How a Set of Circles are Judged in Reining

A set of circles in reining is judged by looking for a horse that is willfully guided through the center of the pen and throughout the arena. Determine the main judging points for circle sets with helpful advice in this video on riding and caring for horses.

When a judge is judging your circles in reining, what they're looking for is a horse again, that's willfully guide that always goes back to willfully guided, and any pattern calls for six circles. They'll be too fast on one small slope and they'll be a set of those on each end of the arena in different orders. What they're looking for in a large fast, is a horse that is willfully guided through the center of the pen and all over the arena. They're lookin' for them to be runnin' and putting an effort for it, and when you ask them to slow down, they're looking for that horse to just shut down and come back underneath the rider and be willfully guided into that small slope circle.