Need show gloves with reinforcement for curb rein

[SBrentnall]

Since I only work in the double once a week or so, I don’t have callouses between my middle and ring fingers. I regularly rub blisters on the inside of my ring finger, just from the pressure of holding the rein. Several friends have the same issue. (No, I don’t hold the curb too tight and no, it’s not a problem with hand position.)

Here’s the question: why doesn’t anyone make gloves with reinforced sections for the curb rein, as well as for the snaffle? Does anyone know of a company who makes them?

[alibi_18]

(Your contact might not be consistent enough - If the horse is not the one pulling, then you are not holding the reins tight enough, hence the rubbing because it moves through your fingers.) (Check also the type of reins you have - rubber lined ones or braided - or with cheap stoppers can rub more than just plain ones)

What type of gloves are you wearing right now? I wear Roeckls and never got a blister in ages, but my reins are plain leather and larger.
SSG and Heritage are usually thicker.

Maybe a pair of “yellow” deerskin ones? I use that in the fall and they are quite thicker.

[Dbliron]

I only work in the double bridle once a week, and I don’t have callouses or blisters. My guess is that you’re not correctly “tenting” the tip of your thumb against the first joint of your forefinger, so your ring fingers are doing the job of keeping the reins.

I ride in Watson deerskin gloves, the yellow ones Alibi refers to, and they last for years and prevent rubs and blisters. For competition I wear white leather gloves, sold online by Skyline Equine (they’re called “champagne”), and they also last for years and prevent blisters. I clean both makes with leather cleaner. I just replaced my show gloves after 9 years; given that they cost less than $30 CAD that’s pretty good value. The Watsons don’t last as long, but I ride every horse every day in those, and I still get about 3 years out of them.

[Daisyesq]

I don’t think a reinforced glove will help you if the bradoon is sliding and causing a blister. Try a preventative band-aid wrapped on each finger.

[Silverbridge]

[QUOTE=Dbliron;8781985]
My guess is that you’re not correctly “tenting” the tip of your thumb against the first joint of your forefinger, so your ring fingers are doing the job of keeping the reins.[/QUOTE]

??? Is what you describe correct ? I used to ride with my reins held in that spot and then, in a particular clinic, this was pointed out to me as incorrect. The clinician noticed it, and my then-trainer backed up the clinician’s diagnosis and prescription

I was told to instead hold the rein tighter in the place where it comes out from under the ring finger.

I have been trying to retrain myself to hold it from the ring finger ever since. It was about four years ago that holding at the thumb on the forefinger was pointed out to me as wrong. It’s certainly easier.

Is this controversial or no?

With all of that asked, to address the OP: I ride in nylon and leather work gloves available at Home Depot for about $9, they have leather on all the fingers and they hold up well for the price. I buy two pairs at a time and will go through a pair about every nine months or so. They’re two-toned grey and black and don’t look like work gloves at all.

I’m not where the gloves are, so can’t check the brand name on them, but I will look online.

Found them easily:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Firm-Grip-Large-General-Purpose-Gloves-2001L/100249720

[arlosmine]

Silverbridge, Yup, the “root” of the contact is the thumb on the top of index finger, pinching rein over first knuckle. This determines the length of the rein and also relaxes the fore arm because different muscles are used for thumb versus finger grip. (You can grip HARD with thumb and still have supple movable wrist and following elbows. Grip that hard with your fingers and especially the wrist is impaired).

Thumb should be bent (tented), and grip originates there. The rest of the rein(s) stay close in to hand, not out on knuckles. The “play” of the rein is then limited to the last two fingers. I tell students to Think “spray Bottle”.
This was from Maj. Lindgren, so I am quite happy to stick with it.

if the grip and the play are in the same location you cannot do either well.

[Dbliron]

Very well explained, Arlosmine!

[Silverbridge]

Well I just get so grumpy when I’ve spent years doing (or trying to do) the “wrong” thing, thinking it was the right thing. This endeavor is hard enough…

And oops-- I didn’t see the OP wanted show gloves. The home depot ones I recommended probably wouldn’t work for that. But if they’re show gloves, only, I don’t see how you’re going to wear through them at all.

I have all-leather, white show gloves. It will probably take me years to wear a hole in them, and even less if I ever do figure out how to correctly hold the reins. :lol:

[Dbliron]

Hey, Silverbridge! Join the crowd, I think a lot of us have spent a lot of years doing the “wrong” things, only to have to re-learn them. I agree, dressage is hard enough without that complication…however, having to re-learn things has made me a better coach, and a better trainer. I now know why (intimately, I know why) things have to be done in certain ways.

[SBrentnall]

Thanks, everyone. I bought new gloves and the problem went away. My previous show gloves were very thin, and the new ones have a little more fabric over the tender area.

I still don’t understand why no one makes gloves with reinforcement over the curb finger. If everyone agrees that we need it for the snaffle rein, why wouldn’t we need it for the curb, too?

[yaya]

The snaffle is the bradoon. Do you mean the curb rein?

[Dbliron]

OP, there are various ways of holding the reins on a double bridle, so ALL the fingers would have to be reinforced. At this point in time, with the Friesian I’m currently riding, the bradoon rein goes between my ring and little fingers, but I’ve ridden with it between my middle and ring fingers, and over the top of my index finger, depending on the horse. You are assuming there’s only one correct way to carry the reins in your hands; are you thinking that glove manufacturers should produce gloves for every option?

[SBrentnall]

[QUOTE=yaya;8784200]
The snaffle is the bradoon. Do you mean the curb rein?[/QUOTE]

OMG, I’m such an idiot! I was thinking about the curb rein and typing bradoon. No wonder my post didn’t make any sense!

[SBrentnall]

[QUOTE=Dbliron;8784235]
You are assuming there’s only one correct way to carry the reins in your hands; are you thinking that glove manufacturers should produce gloves for every option?[/QUOTE]

I’m not assuming anything. But from what I’ve seen, I would say that holding the curb rein between the middle and ring fingers is the most common way, so it seems like an untapped market to me.

[canyonoak]

google dressage riding gloves reinforced…

example:
https://www.equestriancollections.com/mens-riding-apparel/mens-riding-gloves/show-gloves/tredstep-dressage-pro-gloves?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&scid=scplp15155374&sc_intid=203-181090&gclid=CJXIwonFsM4CFZBhfgodpXgHiQ