Reining
began on the working cattle ranches, where a cowboy or vaquero used their horses to gather, move and hold cattle on the open range. These horses had to be athletic, quick and agile. They had to be extremely responsive to a very light rein. In years gone by, cowboys and vaqueros took pride in their hard working, well-trained horses. Challenges often arose as to who had the best horse. The most talented riders would put their horses through a series of stops and turns, letting the watching crowd determine which rider and horse were the best. These displays are the forerunners of today's reining competitions.
Reining competitions provide a venue for thousands of riders to demonstrate the skills of their highly trained and conditioned horses. Trained judges score the reining horse based on its execution of the manoeuver groups required in a specific pattern. All patterns are divided into seven or eight maneuvers.
Today, Reining is gaining popularity at lightning speed. There are now over 30 countries in the world that have Reining Associations and hold competitions. In effort to introduce reining as an Olympic sport, the first international competition was held in June, 2000 in Gladstone, New Jersey with teams from the US, Canada, Japan, Italy and Venezuela. The US team won the Gold, Canada the Silver and Italy the Bronze.
The sport of Reining is attracting riders of all ages and skill levels. Reining has set the equestrian world on fire with its thrilling maneuvers and excellence in horsemanship.
The South Shore Reiners Association was established in 1989 and has provided opportunity for local reiners and those from all over the Eastern Canada to showcase their horses.
