Most of us have a bridle assigned to a specific horse, and that bridle is set up to fit the horse perfectly. We use the same bridle for whatever we do with the horse. Often the reins are attached with leather ties, Chicago screws or even rivets and give us little option to conveniently change the type of rein.
Personally, I don’t like split reins for the trail. Split reins are great for arena riding and horse training and give us much more flexibility when teaching a horse.
On the trail tough, I find a looped rein much more convenient. The split rein is often too long and dangles off the horse which can tangle up on branches. When you get on and off often, the reins tend to slide off the horse’s neck. When you tie them into a knot, the knot is large and inconvenient.
A short-loop rein doesn’t get into the way of anything on the trail. When I used to do competitive horse archery, I tied a short rubber sling with a loop to it, which extends the rein so it fits over the saddle horn and can’t slide over the horse’s face when galopping hands-free. I found a sling like that works great for trail riding as well.
A looped rein should not be too long. When riding, the loop should either just reach over the horn, or be a bit shorter. You want the loop long enough tough so you can let the horse drink without having to bend too much forward. A loop that doesn’t quite reach the horn can be comfortable on the trail, but in order to place it over the horn, you need a sling as an extension.
All my reins now have swiveled snaps, so I can easily take them off. This makes it convenient to switch to a split rein when the horse is used in the arena.
It also allows me to take the reins off when I am taking a quick break on the trail. I have been asked, if I let the horses graze with a bit in, and my answer is, absolutely for a short time. The bit or the bridle is not the problem when letting the horse graze, the problem are the reins. When they fall over the horse's head, and it steps on or into them is when there is a chance for an accident or damaged tack. Looping the reins over the saddle horn during a break, and the horse pulls against the bit to eat or drink, is not a good habit either. When I stop for a pee, or give the horses a chance to taste that nice grass, that appeared after a long stretch of rocks, I get off, and remove the reins. Same when I tie the horses to a tree for just a short time, I remove the reins. With the clips, it only takes a few seconds. In these scenarios, I find split reins, permanently attached to the bridle, inconvenient and often not safe.
On the trail, the halter is always on the horse, underneath the bridle and the lead rope is attached to the horn with a clove hitch. When the horse is tied, we use the lead rope and never the reins, unlike in the western movies….
As a last thought, leather split reins are quite expensive, and the trail can be hard on any tack. A simple looped rein is less expensive and can come in different materials. I like to use double braid nylon, same as I use for the leads. Cotton is light and nice on the hands, but when it gets wet, it gets soaked and heavy. Double-braid nylon is my favourite rope material.
The reins are very important. On the trail, we hold them for hours, and on pack trips for days. It is well worth it to spend some thought on which type works best for you.
Have a look at our Blue Creek Trail reins here.
Enjoy the trails!
Donat