Versatility Showcase - Working Western

I Think I Have a Reining Prospect - Where do I take Him?
By Vonne Tarnavsky

So, after some consideration and watching your horse, you think you'd like to see if he might be a reining prospect. What do you do with him? Where do you send him?Reining is a very specialized event and it is critical to begin the horse correctly and at a young age. Some have been successful with redirecting a horse from another discipline, however, more than likely, that horse will have a lot of re-schooling to do. Some horses change readily - some have a difficult time.Many people have theories of what age to begin the horse, but my best feeling is that the younger you can begin working with him, the better. Oh, I don't mean pushing him along before he is physically able, but begin laying in important advanced ground skills (leading, tying, stabling, loading, some early round pen work, if you know how to do it well, and socialization skills). Get those early lessons done. Take the horse for walks. Do things with him to make his trip to the trainer an easier move so he may get down to business more readily. Very often, this hasn't been done and it takes more valuable time doing things that this horse should already know.The first prodigy I took to my trainer was a long three-year old. I know now, that although we met with nice success, it would have been much better, had I taken him in at least a year earlier, if not a year and a half earlier as a two-year old. You will find that people with other breeds tend to start some work as yearlings. This may seem rushed, however, they are taking care that this youngster is getting those basic lessons down, getting light riding, and are being put together so he can get down to business when he is more physically and mentally ready to take the more intense work. After your yol,lngster has had some rides on him, you may want to just put him out to pasture a little in order to let him grow and mature mentally. When you go back to him, you will find a horse that is ready to get down to business.A good reining trainer works to build the youngster and takes precautions as they don't want to break down a nice prospect; an unsound reiner will go nowhere. This early start also helps with the mind discipline. The youngster hasn't had a lot of time to decide that he's going to be a pasture potato with an "I don't want to" attitude. His whole outlook is to please the handler and work is his life. They look forward to it every day.It's difficult to begin to consider where to send a horse unless you do a little homework first. I would urge you to take in a couple of National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) events and watch the open classes to see what the pros perform like, watch the non-pro classes. If you aren'tfamiliarwith the NRHA scoring system, get a copy of the NRHA Rulebook and the NRHA judging tape (which is sold by the National Morgan Reining Horse Association) — it is an excellent means to learn what you need to be looking for.Perhaps, while at the show, you could talk to a few of the non-pros to see if they have a trainer and who it is; get a little background story about the trainer. Work with the local association to find out who trains in your area. In my instance, I had to be willing to go about 500 miles. Hopefully you can locate somebody closer to you.

Don't choose a trainer because he happens to be a "buzz word" around your breed or barn. You need to investigate carefully. In fact, after you have a few on your list to consider, you should visit their facilities. Leave the horse home, but take some pictures and a little video if you have it. You can always take a friend to help you observe.

How are the facilities? Are they reasonably clean, safe, and easily accessed? How many horses are there in training? What kind of clientele seems to be about? Does the trainer like working with your breed of horse? What seems to motivate this trainer? Does he have adequate stable help - to clean stalls, saddle horses in order to keep him riding if he has many horses to go through each day? Does the trainer listen to you and wish to understand your objectives? Can you watch the trainer work a variety of the days' horses? Do you like how the trainer works with the horses? Do the horses seem ok? Do they look like they are progressing toward those NRHA standards as you see more and more advanced horses? Is the trainer rushed in his training or is he more interested in laying in the proper basics to build more advanced work upon? Does this trainer tend to work with non-pros in case you want to learn to ride this sport?

Do you feel comfortable talking with the trainer? Look at his training contract. Are all of the fees clearly outlined? If you have any questions, ask now. Be sure to look down the road to the show costs, division of prize monies, transportation and the like. It is very important to get these things on the table so there are no surprises down the road for either your trainer or you.

If you think you've found the right trainer, it is time to discuss placing your horse with him. Often, the trainer would like to have the owner commit to a trial period so that he has adequate time to work with and evaluate the horse's propensity toward the sport. A typical time period is around three months.

This trial period is an important part of the game plan. If the horse isn't going to work up to your goals or your trainer's goals, it's important to quit pushing the horse into a reining career. It is expensive and time consuming. This horse may have a better career elsewhere; you will have put some good work on him and he is likely to move onto other things well, either for you or a new owner. Don't be discouraged if this is the case. Just move on, if you wish to pursue the reining game. There is nothing as frustrating for you, your trainer or your horse as trying to build the wrong individual for this endeavor.

If you and your trainer have reached the agreement that this horse has talent for the reining pen, then you must realize that it takes commitment in both time and money to make this reality. Most truly solid reining horses take two seasons to come into their own. You need to work out your budget for this. A trainer is more encouraged by a client who has made this commitment and he is more likely to take your program seriously if he knows that you won't wither along the way.

Checking periodically on the progress of your horse, taking some lessons and attending events helps to build your knowledge and enthusiasm for this sport. Reining is very exciting to ride and watch and you can't beat the sportsmanship of the people you meet along the way. When you step on your first reiner, you will be astounded at the excellent maneuverability and light touch he takes to ride. Oh, and when you say whoa, you'd better mean it.