# Driving Reins



## Leeana (Oct 23, 2011)

Agian - Complete and total driving ammy.......

I am looking to improve my current driving reins, my current reins are sort of mix matched...one is a bit thinner as it was from my first miniature horse harness and the other is a bit thicker as it was from a "pony" size harness. I am not sure what kind they are, they came with my biothane harness so I am guessing bio? How do I feel about them? so - so...Its sort of hard to keep contact on the bit how I like, they do feel good in my hands, but am looking to improve (mostly the difference in size is driving me nuts, and if I am going to purchase new ones...I want to look at options).

Also - what is the average length of miniature (she is a B) driving reins? I would measure mine - but am not sure if even they are the correct length. I am not sure if the ones I am finding at carriage driving shops online are miniature or regular horse length and they do not exactly make it specific. I cannot find any on miniature horse tack sites either and believe me...I have looked. I drove one of my friends minis and she had nylon driving reins and I really liked the feel of them.

Thanks


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## Jetiki (Oct 24, 2011)

most mini reins are 10ft long

Karen


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## Margo_C-T (Oct 24, 2011)

I would not recommend nylon 'anything' where harness is involved.

My harnesses from The Carriage House in FL came with soft but nicely flexible beta biothane(beta bi has a matte finish, generally, instead of the 'shiny' finish of 'just' beta, and the 'best' beta, IMO, is the kind that good reins are made out of.)The reins should be brown(the proper 'color' for reins; if in leather, that 'translates' into russet or 'natural' leather color, though often oiled or otherwise 'treated' to be darker than true 'natural' cowhide.)GOOD leather is hard to beat, of course, but GOOD beta is VERY nice to use, AND a LOT easier to care for, IMO.

I can't say offhand how long my reins are, but any GOOD harness maker should be able to tell you what their 'standard' length is for the size/build of equine you want the harness for...and make the reins longer or shorter if you have a reason for such.I'd say that the 'standard' length of most better makers would suit just fine.

Buy quality to start with...believe me, it will cost you LESS in the long run, and serve you better!

Margo


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## shelterwood (Oct 24, 2011)

I just got my Comfy Fit harness from Chimacum Tack, and got the upgraded reins which are a sort of rubberized, knobby betathane I think. The website for the Comfy Fit stuff is totally geared toward minis and all parts can be bought separately. If you call and talk to Janie she is a huge help and can have anything you need custom made. I love these reins, great feel and never need a lick of care except maybe a hosing off or scrub once a year!!

Katie


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## hobbyhorse23 (Oct 24, 2011)

Margo_C-T said:


> Buy quality to start with...believe me, it will cost you LESS in the long run, and serve you better!






:yes





Are you sure it wouldn't be better to just buy a new harness at this point, one that suits your needs? By the time you've bought a new bit, new bridle, new reins...add one more part and you might as well just get the whole thing!





Lisa at Ozark told me their standard mini reins are 9ft but I haven't measured mine to see if that's true. That works perfectly for my two A-sized gents so I imagine it would be a mite short for your big girl. And the reins ARE available on the website although it says there that they're 10ft.





Mini Tack driving lines

Leia

P.S.- Two things that are nice to have are reins that buckle together at the end (that's a safety thing so if you drop one you can get it back) and a pinky loop to keep the excess up and out of your way. I forgot to order one of those on my new beta reins and hate having to sit on the ends!


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## Leeana (Oct 24, 2011)

Actually, I was lucky enough Cathy Rhoades (Cathyjo76) is letting me "loan" one of her harness until I am ready to purchase a harness this winter more fitting for what I am doing and that meets my needs and is a bit safer. Bless her heart....thanks Cathy!


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## Sue_C. (Oct 25, 2011)

> P.S.- Two things that are nice to have are reins that buckle together at the end (that's a safety thing so if you drop one you can get it back) and a pinky loop to keep the excess up and out of your way. I forgot to order one of those on my new beta reins and hate having to sit on the ends!


You can "quick-fix" this with a hole punch and a bit of lacing. My older reins didn't have buckles either, so I just punched a hole in the end of each and threaded a piece of lace through to make a loop.

Another thing that is pretty handy, is a double swivel that buckles to the end of each rein. They can usually be found at tack shops that cater to harness racers. You never have to worry about unbuckling your rein ends after attaching to the bit, as you can simply straighten them from the seat.

Yet another tip I picked up is to use one of those plastic coiled key-holder loops around my wrist for trail driving and marathons. MUCH safer than the pinky loop method if you get thrown from the cart or are otherwise in more danger of being dragged by the reins.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Oct 25, 2011)

Sue_C. said:


> You can "quick-fix" this with a hole punch and a bit of lacing. My older reins didn't have buckles either, so I just punched a hole in the end of each and threaded a piece of lace through to make a loop.
> Yet another tip I picked up is to use one of those plastic coiled key-holder loops around my wrist for trail driving and marathons. MUCH safer than the pinky loop method if you get thrown from the cart or are otherwise in more danger of being dragged by the reins.


Great tips, thanks! I make sure I keep the pinky loop at the last joint of my finger and that it is loose enough to fall off easily as soon as I uncurl my pinky to try and prevent any broken fingers. I have managed to get dragged behind (and actually under) a cart by an arm caught up in the reins and I'll tell you it hurts quite a bit!



That wrist did not work right for something like two years afterwards and that was without the help of a pinky loop to get caught up in. Ouch, ouch, and ouch. I ended up in the ER thinking it was fractured and literally screamed every time I forgot and tried to close a car door with that arm for the remainder of my trip.



At least there were lots of people around to help me do up my cinches and other buckles!

Leia


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