I was at an x-country clinic recently and we were hit with a short downpour. I was using leather reins and leather gloves. My hands and reins got wet and I had zero grip.
Since I don’t want to be a “fair weather rider” what is the solution? I have ridden in gloves for 30 years and really don’t want to stop now.
Do I need rubber reins? A bit overwhelmed by the choices!!
Yes, rubber reins. And you may have to try a few to decide what feels good in your hand. If you don’t like bulk, they have some with the rubber only on one side - so they also look like plain leather.
They come in a range of widths, color, with stops, without stops.
There is a kind that has woven rubber threads the “eventa” ones which are smooth (not sure how they work in wet weather)
Also try different gloves - Neuman’s tackified are good, and then there are really cheap ones with rubber pebbles - I don’t like those as the glove part has so little substance you can get a grip but then feel like the glove will disintegrate.
Can I ask where you live that in 30 years you haven’t had to worry about riding in the rain!?
It was jumping in the rain that was the issue 
I like the woven rubber web ones with stops, but it really is a personal thing. Leather plaited reins are also fairly grippy if you don’t want rubber.
A cheaper solution than new reins is new gloves. There are a great many hi-tech, grip-even-in-the-rain, glow-in-the-dark and make-you-ride-better gloves on the market, at all prices. Leather on leather, sadly, is not good for grip. And I prefer old-fashioned string gloves (hard to find now) because they grip when out hunting in all conditions.
I really like my Stubben Slimline reins. Their a bit thinner that the typical rubber reins and very supple.
I have some pimply rubber lined leather reins, with the rubber just on one side of the reins. They are hard on gloves, and even harder on your hands when no gloves are worn. KS Select is the brand. Look ok, grip ok, but I don’t like them much. I prefer the woven rubber ones, as mentioned, or the cotton web with stops.
Definitely also get new gloves. The ssgs are decent and not expensive.
I have Thinline reins and wear Roeckl Chester gloves. I’ve ridden in the rain before with no issues. Looooove the TL reins.
Flexible Fit Equestrian Bio Grip reins, they are so nice that I even use them on the flat.
Reins - Thinline (seriously, I love mine!) Or the Nunn Finer rubber ones (they are softer and thinner/more easy to grip than some of the cheaper rubber ones)
Gloves - Bionic AquaGrips!
I’d start with new gloves before reins if budget is tight. My Bionics fit amazing (developed by an orthopedic hand surgeon) and are more grippy wet than dry even.
I like the relatively cheap woven rubber web reins with leather stops plus Neumann tackified gloves. I love the Roeckl gloves but not when it rains, they get slick, especially when combined with regular rubber reins.
Thinline reins perform well in the rain. But they also fall apart oh, about once a year or so. I gave up on them after two pairs, as much as I liked how they felt in my hand and how they performed in water.
I went back to Bobby’s rubber reins (thinner and less stiff than Nunn Finer or other brands) + MacWet gloves. Holy cow, those MacWet gloves are a fricking miracle. When they get wet, the grip strength is bananas-strong. I have blown friends’ minds by handing them a dry MacWet glove and put a rein in their hand and pulling the rein, then wetting down the glove and doing the same exercise. And when they’re not wet, they just feel like regular SSG-type gloves. Worth every penny.
http://www.macwet.com/
I used to use string gloves with rubber reins and that seemed to work ok. Currently I ride with the Thinline reins and use deerskin leather gloves. This combo seems to work pretty good in the rain and also when my horse gets sweaty. My Thinline reins are about 2yrs old now and they’re still going strong. Gah! Hope I didn’t jinx myself! 
[QUOTE=jn4jenny;8338241]
Thinline reins perform well in the rain. But they also fall apart oh, about once a year or so. I gave up on them after two pairs, as much as I liked how they felt in my hand and how they performed in water.
I went back to Bobby’s rubber reins (thinner and less stiff than Nunn Finer or other brands) + MacWet gloves. Holy cow, those MacWet gloves are a fricking miracle. When they get wet, the grip strength is bananas-strong. I have blown friends’ minds by handing them a dry MacWet glove and put a rein in their hand and pulling the rein, then wetting down the glove and doing the same exercise. And when they’re not wet, they just feel like regular SSG-type gloves. Worth every penny.
http://www.macwet.com/[/QUOTE]
I’ll have to try those. I usually wear the leather crochet-backed gloves and rubber reins, but man, they are slick as snot when it’s raining.
[QUOTE=jn4jenny;8338241]
Thinline reins perform well in the rain. But they also fall apart oh, about once a year or so. I gave up on them after two pairs, as much as I liked how they felt in my hand and how they performed in water.
http://www.macwet.com/[/QUOTE]
Huh, odd. I’ve had my two pairs (black ones on my dressage bridle and brown on my jump bridle) for about two years now and they still look and feel fantastic. I hope I didn’t jinx myself either!
Count me in for the group who has Thinlines that are still in great condition. I have a brown pair that are 4+ years old and have seen near daily use and abuse. They are just now starting to show some wear, but I anticipate them continuing to be usable for another few years at least (I actually atribute the wear they show now to the lack of care they saw in the first year I owned them). I bought a second pair of black ones for my dressage bridle this past spring and they look brand new. I think it is important to wipe the Thinline material part with a soft damp rag after every use to clean the dirt and sweat off. Then I only clean the leather parts when I clean my bridle.
As an aside, those MacWet gloves sound cool! But no need for me to try any others since I found the Bionics.
ThinLine reins + Neumanns’ Tackified gloves has been a pretty good combination for me… but even I am forced to admit that ThinLine reins don’t hold up as well as I’d like - even with proper care. I find they get stiff, and as they get stiff, they get less grippy. I haven’t been using my own equipment for a while now (absentee horse owner), but I plan on trying out the “bio-grip” reins in the future.
Will have to look into those MacWet golves!
Stubben has a nice “Ultra grip” rein that gets grippier when they get wet. THey aren’t leather or rubber - the material is sort of suede-like (only you can wash them with dish soap and water!). I love them for my horse who sweats up a storm and therefore always has wet reins.
Also, these gloves are da bomb - http://www.macwet.com/. They are all I use.
[QUOTE=Sempiternal;8311047]
I really like my Stubben Slimline reins. Their a bit thinner that the typical rubber reins and very supple.[/QUOTE]
Second, third, and fourth this. I bought a pair from the Stubben tent during Rolex, of all things, they were in one of those giant sale boxes. Mine have the snap hooks, making them really easy to change out. Best $40 I’ve spent.
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