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Moncton -

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Don Adams

Don Adams has been riding, training and showing horses, and coaching riders, for more years than he'd care to say. But even veterans can learn new things.

In May Adams attended a clinic given by World Equestrian Games gold medalist, Dell Hendricks. At the clinic, held in Sussex at the Princess Louise Park Show Centre and sponsored by the NB Codiac Reining Association, Hendricks helped to fine tune some training exercises and Adams was quick to share the knowledge by holding a clinic of his own on the June 1 weekend.

Twelve aspiring reining riders from NB and NS attended the intensive two-day training session under Adams' tutelage at D&J Stables on the outskirts of Moncton near Magnetic Hill. The riders were divided into two groups of six who each participated in two, two-hour sessions each day. All had the opportunity to learn new skills, practice them under Adams' watchful eye, and share the experience with others in their group as well as spectators.

The emphasis was on teaching the riders the skills needed to help their horses perform to the best of their abilities. This meant learning to be very observant in detecting the moment when the horse was really trying to respond. Sometimes it meant allowing the horse to make a mistake and then gently correcting it, guiding it to perform the required movement correctly. Repetition was the key to learning for both horse and rider. All participants appreciated the opportunity to learn from Adams and also to benefit from his experience at the Hendricks' clinic.

According to the National Reining Horse Association's website, "Reining is a judged event designed to show the athletic ability of a ranch type horse within the confines of a show arena.

"In NRHA competition, contestants are required to run one of 10 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 recognized 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."