Reining

Question
What is the best way to train a horse to disengage the front end/shoulders while hind end is stationary in preparation for spin? Young horse, beginning training ridden two months - performance horse prospect for reining. What are necessary manuvering prerequistes leading into a spin? Owner is self-taught rider who is studying Clinton Anderson tapes but would like some further assistance. Have been working on disengaging the hind end. Horse is also trying to pull against the bit. Any hints/reading recommendations, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

Answer
David,

Western reining is basically the same as dressage for English riders.  The performance aspect is different but the moves are very much the same.  I have never personally trained a horse for reining but I've watched a lot of them, particularly at the USET finals here in NJ so know what's involved.  

The horse needs to learn to do turns on the forehand as well as the hind.  Start with getting the horse to stand in one spot and turn 1/4 turn at a time.  You'll need to have the horse familiar with the correct signals, you want to drop your weight into the opposite hip, i.e. if you are asking the horse to turn to the right you want your weigh on your left hip, move your right leg back a little and press with it to swing the hind end around.  Apply enough right rein to get him started  but enough left rein to keep him from moving forward.  It'll take him a little while to get the idea.  Before you start with that just get him to yield left and right while walking in a straight line, similar to side-passing but you want the horse to progress forward as well as sideways.  Make sure you don't close the opposite leg against him as you ask him to move away from the leg pressure.  Use half-halts, gentle ones, when he tries to pull against the bit.  I generally start horses in bosals rather than bits so that they learn to follow their noses.  Get him to yield sideways so that he can walk along a fence line with you with his nose to the fence.  Once he's figured out yielding to the leg, work on the turns on both forehand and hind quarters.  You can put circles on the ground, about 15' in diameter with lime or flour, to work in so he knows what his boundaries are.  This will probably take at least a month to get him working comfortably with this.  Make sure to praise and reward even one step in the right direction so that he knows he's done what you are asking for.  

If he's pulling on the bit I do basic ground work, using half-halts with the bit, to get them off the bit.  You want him on the bit but not pulling on it.  You'll need to ride with full contact at first, using 2 hands, until he learns to respond to leg pressure.  Then you can go back to one-handed neck reining.  

You may also consider getting some lessons for yourself so that someone else can watch you ride and correct any faults you have too.  Believe me, good riders take lessons on a regular basis.  I do every summer so that I can have someone pick up bad habits I've fallen into.  It's very helpful to have someone else watch you ride, even video tape you if possible so you can see what they see.  

Hope this helps.  Reading recommendations I can't help you with but you should be able to find lots of stuff on the 'Net.  There are lots of books and videos out there on virtually anything.  Check Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles and some of the strictly equestrian catalog sites for that sort of thing.  

Lyn