Rules and regulations governing the attire reiners and their horses must wear are generally pretty lax compared to those of other disciplines. A few pieces of equipiment are required, a few are banned and there are some restrictions on certain bridles, etc, but other than that the reiner is free to wear what he or she likes.
Mandatory appropriate attire from the NRHA includes:
Mandatory appropriate attire from the NRHA includes:
- Western tack (saddle and bridle)
- Western hat or safety helmet
- 'Cowboy' Boots
- Long sleeved shirt
In addition to these few requirements most reiners will wear a nice pair of jeans and some fancy chaps for their pattern. They may also wear spurs with decorated spur straps, and a showy belt. A reiner's outfit need not be glitzy, glamorous or overly bright, however. A nice, conservative appearance is common in the show arena these days. It does make for a nice presentation if the reiner and horse attire match or compliment each other. This can be done through the careful selection of saddle blanket, skid boots, saddle and bridle leather so that they look nice with the reiner's clothing.
Bits are not a necessity in reining. In most competitions certain traditional hackamores and bosals (bitless bridles) are allowed. Snaffle bits are most always allowed, however most reiners use curb bits. A curb has long shanks that hang out of the horse's mouth and provide the rider with more leverage over the horse's mouth. This leads to smaller, more subtle cues and more control over the horse. A curb bit is what allows reiners to ride with their reins so loose all of the time. Due to the extra leverage the horse can feel even the slightest movements of the rein. There are bit measurements to be followed as directed by the NRHA. Such-and-such cannot exceed so-many-inches, etc. For NRHA-specific rules for curb bits go here. As far as saddles go most reiners used saddles specifically designed for reining and cutting. Many top performance horses also have saddles custom made for them to ensure a correct, comfortable fit that will allow the horse to work to the best of his ability. Sometimes, saddles are custom fit to both the horse and the rider. For more in-depth info on what kind of saddle you want for reining, try this link to a great article. |
|