Switching from hunter/jumper to reining

[hunterrider33]

Hi all, I’ve been riding hunter/jumpers on the big A circuit my whole life but I’m wanting a change. So I’ve been thinking of getting into reining.
Im hoping to first find a place to start taking lessons but wanted to come here to see what advice you’d have for someone switching from English-hunter/jumper to reining.

Will I look rediculous for wearing a helmet? I noticed a lot don’t wear them, but I’d feel more comfortable in one.
What should I wear/how should I come prepared?
What can I expect?
Are there typically barns that do lessons on their horses? I obviously wouldn’t be jumping into buying one yet.
Is it typical for farms to offer leases? (This is a big thing in the h/j world so curious if it crosses over disciples)

thanks so much!

[LuvRedHeads]

@hunterrider33 where are you in the Northeast? I know a few H/J A circuit riders that made the switch to reining. I can send you their names. If you’re local, it might be a good place to start. They could steer you in the right direction.

[hunterrider33]

@LuvRedHeads

@hunterrider33 where are you in the Northeast? I know a few H/J A circuit riders that made the switch to reining. I can send you their names. If you’re local, it might be a good place to start. They could steer you in the right direction.

I’m in Connecticut (outside Hartford area)

[LuvRedHeads]

Bummer - the people I know are all in Central Mass.

[KBC]

Wear your helmet with pride, and if you want to be a trend setter turn it into a Hellhat…https://www.facebook.com/groups/HellHatPosse/ I wear mine all the time, I love it.

Traditionally you would wear jeans and cowboy boots, but heck you are talking to a English Rider, converted to western who is back to riding in breeches, short boots and half chaps, just because it is more comfortable.

The only reining barns I have been to, one in UK, one in Canada, have been very welcoming, great fun people, who were all to keen to help you along. Bear in mind though the costs if you want to be competitive, trainer maintained, sliders etc, and of course once they get sliders then you are kind of chained to the arena.

I have to say that my small, tiny tastes of riding a good reining horse nearly got me hooked, it is the greatest of fun, set deep, be able to let the front go, and have a blast.

[Bluey]

Not necessarily chained to an arena because of sliders, we are not.
My reiner just drove cattle to winter pastures for a handful of miles wearing sliders, no problem.
Just be reasonable and don’t run your horse around wildly, any place.

You could try here, NRHA web site:
http://nrha1.com/findapro/

There is a Lisa Boon in CT, others in nearby states may be close to you.
Don’t know anything about her.

This one is a top NE stable right now.
Jeremy Gates is a very nice fellow.
Call him and he will direct you to someone close to you that is good, if he himself is not close:

http://www.stonyfordreininghorses.com

You also have Rocky Dare in NJ, he is one of the more successful trainers in the NE.

You could attend some reining shows and meet the people there and see who you feel confident they are who you would like to work with.

Reining is a very technical discipline.
There are some trainers that have been at it long and still really don’t know that much.
It is important that you find one that is above average to learn right from the start.

Reining is very much fun and with the right trainer, that fun never ends.
You can learn for long time and always find more about it you didn’t know.
Reining horses are so sensitive, that, say, looking down for a second to confirm your horse did change, your horse may slow down a tad at that slight change on your weight and cost you penalties for not keeping the same even speed thru the circle.
The better trainers will educate your riding and your eye properly, where learning will be correct right from the start.

[bitranchy]

Making the switch from H/J to reined cow horse, for me, has been such fun but also so, so much work. Most any ex-English rider I know has said making the switch from English to Western has been a big leap for them.

Wear your helmet. No one cares, or at least no one I know. Jeans you’re comfortable in, ones with a high enough waist you don’t risk mooning anyone. If you have the budget, I’d go to a tack store or boot shop and try some on. Different brands can fit differently, so being able to try them on and walk around in them certainly saves any hassle with doing returns. I’d wait on purchasing spurs until you can consult with your trainer. You may not even have to purchase some, a lot of barns have sets for people to use. But, if you do need to buy yourself some or you want to, ask what length of post and what type of rowel your trainer would think suits you best.

