Will Big Eq trainers be sending their kids for reining training?

[Bluey]

@DiamondJubilee

Thanks Bluey She is pretty much going through her coach as she has only been reining for the past 8 or so years and came from the H/J and then Dressage world, so is a bit worried on looking on her own. I think it maybe part of the problem as she was leasing a horse off of her coach for 2 years so perhaps there was never much of a hurry for her coach to look for her. Who knows…

I’m not getting in a debate about age of QH’s and when they start them (don’t worry, I give my sister my opinions on that matter, but lets be honest, there are quite a bit of these issues in all horse sports/disciplines) , but she did own a reiner a few years ago and she was still competing her at 18 years old and she was sound. Very unusual in the reining world of course, but it can be done (and this mare was not lightly used. She was Champion at Congress as a youngster and started as a 2 year old and competed heavily through her entire life, until my sister retired her).

They can win $, but not at the lower levels that my sister shows in.

Shelli Reis sells to trainers for their customers, your sister may check those horses out and then ask her trainer about some she may like. The trainer would discuss with Shelli to see if that horse would be suitable, is how many reiners are sold.

Reiners start showing in their third year, not second and the Futurity is at the end of that year.

If we follow the newer studies on how horses learn and perform best, starting them —PROPERLY— all along for their age will give them their best chance of performing the longest and soundest.
Similar to a kid starting in school to train and play and after years of training becoming a pro, something a kid not growing with that early training and experience playing won’t be able to ever become that competitive:

Conditioning Young Equine Athletes

Many reiners are still showing in their late teens and early 20’s, we had several.
Many reiners that are started as reiners are not competitive and sold for other and are still being ridden into their old age.
Is not the age you start a horse, but that you do that right for that horse and your goals for that horse.
A horse started older will also not stay sound if the trainer pushes it past it’s fitness.
I know offhand several reiners still showing and winning at a lower level, with beginners and juniors, around 20 years old.

As for the FEI and reiners, there are more than one side to all stories, also in that one.
The FEI wanted to be in charge of all reiners, administratively.
Reining associations didn’t think it was in their best interest to do so, they are doing fine on their own.

[Annie10]

I’ve watched that in past seasons as well as The Road to the Million (something like that) also a Sheridan production with top level reiners. Love those shows!

[mfglickman]

There are embarrassments and abuse in training in every equine sport, especially when so much money is on the line. It doesn’t excuse it at all but we can’t pretend that it’s all Reining, NRHA, or AQHA. Cheaters and bad apples unfortunately spoil public perception of the sport.

I second the recommendation to watch The Last Cowboy to see how some of the top reining trainers in the US work their horses.

(I’m not clear on the rollkur comment in the article…my daughter has a reining bred mare who wasn’t 3 year futurity material so we bought her for low level reining and competitive ranch. She’s been with several trainers, and my daughter, and it’s rare that you need to touch her mouth - she’s all seat and leg, as are most of these horses…)

[TatteredDaydreamer]

One thing I will say after watching The Last Cowboy is that I feel a little better about being heavier then I’d like to be and lightly hacking some horses. These reiners look tiny and these cowboys are not…and they are doing much more stressful work then a light walk/trot/canter! I’m finding it to be super interesting!

[Annie10]

@TatteredDaydreamer

One thing I will say after watching The Last Cowboy is that I feel a little better about being heavier then I’d like to be and lightly hacking some horses. These reiners look tiny and these cowboys are not…and they are doing much more stressful work then a light walk/trot/canter! I’m finding it to be super interesting!

LOL
In all fairness to both the horses and the men, most of them are full size corn fed fellas and the western disciplines seem to prefer their horses a little smaller than we in the English world, for any variety of reasons. But yes they are large gentlemen aren’t they?

[TatteredDaydreamer]

I didn’t mean any disrespect at all, just was eye opening and honestly made me feel a little less bad about myself and riding.

