What is a good rundown in reining?

A good rundown is straight, cadenced, forward, and controlled — and the quality of the rundown almost always determines the quality of the stop that follows it. A horse that approaches the stop correctly has the physical positioning and mental state to produce a correct stop; a horse that approaches poorly arrives at the stop already compromised. The horse should build speed willingly and progressively from the departure of the circle or the beginning of the rundown line, without rushing, leaning on the bridle, getting strung out on the forehand, or drifting left or right of a straight line to the end of the pen. Cadence in the rundown means the horse's gallop has a consistent, rhythmic stride rather than a choppy, irregular one — the horse should be covering ground efficiently with each stride rather than taking many short strides to produce its speed. Forward means the horse is driving from behind and traveling willingly rather than being pushed from leg or pulled with rein to maintain pace. Controlled means the rider has the horse between the reins and legs and could rate or redirect the horse at any point in the rundown without a fight. A horse that is strung out, leaning, drifting, or rushing in the rundown is already failing before the stop is asked, because none of those physical states allow the horse to drive its hindquarters correctly under its body and slide through the stop with softness. Riders who focus on the stop and neglect the rundown are addressing the symptom rather than the cause of most stop problems. A correct rundown, consistently ridden, produces a correct stop more reliably than any specific stop technique applied on top of a poor approach.