Reining Essentials

World Champion trainer and rider Sandy Collier provides this indispensable guide of progressive training exercises for the reining horse. Whether green broke, or "push-button," every horse will perform more willingly, cleanly, and quickly with work on what she calls the "Seven Essentials"—the foundational basics every riding horse needs. Like no other book out there, Collier breaks down the maneuvers required in a reining pattern and the tricks and techniques for introducing them, perfecting them, and showing them off in competition. You'll learn about: • Collection and steering—condensing your horse's frame and getting his feet to follow his nose • Lead departures, circles, and spins—preparing for the lope, "hunting the circle," and driving into the spin • Stops, back-ups, and rollbacks—perfecting the slide, moving backward with cadence, and swinging around 180 degrees over the hocks • Lead changes—getting it right and preventing anticipation

Invaluable advice for preparing horse and rider for competition

The original version of this book was first published in 1983 and sold over 100,000 copies. In recent years, however, reining has changed and Al Dunning has fine-tuned his methods and techniques of training in order to stay among the top competitors. This brand-new edition, considerably larger than the original book, reflects the changes in Al's training program through updated copy and more than 300 new photographs. (8 x 11, 216 pages, b&w photos, diagrams)

Collection is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Western and English riding. Everyone wants it, but few people know how to get it. World-class rider, trainer, and clinician Lynn Palm now offers the one and only book that explains away the mysteries of collection while telling you exactly how to attain it. With 40 years experience riding and training champion all-around performance horses, and a background in dressage, Lynn has perfected an easy-to-use system of exercises that gradually collect any type of horse, regardless of his build, and that are of particular value to stock horse breeds such as Quarter Horses, Paints, and Appaloosas. Lynn begins on the ground with in-hand exercises—free lungeing, ground-driving, and lungeing-and-bitting—to gain the horse's trust and improve his responses to cues and commands. She then explains how you start in the saddle with simple transitions—such as halt-walk-halt—and gradually progress through stages that include more difficult transitions between gaits and markers; lengthening and shortening of stride; yielding on diagonal, straight, and curving lines; turns on the forehand and haunches; shoulder-in and shoulder-fore; haunches-in and haunches-out; half-pass; and simple and flying lead changes. Learning how to bring your horse into true collection helps you improve his performance; create a more willing equine partner; extend his physical and mental longevity; and enjoy riding him even more than you already do.

A handbook for showing a reining horse for beginners and professionals

Featuring tips from top reining professionals, including Bob Loomis and Warwick and Robyn Schiller, plus a special chapter on creating your own freestyle with Stacy Westfall.

Training techniques and exercise programs from one of the best-known reining horse trainers, breeders, and competitors.