How do you stop a spin cleanly?

A clean stop to the spin requires the horse to stay connected to the rider throughout the maneuver and not over-anticipate the ending — a horse that stops before the cue is given is as problematic in competition as one that runs past the stopping point, because both indicate the horse is not waiting for the rider. The preparation for a clean stop begins before the spin starts: the horse must understand the spin cue and the stop cue as two distinct things so it can perform the spin with full commitment without anticipating that every revolution might be the last one. The stop cue should be a specific, consistent signal — a cessation of the driving leg, a softening of the guiding rein, and often a shift in the rider's weight and energy — that the horse learns to wait for rather than guess at. When the stop is asked, release the inside rein guide at the exact moment the horse completes the final revolution so the horse is not pulled through an extra step by the momentum of the rein, and allow the horse to settle squarely and quietly before asking for the next maneuver. Horses that over-spin — continuing one or two extra steps after the stop cue — usually do so because the momentum of the spin carries them through or because the stop cue is not distinct enough from the continuation cue. Horses that stop early are anticipating, which is corrected by varying the number of revolutions so the horse cannot predict when the stop will come. Rewarding the horse generously for a clean, square stop — sitting quietly, releasing all pressure, allowing a moment of rest — teaches the horse that stopping exactly when asked produces the most desirable outcome.