Anyone else watching WEG reining on Eurosport - and can anyone explain reining to me?

eek - the british reiners had to fund their own trips!! No funding, no nothing! that's dedicated! :eek:

oooooooohhh!!! eventing dressage tomorrow!!!! :D:D
 
I think it's about as imperceptible aids as possible (lots of weight aids imho), taking off as if they've hit the turbo button sliding to a halt for as long as possible, horse's topline staying soft and round with little/no rein contact. this is guesswork from watching quite a few and seeing what marks they get!
 
i was shocked when one over spun (say if it was aclock they should stop at 12 and he stopped at 3) and the guy said he was lucky not to have been eliminated :o!

I can see why dressage riders like it as simular aspects but in some ways its much more cut-throat
 
We haven't got anyone representing us in the driving? That's SUCH a shame. What a pity our international sportsmen/women receive so little support. I'd have put a few quid in for the driving team!
 
"Dressage on acid." :cool:

The Wikepedia page is pretty good and has a bit about how its scored, rules etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reining

It's great fun to watch. The audience yells and screams - they "yip" during the fast circles, yell "go go go" or similar during the run downs, and scream the place down during the stops. Dressage people would have a fit. ;)

The horses are very interesting to ride (although reining saddles are very flat and slippery which seems odd for a sport where you spin around very fast) and well schooled, although they don't feel like upper level dressage horses. What's really impressive is how chilled they are. At the end of some competitions the rider has to "show the bit" to the judge and some just pull the bridle off still sitting on the horse and ride out without it!

There's also a "reined cowhorse" two phase competition that combines a reining or "dry work" program with a cutting run.

I would be more interested in the sport but it's VERY hard on the horses and the emphasis on Futurities (even the Derbies are 4 to 6 year olds) makes me a bit queasy. I think the FEI inclusion is changing that a bit, at least for some people, as some trainers have shifted their programs so that the horses peak later and last longer.
 
TarrSteps said:
It's great fun to watch. The audience yells and screams - they "yip" during the fast circles, yell "go go go" or similar during the run downs, and scream the place down during the stops. Dressage people would have a fit. ;)
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They scream the place down for ONE single flying change. If they ever saw a GP test they would get a sore throat after the 15 one tempis ;)
 
There is A LOT of screaming. :D

Although it's debatable, if people started screaming and stomping during a GP test, how many riders would be able to STOP their horses doing changes. ;)
 
The saddles they use are evil for the spinning! I swear they must superglue themselves in! I spent 3 mnths on a QH stud exercising some of their top reining stallions (3 - 4 a day) and 'teaching' (herm :o ) some of the younger horses, and I only managed once to spin with out an involuntary grab at the horn for balance, I didn't always need it but never felt secure enough to just let the spare hand 'hang'.

The strictness on the spin and stopping come from the idea that it is all skills you use chasing cows - that extra 1/4 of a turn could/would loose you your cow in the yards.

In training they (or where I was) put alot of emphasis on not working off the walls, the closest you got was the 3/4 line. So that the horses learnt to run dead straight with out a fence to guide them. This is what struck me as one of the biggest differeces with DR, if you consider how much the edge is used for travers, renvers, shoulder-in etc.

I used to do 'Puebas Equestres' in Chile which are kind of similar and equally good fun, and included a mandatory cattle section.
What is involved in Doma Vaquera?
 
It is *cowboy dressage* :) So it comes from the same place, horses working cattle, but it is a lot more elegant IMO. You have a set time to show off your horse, with set movements involved, not unlike reining. Tempi changes, half pass, pirouettes are all in there :) And some moves you may only have seen when your horse is spooking ;)

Here is a clip for you, from the National Champs 2009 at the yearly Jerez Horse Fair which I used to go to yearly, so much fun! This pair won.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Martincaballos#p/u/9/s-s5RzITCdI
 
FrodoBeutlin said:
They scream the place down for ONE single flying change. If they ever saw a GP test they would get a sore throat after the 15 one tempis ;)
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:D Trust me, they wouldn't! Most reiners and their fans would find dressage quite boring ;). I used to love watching dressage, and to be honest I still appreciate it at top level, but I don't enjoy watching it as much as reining.
 
yellowdun said:
:D Trust me, they wouldn't! Most reiners and their fans would find dressage quite boring ;). I used to love watching dressage, and to be honest I still appreciate it at top level, but I don't enjoy watching it as much as reining.
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The easiest way to think of it is that reiners are required to be 'WILLINGLY guided" hence the single change with no contact , or obvious aids.. cxompare that to dressage, where there is a mark for '
SUBMISSION"!!!.. (submission in dictionary states Quit or give in due to pain or insurmountable/over whelming pressure )_..
 
As far as doing well at reining is concerned, the idea is to be as precise in the pattern as possible with the most subtle possible aids.

Can't say I've been watching the WEG reining, but I did catch the majority of the Europeans on FEITV: it looks like a lot of fun, and if H was a bit younger and we had access to a western trainer I'd be very tempted to have a go (after all, Highlands are built quite a lot like Quarter Horses; just shorter).

As it is, I think we'll stick to doing trail riding and barrel racing have-a-go sessions for the kids. H gets very into barrel racing, actually - it's quite funny to watch him go from doing it flat-out with 45-degree lean with me to walking round the barrels with the kids and then putting in a seriously nice extended trot for them on the home straight. If only he'd trot like that in dressage tests...
 
Thanks for all of your private messages and interest.. I have only just discovered them !!! So sorry if I seem to have ignored them.
We had a really good experience.. Finished 4th last due to a massive penalty for a massive inexcusable error in a roll back from me.. but the experience was great and the stallion got lots of positive exposure!.. 3 years ago started reining, and this year was our first year in FEI.. Was aiming for the next world championships, but was amazingly lucky enough to qualify for Tryon. . For the reiners, it was an excellent show.. bloody hot and humid, but for us, all was great.. the surface, the indoor , stables etc.. a really well run show. Not sure what the FEI holds for the future either of reining or WEG. Its a case of watch this space.... Thanks again!weg Azul 2018 USA Tryon.png
 
FrodoBeutlin said:
They scream the place down for ONE single flying change. If they ever saw a GP test they would get a sore throat after the 15 one tempis ;)
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Nope.... there is a massive difference between a flying change on a 'contact" ie dressage and a loose rein ie reining.. Its the difference between submission and willing :)
 
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