[Annie10]

@TatteredDaydreamer

I didn’t mean any disrespect at all, just was eye opening and honestly made me feel a little less bad about myself and riding.

Oh I know you didn’t , I understand how you feel I feel that way too. And I’m in awe that there isn’t exorcist level puking when they start spinning .I would be so sick

[TheHunterKid90]

Depends what level you’re asking then to compete at. All too similar to asking what the going price is for a “good hunter,” a short stirrup pony? Or a division pony…

For a relatively young competitive youth horse that’s sound with plus maneuvers and can occasionally take a joke, you’re looking at 40-50k.
The price goes up massively when you want understanding along with talent.

[TheHunterKid90]

Reiners absolutely do NOT show in NRHA classes at 2. It is quite literally not allowed.

[Ponyplusaninch]

Appreciate the call out/correction on this!

[paintedpennypony]

I worked for a vet who repeatedly said that the reiners were the most broken down horses they worked with. Not that they were mistreated at all, but they start them super young and the sport is very hard on their bodies.

[MHM]

I would imagine that any vet who works with those horses would become an expert on hock injections in a hurry.

[IPEsq]

Stock horses might be small as in low to the ground, but they aren’t necessarily dainty horses! A friend of mine has an older reining bred mare who is just over 15 hands but is fit and strong with pretty much just a trail ride job (it is hilly) and weighs over 1300 lbs and would wear the same size short girth as my solid WB. I think they can do just fine holding up some larger male riders. I do wish that QHs in general had more substantial feet to support their own big bodies but that’s a whole other thing.

[Bluey]

@paintedpennypony

I worked for a vet who repeatedly said that the reiners were the most broken down horses they worked with. Not that they were mistreated at all, but they start them super young and the sport is very hard on their bodies.

Our vets used to comment that so much of their vet work was weekend riders.
Their horses stood around all week and on weekends were ridden hard and not being fit, had all kinds of problems.
I wonder some times if that depends on which kinds of horses vets tend to see most?
To be asked to work too much too hard is bad if the horse is not fit or is worked past what is fit for.
Ranch horses half a century ago were old by 10 and they were started at 4 or 5.
Today’s ranch horses are generally started at 2-3 and work into their late teens.
We had some horses that were racing when older and still winning enough to keep them running and they were started at 2.

I think that is how a horse is sensibly managed and trained and competed with if competing that will keep a horse working long and healthy and sound, no matter what it’s task is.

[Annie10]

Same thing with people. We sit on the couch or in our offices all week and go rippin and runnin on the weekend. Then we pull stuff strain stuff and sometimes break stuff. Any steady maintained level of fitness is better than fits and spurts .

[Bluey]

I think that the more horses and kinds of horses someone rides, the better a rider they are, as they learn to adjust to all kinds of horses and disciplines.

I think they are some football players that learn ballet to be more flexible, ballet something we would not first think benefitting as cross training for a football player.
Have heard some bull riders learn to ride jumpers as their jumps mimic some of the bull’s bucking.
Jumping with horses is much safer than practicing on bulls.

[kirbydog]

I believe Todd Minikus did some bull riding! Was probably good at it, too

[bamboopole]

I wish FEI would drop endurance too. My veterinarian stopped going to those events (as a staff vet). He said the abuse is frightening.

[findeight]

Washington Medal Finals winner Meredith Darst went to Reiners after college, she was quite good last I saw her.

[Belmont]

THIS.

Also - we could talk about HJ land.
They have 3 & 4yro “Freestyle” Over Fences Classes.
The 5 year old final jumps 1.25.
Those horses are definitely being started at two and three.

Any horse, no matter its breed or discipline, that is poorly maintained, poorly bred, and constantly in bad footing will break down faster. And yes - we have that in the western world as well as HJ land.

As for the other topic at hand - I think everyone should cross train! Nothing is as easy as it looks. I think many jrs and amateurs, even pros, could benefit!