Doubled and Stitched Latigo Reins

by

Bruce Johnson Leatherwork

P O Box 125

Oakdale. CA 95361

(209) 845-2315

    I’ll admit it is a little different on a website to devote a single page to one type of reins. However a few customer previews of my upcoming site additions have suggested these  really need  more explanation and a separate page. These are doubled and stitched latigo reins that I have made for several years. When I was doing wholesale work I did quite a few of them, and also many for my local customers. I am sure not the first guy to make them, but have done a few things differently than some of the other makers from personal experience and customer suggestions and feedback.

    One comment added to my blog – “You make the most awesome reins. I’ve won quite a bit of money NRCHA with them.”  

   Another wrote this in an email – “I have bought a few sets of your latigo reins from ******  *******  at the horse shows but they sold the business and stopped going to shows.  I recently  found out you are the maker of them. I had a set on my show snaffle and my everyday bridle. When my trainer got on my colt to school him, he wanted to know where I got the reins. To make a long story short, he has sponsorships and his own signature line of tack so even though you can figure it out probably, he can’t have his name used. He wanted  one of my sets and they are on HIS  show bridle. If you are still making these, I need to order more. “

   And a recent one - "Best split reins I have ever used. Weight, balance, feel, you've got it."

       So what’s the difference with my reins? I start off with good quality latigo , and I cut these reins from the best part of two sides of latigo. . Both sides of the reins are one continuous length – not one full length and two shorter pieces spliced together on the other side.  Splices might work for driving reins, but they throw off the flexibility and feel for using reins to me.   I use the entire length of the side, and the bit end is always at the butt or strongest end of the leather side. Then I add a few different things to treat it for the weight and flexibility I like. The leather is  leveled for the working length so the thickness remains as constant as possible from one pair to the next. I make a water loop bit tie with a little larger loop than some makers. It helps to prevent binding on the larger thickness cheek rings of silver show snaffle bits. One colt starter tells me it almost like slobber straps with mecate reins, mine have enough “slide” to signal the horse as he lifts the reins before they feel the pull. I normally put in a popper on the ends between the two layers of rein.  That adds a little weight to the tail and, and helps when them balance and drop when you are slipping some rein in your hands. The square edges are rounded over with edge beveling tools by hand, and then the edges are hand rubbed to smooth them.  They are then “worked” to get the flexibility into them and feel broken in from the start.

        Here are some of my specifics. With the leveling and even sides I get, the thickness is right at one fourth inch from bit end to the start of the popper. My favorite width is eleven-sixteenths – call them a full five-eighths or a scant three-quarters inch. I also make the standard 5/8" and 3/4" widths. I can custom make them any width.  Because the sides will vary in length from one to the next, and from top to middle, the lengths will vary. I sell them by actual  length off the side and each pair is tagged with length. Not everyone wants eight foot reins for their colts or seven footers for the show pen, but generally you can have your choice with me. I can also do custom widths, no poppers, or smaller bit loops for the rings on shank bits as well. The current price for these reins is $75.00 per pair.