With the advent of reining as an Olympic sport we feel that a premium will be placed on longevity in the future. In keeping with that philosophy the foundation of our program is getting our young horses very fundamentally broke. Once this foundation is established it allows us to climb the ladder of physical and mental ability without undue stress. As our colts progress we're also allowed to assess their talent as open horses or their suitability as non-pro horses thus placing each colt in the best situation for his temperament and talent level as opposed to forcing him into a situation that may not be suitable.

     We select our yearlings and breeding horses based on pedigrees that have proven themselves to produce athletes. This gives us a road map to their training as well as increasing their marketability. As the reining horse industry prepares to stock the Olympic teams of the world our goal is to be at the fore front of this movement.

     We believe in starting our 2-year olds early. This enables us to take a more leisurely pace instead of forcing a great deal of information into a short time frame. We also believe in putting all of our colts on cattle. This keeps their minds fresh and also expands the choices of potential events they may be shown in. Some colts may be more suitable as cutting horses, others more suitable as working cow horses and these options, once again, allow us to place him in the best situation for his talents.

     As these colts mature some will be destined for the major event futurities, others for local events and yet still others will be held back for the 4 and 5 year old events. In this day and age there are enough reinings for older horses to allow us the luxury of letting some of the less physically or mentally mature colts have the option of waiting. This allows each horse to progress at the pace his mind and body can handle.

     We also believe that as these horses age it is possible, with a good foundation, to continue to improve well into their teens. We believe that todays reining horse is vastly untapped. When one looks at the dressage world we see horses peeking in their teens doing more complicated and exacting maneuvers as they grow older. We believe this is the direction the reining horse in the new milennium will go.

     We also believe that non-pros in this new era will require a good foundation and the option to improve. Reining is a sport that lends itself to constant examination and improvement. Our non-pros focus on the fundamentals which allow them to master the maneuvers with a more clear understanding of what makes their horse able to execute them properly. With all the levels of competition for a non-pro in todays reining horse industry we feel that a non-pro with due diligence can improve for years to come.

     As the NRHA ushers us into the Olympic era many changes are on the horizon. We at Reiners Unlimited will strive to be on the cutting edge of these changes. It is our belief that we have only scratched the surface of the fastest growing equine sport in the world.

Sincerely,

Bruce and Pamela Barber