Summer is here and sweat happens! I have rubber reins (came with my Micklem bridle) which have been getting super slippery when my horse’s neck gets sweaty. I’m currently using Roeckl Grip gloves which are usually great, but don’t grip with these sweaty reins. What rein / glove combo works best for you in the summer heat?
Roeckl are awful on slippery reins. I made the mistake of wearing them when I rode at dusk tonight and my horse and I were still sweaty enough to make them a nightmare.
I have spent a lot of energy and trial and error on this. My favorites:
- MacWet. They are british but they are worth shipping over because they are so much better than anything else. My last shipment just took a few days, so that is not much of a barrier anymore. I get the short cuff micromesh for summer. The long cuff wrecks havoc with my apple watch. These gloves stay sticky in any weather. I get several pairs as they can take a bit to dry if they get sopping wet (and I can’t grab another pair locally if I lose one).
- Neumann Heritage Tackified- they don’t make these anymore, so I hoard them if I find them and treat the ones I have really well. Definitely as good as MacWet but #2 due to availability.
- Hyland Track Glove- a bit stiff to break in, and fit a bit tight, but they are great and do not get slippery.
On reins- the only ones that I have found that actually improve grip when sweaty/wet are the Thin Line ones. I researched them extensively and they work well for me. Only drawback is they can get a bit stiff when it is really, really cold (like 25 degrees). Rubber rein brands are all equally as annoying when sweaty or wet.
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The cheap nitrile coated gardening gloves actually work great! You can find them in a ton of colors and they are very lightweight.
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Neuman’s =come in black & white, washable
For me the best gloves for slippery reins are those yellow SSG Rancher Gloves. I love those. Not very pretty but work good for me.
I’d swap to less slippery reins! I like the rubber web ones with stops.
Thank you SeeSpotEvent! I had a pair of MacWet gloves a few years ago and LOVED them! I had gotten them at Rolex, but I had no idea what the MW on the gloves stood for or how to get more! They were the best gloves and held up really well! Now I know where to get more!!! I’ve been having slippery reins issues lately too so this is so helpful!
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I love the Thin Line Reins for grip. I don’t think they’ll ever be a time when I ride in 25 degree weather so no problem with freezing. I have a pair of inexpensive Kerrits gloves that are surprisingly grippy.
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Just ordered a pair of MacWet gloves, at the event on the weekend my gloves were shot and causing a lot of issues while on cross. Not what you want.
Hopefully I got the right size. They’re unisex…
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@LadyB I just order my normal size and they are fine.
@16Hands we recently moved south because I wanted to say I don’t have to ride when it is 25 degrees, too. 🤣
I love my Nunn Finner soft rubber reins for grip. Doesn’t seem to matter what brand of glove I wear. I mostly buy SSG but have Noble and some other weird brand I can’t remember the name of.
@SeeSpotEvent I got a pair of MacWet gloves and they are truly great! Thanks so much for the recommendation!
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I received my MacWet gloves. For the price of them, I don’t think they’ll hold up to being used long term. I bought the short cuff mesh ones, sadly they’re half a size too big, but I find them rather fine. I haven’t had grip issues though! I have a nasty blister from the less amount of coverage on my finger, just not thick enough, hence my thought on them not lasting as long.
Due to this post, I bought a few pair of the MacWet gloves also. I ordered my normal size and they are a bit tight but still doable. I’m loving these gloves! My hands are so much less sweaty in them. I was completely soaking my Roekls before…yuck! We will see how they hold up.
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I’ve been extremely happy with my mac wet gloves!
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Hey SeeSpot (and others who have ordered them), I’ve been poking around websites for MacWets and noticed that the equestrian version seemed to be very similar to the other types; the Equestrian version seems more expensive…? Are they interchangeable? TIA! They certainly seem to be the go-to for slippery reins (I have Roeckle and they do okay, but I have some Bionic gloves on the way after I pretty much wore out my last pair; they were great in wet conditions!)
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I love the SSG technical gloves. Never had a problem with the reins get sweaty or wet. Price is good in those gloves. I will look into the Mac wet gloves.
@Dr. Doolittle I didn’t even know they had equestrian ones! 🤣 These are the ones I use for summer; I think a lot of people use for golf. I went cross country schooling Sunday and it was 95 degrees. After my first horse they were soaking wet and they never lost grip (and I rode two more horses).
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Thanks, SeeSpot! And they have black and white - snazzy 
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I received my MacWet gloves. For the price of them, I don’t think they’ll hold up to being used long term. I bought the short cuff mesh ones, sadly they’re half a size too big, but I find them rather fine. I haven’t had grip issues though! I have a nasty blister from the less amount of coverage on my finger, just not thick enough, hence my thought on them not lasting as long.
