get your horse. Go trail riding, ranch work, etc. They ARE a trained horse, and it won't take much to tune them up when you want to go to a show.

You are absolutely right, they need time off, time to decompress. Its not like you are taking a horse in the aged events and getting them doing other things. I mean, futurity, maturity, classic and challenge. Even by the time it's Classic and Challenge, you should be able to take them home and just use them.

Do I think you should get your own reiner? Oh HECK yeah! Go for it!!

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Zimalia22

· #12 · 10 mo ago

ACinATX said:
But would having the slider-type shoes make things like trail riding more difficult or even dangerous? Would the horse be more likely to slip?

She was looking for some sort of boot that she would put on over the sliders.

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Zimalia22

· #13 · 10 mo ago

When I bought my Cat stallion, he'd been at a well known reining trainer's place. They owned him. But, and this was huge, he HATES sliding. If he feels himself slip even a tiny bit, it's forget it! He's done! As cutters, we lope a LOT to get horses warmed up. Cat felt himself slip a bit in the warm up pen, and that was it, he was done. Oh you could get him to walk, but anything over that, nope not happening. LOL Then I took him inside, and he cut the hair off that buffalo!
He had sliders on when I bought him. I don't know why, he was not anywhere near far enough in training for them. Needless to say, when I got him delivered to my ranch, they were the first order of business to get rid of. Guess I should have had them bronzed as baby shoes or something.
Can't speak for other horses, but I can for that stallion. He would have NEVER made a reiner as much as he hates to slip.

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Zimalia22

· #21 · 10 mo ago

COWCHICK77 said:
Depends on how big of a slider/trailer and your turnout situation along with if he's the type of horse that can be responsible for himself turned out. If you take a horse that's never been turned, turn him out on 50 acres in the rocks in the brush, he's going to hurt himself whether he's got sliders or not.

We used to duct tape sliders for turn out. It helps from them hanging the trailer on anything to pull it off and it gave a bit of traction in a turnout.

As far as riding in them outside, again depends on how big of a slider/trailer and where youre riding. Ive ridden them outside on frozen ground gathering cattle but Im careful. Its good way to stifle or split their hips if they get fast or slip. But that is with a cow horse slider not a big reiner one.

This makes me sad. It sounds like he got asked to stop too hard and/or had too big of a slider on, slid and he got scared. Regardless of breeding most horses if physically capable, will take a sliding stop if introduced to it correctly. Once you scare them especially as a youngster, it's pretty hard to get them over it. Don't get me wrong some horses love it and some will just do it but they shouldn't be terrified of it if it was taught correctly.

It didn't bother him on a cow! He'd slam it in the ground and come back sooo hard. He just didn't want to be a reining horse.

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