Need some help. Realized today…looking at my tack room wall…I don’t have a single pair of comfortable reins that I really like to hold. What are your favorite reins? Why?
I don’t have any, but I steal my friends soft touch reins every chance I get. For dressage only, though, I like to have something more solid to hold onto when I jump. But for flatwork I really like how light and flexible they are.
http://www.nunnfiner.com/Nunn-Finer-Soft-Grip-Reins-p/282.htm
I love the rubber lined reins I got on ebay. Unfortunately, I cannot remember their name. It was not a “famous” name, but they are awesome! I really have to look and see if I can find another set…:winkgrin:
I like the quality web reins- the softer thicker ones. I have a few pairs made by Stubben that are nice. One pair was gifted to me from Coreene’s horse Oliver, they had been his Uncle Willems. Brought us good luck at our last show too! Got rid of my Crown ones from Dover, way too thin and uncomfortable. Am up in the air about the web ones with rubber though, some are nice while others are too sticky.
I like the old fashioned web reins with stops, the thinner the better. My Steubbens are faded and they’ve been chawed on, but they are so soft in my hands, I can feel everything.
A friend of mine has suede reins im dying to get a pair for myself
Mine are something called German suede or something like that. I bought them several years ago from Performance Saddlery when they were in New York. They are are easy to hold onto and you can easily pick whatever spot you like.
I have a pair of rubber lined reins WITH rein stops. Love them! Especially since I’m recovering from trigger finger surgery. These reins were wonderful as my hands got weaker, and are still wonderful as I get my grip back.
Reins from this company: http://www.malbyrne.com.au/Bridles.htm. They are made of a soft and squeeshy leather, come in two width, have buckle attachements (makes attaching/detaching easy) and come in regular and extra long. They are very soft and easy to hold.
I tried to find a page with the reins without success but the company is very easy to work with, take credit card orders and shipping is free- at least was for me when I placed my order there and they shipped it over after custom making them.
Barnsby plain leather with stoppers. They are butter soft, flexible, and the stoppers give me a better idea how even my reins are and where I need to hold them for more collected work (I tend to leave them longer than ideal).
I just love my Barnsby bridle though. There is not a single thing I would change about it. It is perfect.
I’m really enjoying my Wintec cushion-grip reins for day-to-day. They would look odd with my leather bridle for show, though.
[QUOTE=Karoline;4277441]
Reins from this company: http://www.malbyrne.com.au/Bridles.htm. They are made of a soft and squeeshy leather, come in two width, have buckle attachements (makes attaching/detaching easy) and come in regular and extra long. They are very soft and easy to hold.
I tried to find a page with the reins without success but the company is very easy to work with, take credit card orders and shipping is free- at least was for me when I placed my order there and they shipped it over after custom making them.[/QUOTE]
Out of curiosity, I clicked on the link. They’re at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre.
Werribee that?
They are outside Melbourne, AUS. So even with the weaker dollar, you still get a bit of an advantage. I think my reins were around $100 and extremely good quality leather and craftsmanship.
Without a doubt, the nicest reins I have ever held in my hands were the ThinLine reins. I had to have a pair, and so purchased mine from Smart Pak. You can also visit the ThinLine website to have a look at them and obtain product information. These reins are sort of hard to describe, in terms of “feel”. They are very cushiony without being bulky or “thick” feeling. They do not have the little leather stoppers/bumps. They do not slip. I think the thing I love most about them is that they truly let me have an elastic feel with the horse’s mouth. I can feel every move, no matter how slight, through these reins.
They are a bit pricey, but after the first ride I was glad I bit the bullet and bought them! 
plain leather lined with rubber grip on the inside. And second fav. is just plain old laced reins, but must be butter soft leather.
The webs reins with elastic through them 
Bought them after I rode a friend’s 17hh greenbean in hers, and went on a month long hunt to find them on sale ! $20 from $50 !
My sister also has some really nice flat ones that she has stopped using because she now has normal webbed ones, and I use them a couple of days before an Ag show, and they’re really nice. They’re also pony reins :winkgrin: and are a nice thickness and are short, but not to short
Lately, I enjoy riding with biothane reins. They are softer than rubber ones and rounder on the edges, so they are easier on arthritic hands.
I crave a pair of calfskin wrapped reins with stops.
I have both rubber reins and rubber inside reins- so far, I don’t think I’ve found the perfect rein.
i kept my leather laced reins for shows
but as i have several bridles i use all reins from plain leather to web to rubber
but i prefer if using rubber reins that the pimples are smaller to the ones that are bigger
This is a timely thread - I didn’t realize I was rein shopping until last night when I was cleaning my bridle :). I like my reins ok, but they don’t really “wow” me and I want them to be uber-comfortable. I have serious arthritis, and my old reins were great, but they don’t work with the bigger horse (I need extra long reins for him).
