Horseman's News 2007

In reined cow horse competitions, spins or turn-a-rounds to the left and right are always part of the reining pattern. In most patterns, 2 ? or 3 ? spins each way will be required. Our young futurity prospects are now spinning each way and we’re beginning to ask for more speed as well as correctness in this maneuver. When I say correctness I’m referring to things such as:

1) Keeping forward momentum: Rocking back on their hindquarters and hopping around is not acceptable in today’s style of reining maneuvers.

2) Keeping my horses inside eye in sight: If I’m neck reining my horse too hard, his nose will tip to the outside and he’ll be turning in a counter-bent configuration. My horse needs to be looking in the direction that he is going.

3) A solid stepping cadence: I can ask for more and more speed as long as my colt steps with an even cadence. I need to feel his outside foot step over his inside with a solid rhythm. If my horse starts hopping around or flinging his feet around, I need to slow back down, establish a stepping cadence, and then begin to speed up again.

4) Softness in the face: When I ask for a spin, just like any other maneuver, they must stay soft in my hands. If they are confused or worried, they will probably get stiff in the face and begin to push on my hands.

Here are three things that I continually do to help maintain correctness in the turn-a-rounds:

1) Train track circles: Bending my horse in small symmetrical circles reinforces the idea of stepping forward, looking in the direction they are going, and staying soft in the face. Your horses’ hind feet should be stepping right up into the tracks of his front feet. I want him to be traveling like a train on a circular track. How soft, fluid, and rhythmic can you get these circles? I will step in and out of a spin from a train track circle numerous times. When you start the spin from this circle simply shift your weight slightly back and re-direct with a direct rein, neck rein, and outside leg. Get some steps in the spin that you like and then drift back into a train track circle.

2) Shoulders over exercise: This exercise will help pick up your horses shoulders, remove shoulder blocks, and teach cadence. You can start this exercise from a train track circle. If you’re tracking to the right, maintain that direction but re-align your horses’ body to a counter bent position. Do this by lifting with your left rein and draw it to your right shoulder. Move your right leg away and press with your left leg or spur right behind the cinch. You are now stepping in the circle with his shoulders leading and his nose tipped to the outside (i.e. counter bent).

Make sure you don’t loose forward momentum. You are still walking in a circle. The left front foot should be stepping over his right in a rhythmic cadence. This exercise really frees up a horses shoulders. It also re-enforces the stepping cadence which is so important in a spin.

There is also a big benefit from entering the spin from the “shoulders over” exercise. When pushing the shoulders around to the right in a counter bend you should be looking at your horses left eye. While going to the right you have lifted and taken the block out of his left shoulder. You’re actually prepared to go into a left spin. You already have his left eye. Shoulders are up and straight. Simply start him back to the left. Spin one, two, or three times around to the left. Now push his shoulders over to the left in a counter bend just as before (in the opposite direction). After a couple counter bent revolutions you can ask him to spin back to the right. The shoulders over exercise is physically demanding. When doing this before the spin it actually makes spinning the reward and the easier thing to do. Play with this exercise. I think you’ll like it!

3) Softening the face: When I feel resistance and stiffness in my colts face during the turn-a-round I might leave the spin and push my horse forward with my legs and hold the reins until he softens up. Trainers refer to this as “driving a horse up into the bridle.” I’ll drive them up until they get soft and round and then I’ll step back into the spin. Sometimes I allow my colts to turn around on a relatively loose rein. At other times I’ll expect them to turn while collected. The main thing is that there is no resistance when I pick up on the reins. If there is, I need to do something to soften them up or the brace will only get worse.

Where does the speed come from? For me, when I cluck it means, “Whatever you’re doing right now, do it a little faster.” Once I start the spin, if I want more speed I will cluck one or two times. If there is no acceleration in the turn I will bump him with my leg or spur. That reinforcement always comes after a cluck. Now when he hears me cluck, he knows it’s time to speed up. If he does, great. If not, the spur will be the promise behind the suggestion. I don’t constantly keep my outside let on my horse in a turn-a-round. I might start him with my leg, and I’ll stay off his side unless he needs a reminder to keep going.

Remember, I will ask them to spin as quickly as possible as long as they stay correct. If things start to fall apart, I’ll slow back down to re-establish cadence and correctness and then speed up again. If you can establish cadence and control and then add speed, you’ve got a winning combination!