Like Bluey said, reining is super technical. But when you and your horse execute a maneuver properly - boy, that’s a cool feeling!

Find a trainer that is going to coach you through that initial jump and explain the why’s and how’s that may not originally make sense to someone coming over from an English discipline. I do think depending on the types of trainers you’ve worked with when riding H/J and your history as a rider could influence how easily learning the reining basics comes to you. Personally, I’ve had some hang ups with the learning and with my young horse. She has probably suffered some for it. I ride with a few trainers, and one of them I find often doesn’t set you up for success prior to an exercise. Sometimes there’s no explanation at all for things going forward or certain cues or maneuvers. The gray area can be hard to suffer and I think can lead to a lot of mistakes. Regardless, I think most folks can change their riding, given the right information. See if you’d be able to go out and catch a lesson or two before you really commit to any one barn.

[beau159]

@hunterrider33

Will I look rediculous for wearing a helmet? I noticed a lot don’t wear them, but I’d feel more comfortable in one.

Wear your helmet with pride.

I’m one of the few WESTERN riders that wears a helmet in my neck of the woods and I wear it for showing too.

@hunterrider33

What should I wear/how should I come prepared?

If you already have jeans and traditional western boots, I would wear that. But if you would like to get your feet wet and make sure you like it first, you can wear paddock boots and half chaps with your breeches. It’s fine - who cares.

And truthfully, if any trainer is UNprofessional enough to make a snarky comment about your attire, then you can find someone else.

That’s one of the reasons why I will never go back to a particular English trainer in my area. She was dissing barrel racing left and right at my very first lesson with her and it was very clear she had no clue about it whatsoever. Very unprofessional, IMO, and I will take my business elsewhere.

@hunterrider33

What can I expect?

Are there typically barns that do lessons on their horses? I obviously wouldn’t be jumping into buying one yet.
Is it typical for farms to offer leases? (This is a big thing in the h/j world so curious if it crosses over disciples)

I guess some of these questions ultimately depend on who you end up taking lessons with and where.

For example, the reining trainer I take lessons from / ride with actually has a normal full time job away from horses. And he primarily trains horses for people so he’s almost always got different horses in his barn that he is riding and working with. Obviously, those horses won’t be up for lease! But they do have a few of their own horses that I know he has people ride sometimes for lessons.

Other barns might be different and they may or may not have horses available to lease.

How about your own horse? Just because it’s a hunter/jumper, doesn’t mean it can’t learn basic reining maneuvars!

I grew up riding Western and only have recently taken lessons here and there for English (to do my local hunter events). And I feel like reining progresses FASTER than any English disipline will. Not that that is a bad thing one way or the other, but I know my English trainer waits a very long time to actually ask a horse for a flying lead change … whereas my reining guy might ask for one the first day he gets on a new horse, if he thinks the horse can do it.

So maybe that’s my only advice comparing to the two. And maybe I"ll be totally wrong, but you might feel like the reining progresses fast in comparison to what you’ve experienced on the English side of things.

[Shine]

My friend sent her stallion down here for training http://www.santahillranch. and also took lessons. She said it was a very positive experience all the around. She was happy and her horse was happy.

[Hinderella]

OP, I’m in CT in Middletown. I ride my pony English and we’ve done a bit of everything: Dressage, trying out amoeba level eventing, trail rides, fox hunting. Later this month I’m looking at trying her on cows. I had a bunch of recommendations for Saddle View Farm in Bethany. I see more working cow events and gymkhana on their site than reining, but you may want to check them out. Or PM me and come watch me try (and hopefully not die!) when the pony meets her first cow

[TheHunterKid90]

I am in Northeast PA, a little far for you but I second Lisa Boone…also Bryan Penquite is a very good non pro coach.
Dan sanborn in New Hampshire is also excellent.