In this session, Ryan Rushing focuses on developing one of the most exciting and critical maneuvers in reining—the stop. Working with his 3-year-old by Modern Gun, he breaks down how to build a strong, correct stop through proper setup, body control, and consistency.

Ryan begins by explaining his approach to “fencing” a horse. He uses the length of the arena to encourage the horse to run straight, carry himself, and stay square without leaning or pushing on the rider. Instead of always running straight down the fence, Ryan often works corner to corner, allowing the shape of the arena to naturally guide and “funnel” the horse into position. Once the horse is consistent, he will progress to running straight lines.

He builds the stop step-by-step—starting at the trot to establish correct body position, lifting the withers, and ensuring the horse is soft and square before loping off. From there, he gradually increases speed, always maintaining control and balance before asking for the stop.

When it’s time to stop, Ryan removes his legs and draws with his hands, allowing the horse to come through the stop without interference. If the horse begins to lean or drift in a particular direction, he corrects by lifting and guiding the front end the opposite way to keep the stop straight and balanced.

He also introduces the verbal “whoa” cue, helping the horse anticipate and understand the stop more clearly. If the horse becomes distracted or heavy, Ryan resets by backing him up to regain focus and may roll him back to reinforce responsiveness.

A key principle throughout this session is making corrections outside of the maneuver. Ryan avoids over-correcting during the stop itself, instead setting the horse up for success before asking again.

This episode offers a clear, practical approach to building a powerful, straight, and confident stop—one of the defining elements of a finished reining horse.