The Western sport of reining has earned a hard-fought victory to become part of the elite group of international equestrian disciplines. It was an exhibition sport at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and in 2000 it became an International Equestrian Federation (FEI)-recognized discipline. As such it made its international-championships debut at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain.

Reining is often called “Western dressage” because reining horses, like dressage horses, execute predetermined series of gaits and movements designed to test mounts’ athleticism, obedience to the aids, and overall gymnastic development. Dressage competitors ride “tests” whereas reiners ride “patterns.” Both disciplines also feature freestyle competition, in which competitors create original routines set to music, with various required elements. And a couple of movements even share similarities: the reining rollback is akin to two accelerated dressage canter pirouettes in opposite directions, with a bit of a sprint in the middle; and both disciplines require flying changes of lead in the canter.

From there, the sports diverge. Speed is the enemy of most things dressage, but it’s essential in reining. Even the rein-back is more of a hurry-up affair in reining. Put a walk pirouette on amphetamines and you get the reining spin, in which the horse makes like a child’s top around a stationary inside hind leg. And the crowd goes wild for the sit-down-on-the-haunches, dirt-spraying-everywhere sliding stop — which, amazingly, is executed, as are all movements in reining, on a loose rein.

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.