What are your favorite reins for dressage and why?
Just curious. I don’t like the reins that my bridle came with and am looking to get something else.
As thin as possible with no stops or markers so I’m only influenced by the feel in hand.
Calf lined reins with “indents” for stops. Great feel in the hand, non-slip, and no stitched leather stops to snag in the mane.
I prefer a narrowish rein with stops for the snaffle. Smooth narrower rein for the curb. And both need to be butter soft.
I use a biothane super grippy rein, looks like a regular rubber ‘pimple’ rein but is much softer and very flexible. Works well for my arthritic-cy old hands!
I love thin, smooth (no stops,) but grippy reins. My favorites are doebert (nubuck,) and thinline
Larger reins, all leather with no stoppers. I had a pair rolled 1/3 toward the bit with the rest being a good 1" flat. The contact was perfect.
Really smaller flat ones for the curb with no stoppers.
I like the smooth but sturdy calf lined ones with small stoppers.
I HATE everything that is rubber lined or full rubber for dresssage.
I found 1 pair of Dyon rubber reins that I could tolerate but it was for the jumper ring.
I love my Jerry’s bio-thane reins. They came with my horse. I thought they were weird initially, but really like them now. The reminded me of driving reins the first time I used them.
Where can I find calfskin lined reins?
I hate reins with rubber grips as well. I like laced reins, although I HATE breaking them in.
My friend rides a green bean in a pair of P.S. of Sweden reins with elastic “cradles” that the bit sits in. We thought for sure that it was a gimmick, but this horse is a picky one and he likes them. My friend thinks they’re too stiff, but they’re lined with rubber grippers on one side, so that’s probably the problem. We’ll see how long they last before the cradles dry-rot.
[QUOTE=HereComesZach;8723824]
I love thin, smooth (no stops,) but grippy reins. My favorites are doebert (nubuck,) and thinline[/QUOTE]
Same
[QUOTE=oldbutnotdead;8723869]
Where can I find calfskin lined reins?[/QUOTE]
Red Barn makes them, as does Arc de Triomphe.
Red Barn: http://www.vtosaddlery.com/product/RASR/RBCR.htm
AdT: http://shop.adttack.com/p/arc-de-triomphe�-calfskin-covered-reins
I normally find them less expensively than listed on the sites.
Rubber covered 1/2 inch for the snaffle and Rubber lined 1/2 inch for the curb. I have them made by albion and order them from the UK. I have small hands and a weak grip so the rubber really helps me. I hate handstop reins. I used them for years, had the stops put on the width of my hand, and they would slip and give me blisters.
wider, with stops for snaffle in dressage.
curb rein, of course thin without stops.
For jumping I only use rubber reins.
Smith-Worthington also makes calfskin lined reins.
http://www.smithworthington.com/index.php?p=product&id=734
I love them, and cheaper than the Red Barn and AdT ones. Started out with normal web reins with stops and switched to leather reins with stops. Still not enough grip, so I went with laced reins for a while. Those were better until I started having some discomfort in my fingers specifically due to the lacing.
Another vote for biothane super grippy rein; and my trainer and most all her clients use them. Flexible, thin, and grippie. I hate to ride with anything else now.
Another vote for biothane super grippy rein; and my trainer and most all her clients use them. Flexible, thin, and grippie. I hate to ride with anything else now.
Any brand works for me but here is one I always see at Dover: http://www.doversaddlery.com/jeffries-bio-grip-reins/p/X1-03025/
[QUOTE=Char0308;8724431]
Another vote for biothane super grippy rein; and my trainer and most all her clients use them. Flexible, thin, and grippie. I hate to ride with anything else now.
Any brand works for me but here is one I always see at Dover: http://www.doversaddlery.com/jeffries-bio-grip-reins/p/X1-03025/[/QUOTE]
www.sweet-iron.com/ecommerce/biothane-equine-training-tack/reins/english-super-grip-betar-reins.html
You might like these they are a little more cost friendly. 
[QUOTE=LadyNeon01;8724294]
Smith-Worthington also makes calfskin lined reins.
http://www.smithworthington.com/index.php?p=product&id=734
I love them, and cheaper than the Red Barn and AdT ones. Started out with normal web reins with stops and switched to leather reins with stops. Still not enough grip, so I went with laced reins for a while. Those were better until I started having some discomfort in my fingers specifically due to the lacing.[/QUOTE]
Ooohhh! Thank you!!
I have the calfskin reins on most of my snaffles. I normally hate the web reins that come with cheaper bridles. But I will say that the Passier web reins are really soft, I think they might use rayon (or something similar?) in the webbing. It never turns stiff and coarse like regular web reins do.
