Reining is a western riding competition for horses where the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All work is done at the lope, or the gallop. Originating from working cattle, reining requires the horse to be responsive and in tune with its rider, whose aids should not be easily seen, and judges the horse on its ability to perform a set pattern of movements. The horse should be willingly guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely. A horse that pins his ears, conveys a threat to his rider, refuses to go forward, runs sideways, bounces his rear, wrings his tail in irritation, or displays an overall poor attitude is not being guided willingly, and is judged accordingly.If a horse jogs or breaks gait it is a 0.
Western riding is considered a style of horse riding which has evolved from the ranching and welfare traditions which were brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, as well as both equipment and riding style which evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West. At the time, American cowboys had to work long hours in the saddle and often over rough terrain, sometimes having to rope a cattle using a lariat, also known as a lasso. Because of the necessity to control the horse with one hand and use a lariat with the other, western horses were trained to neck rein, that is, to change direction with light pressure of a rein against the horse's neck. Horses were also trained to exercise a certain degree of independence in using their natural instincts to follow the movements of a cow, thus a riding style developed that emphasized a deep, secure seat, and training methods encouraged a horse to be responsive on very light rein contact.
Zippo Pine Bar (1969-1998) is the leading Western Pleasure sire of Quarter Horses.
The Invester (1969–2002) was a Quarter Horse stallion who excelled at halter and at western pleasure, as well as being a famous sire of western pleasure horses.
Cutter Bill (1955–1982) was a Quarter Horse stallion and the 1962 National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Open World Champion cutting horse with record earnings for the year. He also won the 1962 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Honor Roll cutting horse award which made him the first horse to have won both the NCHA and AQHA awards in the same year. Cutter Bill was owned by the flamboyant Texas millionaire Rex Cauble who in 1962 decided to campaign Cutter Bill with Sonny Perry in the saddle showing him. In order for Cutter Bill to compete in as many shows as possible that year, Cauble flew Cutter Bill and three other horses on his private jet to various shows.
Sonny Dee Bar (1965–1994) was a Quarter Horse stallion and famous sire of show horses, not only Quarter Horses but Paint Horses and Appaloosas as well.
Rugged Lark was Quarter Horse stallion who was a two-time American Quarter Horse Association World Show Superhorse as well as being a three-time AQHA World Champion. He is also the winner of the Silver Spur Award
Zippo Pat Bars (1964–1988) was an American Quarter horse racehorse and showhorse who became an influential sire in the breed.
Pecho Dexter (1963–1984) was an American Quarter Horse. He earned his slot in the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame by the claiming 13 year-end high point awards in four years, showing in halter, western pleasure, trail horse, and what was then called English Pleasure, but is now Hunter Under Saddle. In all, he earned a total of 1058 points with the American Quarter Horse Association.
The National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) is an equestrian organization in the United States that began by promoting and staging Western Pleasure events in 1983. Since then, focus has expanded to promoting the show horse at every level across multiple disciplines. The association is currently headquartered in Weatherford, Texas, United States.
The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) is a breed registry for the American Paint Horse. It is currently headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It was founded in 1965 with the merging of two different color breed registries that had been formed to register pinto-colored horses of Quarter Horse bloodlines. One of these organizations was the American Paint Quarter Horse Association and the other was the American Paint Stock Horse Association.
Scotch Bar Time was a Quarter Horse stallion and sire.
Jack David Brizendine was an American horseman and professional trainer of American Quarter Horses, most notable for having earned 7 world champion titles in 3 different breed associations, and also for having trained or sold 22 world champions. A member of the American Quarter Horse Association, Brizendine began his horse show career competing in stock horse competitions and arena performance events including working cow horse, reining, western riding and western pleasure. He trained horses on his ranch in Lincoln, California.
Zippos Mr Good Bar (1984–2016) was a registered American Quarter Horse with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). He is an American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductee for 2019. He was known for his show career and as a top sire. He was 32 years of age in 2016 when he died.
This National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame was created by the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) for the Hall of Fame to recognize extraordinary athletes, both human and equine, in the sport of Reining. It was founded in 1986 to honor and distinguish these individuals. Since the inception of the organization, both people and equine have contributed to its growth. The NRHA considers all of these individuals contributions exceptional to this sport. The Reining Horse Foundation instituted this hall of fame to continually acknowledge these individuals, and their display is a permanent exhibit which can be visited at the NHRA headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) is an equestrian organization in Pilot Point, Texas, United States, that began by promoting and staging Working cow horse events.
The National Reined Cow Horse Association Champions and Awards are presented by the National Reined Cow Horse Association to outstanding individuals in the sport of Working cow horse, both people and equine. The NRCHA awards world champions on a yearly basis. It also awards million dollar earners for both riders and sires. The organization is headquartered in Pilot Point, Texas.
The Michigan Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame was founded in the late 1980s to honor individuals and horses from the US state of Michigan. The intent of this hall of fame is to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the Association and have impacted the Quarter Horse breed.
Sandy Collier was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 2011. Collier was named one of the "Top 50 Riders of All Time in All Disciplines” by Horse & Rider magazine.
