About the ORHA ...
2012 marks the ORHA's 25th Anniversary!
We are a non-profit organization and use all monies raised to promote and encourage the showing of reining horses in Ontario by offering a full slate of National Reining Horse Association / Reining Canada and Ontario Reining Horse Association classes - including three youth classes - at sanctioned shows throughout the year.
Reining is the western version of the English dressage and is based on the refined and exaggerated moves of working cow horses used by vaqueros on the range. Moves include fast spins on a pivotal hind foot and spectacular sliding stops.
Reining is a fast growing sport, both in terms of participation and for spectators, and was featured as a spectator event at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain in 2002, after which it was officially incorporated as the only Western equestrian discipline included as an event in the World Equestrian Games, and it was a huge draw at the 2010 W.E.G. in Kentucky.
Competitors and spectators attend our shows from Ottawa, Toronto, Kitchener, London, Sudbury, Barrie, Quebec, New York State, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. In addition, members of the association travel to Ohio, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, and North Carolina to compete, and to Germany and Italy to coach. Educational seminars are offered on a regular basis for both the novice and professional.
For a look at reining and the members of the Ontario Reining Horse Association, please view our video.
To rein a horse is not only to guide him, but also to control his every movement.
The best reined horse should be willingly guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely. Any movement on his own must be considered a lack of control. All deviations from the exact written pattern must be considered a lack of or temporary loss of control; and therefore, a fault that must be marked down according to severity of deviation. After deducting all faults set here within, against execution of the pattern and the horse's overall performance, credit should be given for smoothness, finesse, attitude, quickness and authority of performing various manoeuvres, while using controlled speed which raises the difficulty level and makes him more exciting and pleasing to watch to an audience."