In this episode, Ryan Rushing rides a 3-year-old by Modern Gun that has been in his program since the beginning. With a solid foundation already in place—including stops, circles, lead changes, rollbacks, and turnbacks—this horse is now transitioning toward the show pen.

As Ryan prepares him for competition in the coming months, the focus shifts to building confidence, independence, and consistency. He begins connecting maneuvers, guiding the horse through sequences like running circles, rating down, changing leads in the center, and rolling into the opposite direction—all while refining smooth transitions.

Ryan explains that, at this stage, maneuvers should ideally be performed one-handed, but he isn’t afraid to go back to two hands if the horse needs support. The goal is clarity and confidence, not forcing the finished picture too soon.

A key part of this phase is allowing the horse to think. Ryan will ask for a maneuver, give the horse a chance to respond, and then make corrections if needed. This approach helps build independence so that, when it’s time to show, the run feels just like a practice session at home.

He starts the ride with long trotting and steering exercises to get the horse mentally prepared and responsive. Ryan emphasizes that when he moves his hand, the horse’s feet and withers should follow. He demonstrates how cues should work together—asking with the hand and reinforcing with the foot, or vice versa.

He also notes that the less visible effort a rider uses—especially with their hands—the more it reflects control and polish to a judge.

Before moving into the lope work, Ryan checks body control at the trot. He looks for the withers to lift, the head to drop, and softness through the body. He tests both inside and outside control by softening the ribcage, ensuring the horse can flex, stay balanced, and respond correctly through the entire body.

This episode highlights the critical step between training and showing—where refinement, feel, and trust come together to create a confident, competitive reining horse.