The World Equestrian Games have been held every four years since 1990. One of the many equestrian events included in the games is reining.
Reining is a western riding competition where a rider guides their horse through a precise pattern of circles, spins and stops. It is similar to dressage in that each competitor rides the same set pattern and the smoothness, correctness and precision of movements, are judged. 
In a reining competition, contestants are required to run one of thirteen approved patterns included in the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Handbook. Each pattern includes small slow circles, large fast circles, flying lead changes, roll backs over the hocks, 360 degree spins done in place, and long sliding stops like the one pictured above.
You’d better have a good understanding of the degrees in a circle or you and your horse won’t score as well when riding the spin movement in a pattern.
Use the image of the horse in the circle below to answer the following questions.
2. When a reining pattern asks for a 360 degree spin, if you and your horse are facing the number ‘1’ at the start of your spin, where should you end up when you complete a perfect 360 degree spin? 
Judges are instructed to give a “0” if a horse and rider’s spins are over or under rotated by > 90 degrees. Under or over rotations ≤ to 90 degrees are scored based on the quality of the spin.
Math talk – rotate: to move in a circle around an axis or center.
3. What does the symbol ‘>’ mean?
4. What does the symbol ‘≤’ mean?
5. If the pattern you are riding directs you to make four spins to the right, will you spin clockwise or counterclockwise?
If you ride the four spins and don’t stop perfectly at the number ‘1’ but keep on spinning, you’ve over rotated.
6. If you stop facing the number 4, was your over rotation < or > 90 degrees? 
7. If you stop facing the number 2, was your over rotation < or > 90 degrees?
At the final day of the team reining competition at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, the top three finishing teams were Team USA with a total score of 677.5 to take the gold. Team Belgium won the silver medal with their score of 663 and Team Austria won bronze with their score of 644.5.
8. How many more points did Team USA score than Team Belgium?
9. How many points did Team Belgium finish ahead of Team Austria?
Before checking your answers here is a video of Sylvia Rzepka of Germany competing in the 2010 World Equestrian Games in the reining competition. Check out those spins! Can you count the rotations? Did she start and stop her rotations at the same point in the circle?
1. When a reining pattern asks for a 360 degree spin, if you and your horse are facing the number ‘1’ at the start of your spin, where should you end up to complete a perfect 360 degree spin?
Answer: You and your horse should end up facing the number one again. 360 degrees is one full circle exactly.
2. What does the symbol ‘>’ mean?
Answer: This symbol means greater than
3. What does the symbol ‘≤’ mean?
Answer: This symbol means less than or equal to.
4. If the pattern you are riding directs you to make four spins to the right, will you spin clockwise or counterclockwise?
Answer: clockwise
5. If you stop facing the number 4, was your over rotation < or > 90 degrees?
Answer: The spin was over rotated > 90 degrees.
6. If you stop facing the number 2, was your over rotation < or > 90 degrees?
Answer: The spin was over rotated < 90 degrees.
7. How many more points did Team USA score than Team Belgium?
Answer: 677.5 − 663 = 14.5. Team USA finished 14.5 points ahead of Team Belgium.
8. How many points did Team Belgium finish ahead of Team Austria?
Answer: 663 − 644.5 = 18.5. Team Belgium finished 18.5 points ahead of Team Austria.
Common Core:
4.OA.A.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems
4.NF.C.7 – Put decimal numbers in order
4.MD.C – Geometric measurement: understand concepts of angle and measure angles
5.NBT.B.7 – Add and subtract decimals: word problems
Photo:
Sliding Stop Flachsberg by Borsi112; CC BY-SA 3.0
