My horse is a sweaty, sweaty beast and I can’t keep a good grip on the leather laced reins even with gloves after so long riding him. If we want to show in the hunters (or even eq), are rubber reins acceptable? And if not, anyone have a good brand of leather-look but rubber-lined reins they prefer?
I don’t feel that they are acceptable.
Have you tried using braided reins? I find I get a much better grip with those than with laced reins (plus they’re more attractive!).
SmartPak has rubber lined reins that I have and like. Mine are SmartPak brand, I think they’re the Harwich Rubber Lined Laced Reins.
[QUOTE=supershorty628;7727308]
I don’t feel that they are acceptable.
Have you tried using braided reins? I find I get a much better grip with those than with laced reins (plus they’re more attractive!).[/QUOTE]
This. I LOVE braided reins. So much, in fact, that i have 4 sets of them :lol: Two each in black and brown (dressage and hunter bridles), one wide and one narrow in each colour. I like the narrower ones for the most part, but switch to the wide ones if my tendinitis is acting up. I am no longer comfortable using other types of reins, haha
They usually look thick and clunky and get into the “non conventional” area. I find even the lined ones heavy, not the look to show how little help a Hunter needs to get around.
Try the braided instead of laced.
[QUOTE=hj0519;7727310]
SmartPak has rubber lined reins that I have and like. Mine are SmartPak brand, I think they’re the Harwich Rubber Lined Laced Reins.[/QUOTE]
No one will be able to tell these have rubber on the inside unless they’re right on top of you. They don’t look think/bulky and look pretty much exactly like regular raised fancy stitched reins. I like these a lot and I think you could get away with them.
In Canada it’s illegal to use rubber reins in the hunters (at rated shows) unless the weather is bad AND the steward has okayed their use.
I have though used those rubber-lined leather reins (I use it as a curb rein on a Pelham as it’s smooth) and nobody has noticed.
Thinline makes a braided/laced rein. I imagine that since they’re made of thinline material they’d also be non-slip.
http://www.thinlineglobal.com/shop/#!/~/product/category=5515831&id=26231553
Both my dressage and jumping bridles have these rubber reins on them, which are pretty supple and non-clunky.
However, if I’m going to a hunter show, they get swapped out for the laced reins that came with my bridle. The only time I’ve ever left them on for a hunter show was a super casual “polo shirt attire” weekday night schooling show. Anything more than that I would never leave the rubber reins on, no matter how much I prefer riding in them.
