Circling a 3-Year-Old: Building Feel, Control, and Responsiveness
Building a Reiner
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10m
In this session, Ryan Rushing works through circling with a 3-year-old mare, focusing on developing the feel and body control needed for a solid reining foundation. Ryan explains exactly what he’s feeling and how he wants the mare’s body to respond—soft, guided, and connected from her nose to her hip. He breaks down how a young horse should feel in the circle and what to look for when things are going right versus when they start to fall apart. Throughout the ride, he checks how well the mare is guiding off both the rein and his leg, making sure she’s responsive without resistance or confusion. When issues come up, Ryan shows how he addresses them in real time—keeping corrections simple, clear, and effective so the mare can quickly find the right answer.
Up Next in Building a Reiner
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Ryan Rushing’s Daily Training Routine...
What does a typical training day look like for a young reining prospect? In this session, Ryan Rushing walks you through his program with a 3-year-old mare, focusing on building a solid foundation from the ground up. Ryan starts with his warm-up at the trot, emphasizing softness, guidance, and bo...
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Mastering the Corner and Rollbacks wi...
Once Ryan Rushing has this mare feeling consistent in both directions of her circles, he shifts his focus to refining the corners and sharpening her rollbacks—two critical components of a strong reining run. Ryan explains exactly how he wants the corner to feel: balanced, controlled, and setting ...
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Fixing the Left Circle: Helping a Mar...
After working through challenges on the right circle, Ryan Rushing shifts focus to the left side of this 5-year-old mare to evaluate where she stands mentally and physically. Using the same approach and checkpoints as before, Ryan starts by assessing her mindset—making sure she’s relaxed, respons...
