To plus a maneuver in the show pen, reining professional Fernando Salgado starts by challenging the horse to want to accomplish that task.

Focus On the Mind

Most trainers in today’s competitive reining arena can teach a horse the required maneuvers but it’s the trainers who reach a horse mentally and create a stronger connection with it who have the scores that rise to the top.

Success comes from figuring out how to put the puzzle together, training a horse that not only wants to perform challenging maneuvers, but also one that stays mentally connected. In my opinion, the three maneuvers that best demonstrate this connection and style are circles, turnarounds, and stops.
When approaching each maneuver, I first show my horse what I want him to do. Then I ask him to perform it in a way that makes him feel like it’s what he wants to do. It sounds simple, but it takes consistent training and riding to achieve this connection.

[WATCH: Andrea Fappani’s Tips on Keeping Your Horse’s Mind Right]

Challenge the Circles

One thing reflected in the judges’ scorecards is my horses’ style in their circles. They run relaxed with a nice topline, looking natural and not overtrained. That’s something I’m proud of and strive to represent.
When training a horse, especially a young or green one, I always ride with the show pen in mind. In the show ring, you can’t be constantly picking up your hand to correct your horse. The goal is to show the judge that your horse is willingly guided throughout the pattern. If your horse is not standing up in his circles or leaning one way or another, and you’re having to use a lot of hand to get your horse to stay on the correct path, the judge is going to spot it.

Instead of pulling or using my hands to correct a horse that’s off-circle, I challenge my horse to stay aligned with me. If he starts to lean one direction and goes off the circle I’m asking him to run, I’ll lift my hand to put him back on the circle, then challenge him again by putting my hand back down and driving him forward with my legs. I want to use my hands as little as possible and hold my horse accountable by having him guide around the circle without having a constant hold on him.

[READ: Is Your Horse Shouldering While Circling? Fix It HERE]

Horses get distracted, and if my horse gets distracted and looks out of the circle, it shows he’s not mentally with me. If this happens, I go to my legs to regain his attention. Then, if I need to, I’ll pick up my hand.

If my horse is fully committed to the circle, both mentally and physically, then in the show pen, any minor steering or adjustments I need to do will be minimal.

Set the Spin

Once a horse has learned a skill, like a turnaround, we naturally start expecting more from him. A common mistake is to keep pushing for more, especially leading up to a show when we’re aiming for that big score. Instead, go back to the basics to ensure the turn feels like your horse’s idea.

If I’m having to drag my horse around in the turn or my horse is getting dull to my leg in the turn, I’ll take him outside of the turn and work on getting my horse in the bridle and moving off my leg. Then, I’ll invite him to the turn again, taking all the pressure away with a loose rein or loose leg.

After three or four turns, I’ll take my horse back outside of the turn and go back to trotting circles, where I can work on having my horse give to the bridle and move off my leg. I want my horse to learn that the turn is a great place to stay.

When my horse is jumping out of the turn, that shows me that he’s not mentally wanting to do the maneuver. This commonly happens when a rider puts too much pressure on their horse asking for more speed than they’re capable of doing. Eventually their horse starts to associate the turn with hard work and no longer enjoys doing that maneuver.

If I’m running into that problem with a horse, I’ll spend more time trotting circles and moving my horse’s body around, and less time asking for the turn. Then when it comes time to turn, I’m going to let it be my horse’s idea and let him associate having a positive experience with spinning.

This same idea can also be applied to a horse that struggles with starting the turn. If a horse is slow to start his turn and a rider starts drilling this piece repeatedly, asking for too much speed too quickly, it can become overwhelming to the horse. Now the horse associates the spin with frustration and no longer wants to do the maneuver.

Streamline Stops

As with most maneuvers, I first show my horse what I want, ask him to choose it as his own idea, and then challenge him to excel at the skill. This approach applies to the sliding stop, as well. A sliding stop is only as good as the rundown leading up to it.

In my experience, the biggest challenge—and the hardest part to train—is the rundown. It involves a lot of speed and pressure, but at the same time, my horse must stay patient and work with me.
Remember, it’s completely normal for a horse to anticipate what’s coming next. Over time, a horse learns that after turning the corner and heading straight down the arena, they’ll need to stop. For a perfect stop, your horse must be in front of you while still staying with you.

The key difference between circles, where I want the horse under me and driving until he slows down, and the stop, where I want a free front end, is having my horse in front of me.

It’s important to keep my horse relaxed, and to keep them thinking through the whole process. When I’m practicing stopping, I spend most of the time working on the rundown and then maybe 10% of the time stopping. To have a quality stop, I need to have control of my horse’s speed and direction. I need to be able to put my hand down and challenge my horse to go forward and straight, without leaning right or left, or speeding up or slowing down.

Once again, I’m going to challenge my horse to pick the path I want him to take. I’ll lope off and keep my hand down, as if I were showing. In the first two or three strides, if my horse leans or changes his speed, I’ll correct him and then go back to riding. By the time I reach the second half of the arena, I should be able to keep my hand down and ride to the stop. I almost let my horse find the end of the arena without feeling any pressure.

Know Your Horse

The most important thing is to ensure that the maneuver is your horse’s idea. If you’re heading to a show and know that your horse is only capable of marking a zero in his circles, focus on achieving that speed to help build its confidence. Pushing your horse by shortening your reins and demanding more than he’s comfortable with will backfire, resulting in a lower score and a lack of confidence in future runs. Horses remember these experiences, and if they feel pressured, they may become tight in the show pen.

It’s crucial to have a plan from home and stick to it during the show. Any necessary adjustments should be made in practice rather than in the arena. Show your horse what he can do well and build from there. Many riders, including myself, have attempted to push a horse beyond his comfort zone, but this often leads to negative outcomes when it counts.

Finally, avoid worrying about what others are doing at the show, as this is a common pitfall. Stay focused on your game plan to prevent getting lost in the moment.