In August 1995 the English Reining Horse Association was founded with Bob Mayhew as Chairman, Carole Archer as Secretary, Bill Archer as Treasurer.   By April 1996 membership had grown to 46 and the name had changed to British Reining Horse Association.   That year was also when affiliation was accepted by the NRHA.   By 2003 membership had grown to 119 and another name change was approved, namely British Reining (BR) and we incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee. Since then we have gone from strength to strength.

Reining is a judged event designed to show the athletic ability of a ranch type horse within the confines of a show arena.

In National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) and BR competition, contestants are required to run one of thirteen approved patterns, included in the NRHA Handbook.

Each pattern includes small slow circles, large fast circles, flying lead changes, roll backs over the hocks, 360 degree spins done in place, and exciting sliding stops that are the hallmark of the reining horse.

The NRHA Judging System is recognised as the leading format for judging an equine event that combines technical and stylistic elements coupled with consideration of “degree of difficulty”. Many segments of the equine judging discipline have openly embraced the NRHA Judging System.

The sport itself has been likened to a Western form of dressage – both disciplines requiring a competitor to ride a set pattern with smoothness and correctness, demonstrating the unity of horse and rider.

Whilst Dressage was developed from activities performed by the war horses in the Middle Ages, Reining comes from the athletic movements that made the early American settlers ranch horses such invaluable assets.   The ability to move quickly, change direction and willingly guide on a loose rein, are the trademarks of the modern Reining horse and from which the discipline takes its name.

The phenomenal growth of this sport world-wide has led to it becoming the first western discipline to gain full F.E.I.   recognition with the result that reining is now part of the World Equestrian Games and European Equestrian Games programmes.

British Teams have enjoyed much success on the World Stage with an Individual Medal and placing in the top 4 World Team rankings to date.