The moves used in Western riding events come from the practical moves that are used in working with cattle and around the ranch. They have become much more stylized for use in competition.
Reining
Reining requires so much precision on the part of the horse that it is often called Western dressage. Horses that are used in reining are taught to stop at the exact spot that the rider indicates, to spin in a circle moving only their front feet, to perform a particular pattern of spins, and to canter circles, both large and small, at a calm even pace. To learn this type of riding requires a lot of practice and discipline.
Roping
Roping from horseback is usually done with cows. Much like reining, this type of Western event requires a lot of practice and patience. Many riders choose to practice with a fake cow, usually just a cow head attached to a bale of straw, until they can get the moves just right. Riders that move on to moving cows can use motorized cows that move and turn in tracks. Most events that involve roping take place at rodeos.
Barrel Racing
Barrel racing developed as an activity for the wives and girlfriends of bull-riders to do while they waited for their men at competitions. In modern competitions the activity is open to both males and females. The object of barrel racing is for the horse and rider to go as fast as possible in a clover leaf pattern around three fifty-five gallon barrels which are set up in a triangle pattern. During a rodeo the event is timed. Points are taken off when the horse hits a barrel. Riders are eliminated if a barrel is knocked over, if the horse goes off course, or if the rider’s equipment is not sanctioned for the competition.
Team Penning
In the team penning event a team of three riders will pick a number out of a hat. Waiting for the riders is a herd of thirty young cattle, three of them with the number picked by the team. The object of the event is for the riders to pick the cows out of the herd, one by one, and herd them into a pen which can then be latched to keep them in. Once the last cow has been herded into the pen the teams’ time is recorded. The team with the best time wins.
Rodeo
The rodeo was invented by cowboys to show off the skills they developed from working on the ranch and with cattle. The rodeo has evolved since its creation into a very serious activity with fierce competitors. Typical rodeos involve bull or bronco riding, and steer wrestling where the rider leans of the horse to try and grab the steer by the horns and then jumps off to tie the steer. These activities are very dangerous and injuries occur quite frequently.
