What are the main reining maneuvers?

The reining pattern consists of a specific set of maneuvers that every competitor performs in the same order, with the judge evaluating the quality and degree of difficulty of each maneuver as it is performed. The maneuvers that appear across all approved NRHA patterns represent the foundational athletic vocabulary of the reining horse — the specific movements that training develops and that competition evaluates. Circles are the most frequently performed maneuver in every reining pattern and the ones that consume the most time in any given run. The pattern requires both large fast circles and small slow circles performed on each lead, demonstrating the horse's ability to rate and adjust his speed within the canter while maintaining correct lead, consistent rhythm, and the required size differentiation that makes the speed change visible and scoreable. The large fast circle should be genuinely large — using most of the arena — and genuinely fast, with the horse running freely and forward. The small slow circle should be notably smaller and notably slower, demonstrating that the horse is responsive to the rider's rating aids rather than simply running at whatever pace he prefers. The rundown and sliding stop is the maneuver most associated with reining's visual identity. The horse gallops at maximum speed down the center of the arena and responds to the stop cue by deeply engaging his hind legs, lowering his hindquarters, and sliding to a stop in a straight line through the arena footing. The scoring rewards the length of the slide, the straightness of the stop line, the horse's level of commitment to the stop, and the smoothness of the deceleration from run to stop. Spins — 360-degree rotations performed around the horse's inside hind leg — are scored for speed, correctness of footwork, straightness of the horse's body, and the ground-covering reach of the outside foreleg. Lead changes performed in the center of the arena between the large and small circles must be simultaneous — both front and hind changing leads in the same stride — with no hesitation, no trotting steps, and no change in pace that would indicate the horse anticipated or was supported through the change rather than performing it fluently. The back — a straight prompt rearward movement following the sliding stop — demonstrates the horse's obedience and softness immediately following the most athletic maneuver in the pattern.