Happened to a cowboy friend that wanted to jump on my horse to get some more cattle, as horse was right there.
I by the way warned him that he was kind of sharp, although not a reiner.
Friend didn’t listen, got on and started him off.
Signals were mixed, as horse dutifully switched ends unexpectedly.
Friend was grabbing for all he could find, horse practically getting out from under him.
We still laugh about friend not always listening. 
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Good Big Eq horses are absolutely trained to understand seat aids. That is how they can execute difficult flatwork and test questions and have good adjustability between an open and collected stride.
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Ok, you’re all correct. Reining training is clearly the secret to success in Big EQ. I’m sure everyone will be doing it next year.
Are you this black and white about everything? Or is there something unique about equitation?
Cross training into ( any other equine disciplines) is good for flexibility, balance, strength, vocabulary, knowledge, general horsemanship, and for your memory as one feels how to ride this way well, then that way well.
If my instructor was going to lose their marbles over me suddenly taking lessons in (name other discipline) I’d fire them.
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Nobody said this? We’re just saying it’s not antithetical, as you posed.
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Where does reining “come from”?
I mean, I get where cutters come from, I get why there is barrel racing, but in actual “real ranch life” what do reiners do?
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Reining is fairly new to western events, is supposed to be the “dry work” that enables a cow horse to learn moves that enhance it’s athleticism so it will be more fit when cutting cattle … that taken to the exaggeration that such brings in showing, to make it competitive.
In working cow horse events, that are three classes scores to be combined, cutting, reining and cow work, reining is one more qualifying class under that idea of reiners being a “handy” horse.
Like in three day eventing, the level of proficiency in reining or cutting in working cow horse is not that of strictly reining or cutting horse competition, the rules slightly different.
Those western disciplines are still evolving as show events, over time have changed and will still in the future.
Could be said reining is loosely similar to the start of Dressage several centuries ago to condition horses for the war field, once in competition, is what dressage is today.
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We need to keep in mind that like all else in life, reining will appeal to some, not to others and that diversity of interests is fine, what gives us all we have in the horse world.
Will every kid learning to ride be required to learn to do this or that, jumping, polo, fox hunting, barrel racing, hunters, reining?
Of course not, but for those that like one or another or several, why not have fun and learn as much as you can of whatever you want? 
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Ah ok. Thanks. I think it’s pretty cool and I love to watch it, just was wondering what was the point lol
Now it makes more sense
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You showed at Del Mar? I might have been one of the horse-crazy tweens watching you! My mom used to drop me off in the morning, and pick me up before dinner. I’d watch the show and wander the barns all day. (Note to everyone: the barns at Del Mar were not indoors; they are double shedrows with wide dirt aisles between them.)
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Same @quietann I was someplace else in those same bleachers, watching reiners, hunters, jumpers, roadster ponies et al. My mother and grandmother were off enjoying the fair.
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I’m not a HJ rider, but I wanted to pop in and say I’ve gotten to ride some reiners, and if you’ve never even sat on one you just aren’t quite going to understand the feeling. All riders in every discipline want to learn to be as light and soft and effortless looking as possible, because it allows you the room to ask for more things and it just creates a prettier picture. If you can learn to quiet your aids enough to ride a sensitive reiner, it’s very good practice for lots of english disciplines.
Not to mention you will learn to get a pretty solid seat when it’s needed 
there is SO MUCH to be learned from every discipline out there that can make you an overall better equestrian.
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Thanks for this, Bluey. When I boarded my horse, the gal doing the barn work was a Western rider. We were talking one day and she told me she’d gotten to ride a reiner. Said she almost fell off, as he was pretty slick.
I’m learning a bit more about it from watching The Last Cowboy. 
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I’m surprised no one has mentioned that a big advantage of cross-training in this way is that you learn how to ride a really good, balanced, smooth hand-gallop and halt.
As demonstrated by Carlee’s Medal Finals workoff.
You can learn that in other disciplines as well, but that’s one direct application of the skillset that paid off for her!
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Hadn’t even thought about it but you’re right; the concept of forward into the downward is (sadly) a bit lost in HJ land, and riding a sliding stop would really bring that home. It would go against every handsy urge we tend to have.
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This. After 20+ years in competitive HJ land and including equitation, I have gone full switch and now ride Reined Cow Horses. It’s freaking HARD. I feel like I don’t know anything and barely know how to ride now 
I almost fell off yesterday stopping from a lope in a small circle while we worked on our reining.
There is something to be learned in every discipline. Carlee has said multiple times that she feels reining gives her a better feel in the jumping, and that she also feels that riding jumpers has helped her reining. Yes - things are different, but it speaks volumes about her as a rider and her ability to switch and be successful. Will Simpson often went to Ted Robinsons to ride cow horses & would bring his jumpers over as well.
I encourage anyone to try something new, even if its just for a few times. I promise you’ll get something out of it.
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There’s a nice article in the Chron’s coverage of the dressage finals. Taylor Lindsten and her stallion Wallace G won Intermediaire I and revealed that Working Eq was her secret weapon in getting the horse to understand what she wanted.
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Cross training is wonderful. I grew up as a hunter/eq rider and when I got to college I got to dabble in cross country schooling, dressage, and fox hunting. Without a doubt these experiences all made me a better rider, helped me develop more confidence over fences, and helped my eye develop more.
There is a local trainer I’ve sent my kids to who grew up a western rider in Cali, but she runs a local level H/J show barn here on the East Coast. Before sending my kiddos there I sat around the local circuit shows watching all the trainers, how they worked with the kids, spoke to them, the quality of their horses, the basics they were instilling in the kids. I chose her because I thought she was just wonderful, and as a bonus her kiddos were wining in the hunters, had solid seats, and were confident little riders. She isn’t going to be taking kids out to Upperville or Devon regularly, its not her thing, but she really epitomizes how cross training makes a solid horsewoman and I admire her. She was also surprised when I told her I want to try some western lessons with her soon!
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Article about how Hunter Holloway and her boyfriend, Dylan Gamble (a western rider), work together to develop her horses:
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Ahhhhh… I just scrolled by a photo of a very cute QH type and did a full-on double-take when I saw it was Hunter that posted it. This explains why!
