The Physical Demand on Reining Horse’s When Sliding

Myth Busting:  The Physical Demand on Reining Horse Slides. Only 3% of horses are considered suitably conditioned for competitive sliding stops due to a lack of trotting, hill work and riding out.

“The sliding stop is comparable to the load on the extremity of a horse during a gallop race.”

A sliding stop requires strong:

• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps
• Stifles & hocks
• Lumbar (lower back) and core

Reiners should be stopped no more than 4-9 times per week after conditioning. They should not be stopped under the age of 3 years and only lightly as 3 year olds.

Over time, repetitive reining horse slides contributes to:
– Hock arthritis (bog or bone spavin)
– Stifle strain
– Suspensory ligament stress

High Speed Video Displaying Reining Horse Biomechanics
Captured at 300 Frames per second, 25 times faster than the human eye.

Media Credit: Centaur Biomechanics
Research: Fröger & Peham / Clayton & Hobbs (Equine Locomotion research / Hampson