In this episode, Ryan Rushing continues his session with the 3-year-old by Modern Gun, shifting focus to one of the most important elements of a reining pattern—circles.

Ryan breaks down the key components he looks for when developing a competitive circle: steering, softness, speed control, and clean lead changes. Every exercise is done with the show pen in mind, helping the horse understand not just the maneuver, but how to perform it with confidence and consistency.

At this stage, Ryan expects the 3-year-old to take more responsibility, staying focused on him and the task at hand. While the goal is to perform one-handed, he isn’t hesitant to step in with two hands to make a correction, then return to one hand once the horse responds correctly.

Before adding speed, Ryan ensures the horse can lope around relaxed and carry himself properly. He uses his legs to guide the horse’s body, encouraging softness and alignment through the ribcage.

When preparing for lead changes, Ryan focuses on positioning—driving the horse’s hock up underneath his body while maintaining softness in the bridle. This sets the horse up to make smooth, correct lead changes with minimal resistance.

He then advances into faster circles, emphasizing control by bringing the speed back down through the center of the pen. This helps maintain balance and responsiveness, rather than letting the horse get strung out or lose form.

After working through these exercises, Ryan gives the horse a mental and physical break before returning to the same drills in the opposite direction.

This episode highlights how to build quality circles with control, feel, and consistency—key elements for success in the show pen.