[cowgirl-tuff]

Can someone explain what a 'rollback' is and how to do it correctly? I'm curious. I may know what it is by another name but I was hoping someone could lead me in the right direction!

[Friesiangirl]

A roll back is when a horse goes from moving forward (it is mostly done at the canter), plants it's hindend, and flips around 180 degrees on spot, and continues on going in the other direction at the previous speed before the direction change.


Here is a good example:

YouTube - Reining rollback

Hayley

[Haas Horse Farm]

A roll back is a combination of a sliding stop and a pivot reversal in the same tracks the horse was just in. You always roll back toward the judge... unless there are special instructions otherwise. However it is often done toward the rail when teaching because the fence will make the horse roll back on his haunches to have enough room to get turned around. When training a young horse I always turn toward the rail to get them used to moving back on the haunches. Before teaching this maneuver your horse must know how to do a nice square sliding stop and to do a neck rein pivot turn of 180 degrees. Please be sure to do this with proper shoes, i.e. slide plates, on your horses and proper protection. Be sure that the ground is worked and rock free. A horse can get seriously hurt doing this maneuver in the wrong ground or without the proper shoes.

I found a couple articles that might help explain it better.

"The rollback is actually 2 separate maneuvers. A nice square, balanced stop with hindquarters tucked under into a pivot. Start by riding your horse down the fence line and ask for the stop. When the stop is complete turn your horse into the fence and move the shoulders around with your outside leg (the leg on the outside of the turn). The leg should be at the cinch or slightly in front, not behind. As soon as your horse is committed to the turn release the cues and if he has enough impulsion he should follow through on the turn. Before asking your horse to do rollbacks he should be broke enough that he moves forward with impulsion, tracks up, rounds his back and breaks at the poll. He should be able to make a square, balanced stop on his hindquarters and be light in front. You should also be able to move your horses shoulders around. " -- Claudia Smith
I had always been taught to stop a horse by sitting deep and closing my legs on his sides and riding up into the bridle. Last week I took a lesson from a reining trainer who taught me something different. He said that to stop you take your legs off the horse and shove them forward (which pushes your tail bone into the saddle) and hold the horse in front. If your horse is correctly in the bridle he should back a step or two when you don't release your hands immediately after the stop. " -- Claudia Smith

Rollbacks that Rock
Reining trainer Tracer Gilson offers five principles for improving your show pen rollbacks. All you have to do is get down to the basics.
Article and photo by Katie Tims
When it comes to reining maneuvers, the rollback is in a class by itself. It’s not just one maneuver—it’s three maneuvers combined into one rather difficult action. The rollback is seldom perfect, even for the pros.
Every NRHA reining pattern requires two rollbacks. This is why you must execute the maneuver carefully and precisely. Admittedly, this is a challenge that is easier said than done.
According to reining trainer Tracer Gilson, the rollback is not as difficult as it appears. The key, Gilson says, is to slow down and break down. Add in a good dose of proper hand and body positioning, and the rollback is nothing more than a simple stop, turn and lead departure—three simple maneuvers that both rookies and non-pros can easily handle.
It’s all about thinking positive and getting the rollback down pat.
Break Down
The NRHA rulebook states that the rollback should be completed in a continuous motion. Other than a slight “hesitation,” so that the horse can regain its footing after the sliding stop, the maneuver must be executed in a smooth and unbroken fashion.
In order to streamline the rollback, Gilson encourages his reining students to break the maneuver into three separate parts.
“I tell my non-pros that it’s a stop, a 180-degree turn and then a lead departure at the end,” Gilson explained. “They need to try and keep it very simple.”
Just as a mathematical problem is broken down into simple equations, the rollback is nothing more than the sum of its parts. When each component is considered separately, the rollback loses its complexity.
“It’s supposed to be one of the easiest maneuvers, but it can be the most difficult for a lot of people,” Gilson said. “Sometimes, I think they make it a little harder on themselves than it needs to be. That’s why I try to keep it very simple: make a 180-degree turn and then lope off.”
But he does encourage his students to pause before starting.
“Stop, hesitate for a count of two, then roll back,” Gilson suggested.

Tracer Gilson demonstrates a correct rollback on Stylin Elan.

[cowgirl-tuff]

WOW- THANK YOU!!!!!
That was about the most perfect answers anyone could ask for!!!
I love the info ya'll have on this board!!! And everyone is sooo willing to share it!!!

[Haas Horse Farm]

It is easy when you are wanting to talk about my favorite sport... If you are ever near my place or my trainers... please stop and we can literally give you a horsey spin and a few roll backs... It is awesome and you will be hooked for life if you ride a horse that can do it well. I love it! <imagine that!>

[cowgirl-tuff]

That's a deal!! I've always wanted to try it!!

[Blistering Winds]

the way I taught blister and the way the reiners worked with me to teach him, is doing circles at the fence, however you drive them into the fence at an angle, with their nose on the fence, shoulder angled off the fence, then you ask for the turn with your legs.

First off, does your horse turn on leg? can you turn the shoulders? cause that is ESSENTIAL for fence work on the roll back. because if you ask with the face, you are giving them their choice on what legs to use. they will back up and turn then.

if you properly ask with the legs and ask for SHOULDERS and not hips, they will turn their shoulders, rocking back ONTO their hips is the essential factor in this mix that you are wanting.

So first, be sure you can turn the shoulders and hips independently.

Then go for fence work. That exercise works not only on the roll back, but helps on the stop as well. I'll have to draw a pic. Hold on.






Basically, start at a walk. Work a few minutes, then move onto something else. Come back and then work it at a trot. Go and do something else. Work on this a few days. Walk and trot, when the horse is giving the shoulders, rocking onto its haunches, and pretty much doing what you want. Speed it up to a lope out, lope in. Slow lope, nothing major. But the horse will start to pick up the pace.

Then go to the straight aways. Many times it will take a few times before they realize DUH, same thing off the fence and want to take a wider circle, but if you have the shoulder turn down, and this is what several local reiners with a lot of money on their horses told me, in the beginning REALLY over exaggerate your body, your seat and your legs. TURN and the horse will turn with you. So literally, TURN in your seat, encouraging the horse to WANT to turn where you are looking with your body (or making a very good attempt at it)

Then as the horse solidifies the off fence work, start losing the body movement, using more heel and neck, and bring the cues to a nice, quiet minimum.

Took me about a month to really get a nice roll on Blister of daily work on and off the fence. But he was also learning leg cues as well.

If you REALLY want a nice, solid training on them, personally I'd send them off. I'm doing that with Sage. I want her on the higher stuff done right, not just my piddly stuff that I have been taught to work on blister. He's my test subject. LOL I learn while he learns, however I want her done right, no mistakes. Which Blister is very forgiving on my endeavors over the years, Sage is not.

[Rhythm 'n Blues]

hahaha....here I was thinking a roll back in jumping!