Leather Tack~

Windmill Headstall & leather split reins

In the past few months, I've been asked twice, why I use leather tack.  Of course these questions have come from Beta or Biothane "Crazed" endurance riders!  :-)
Leather to me is the smell I associate most with horses, riding & the western way.  The first piece of gear I bought as a kid of eleven, braided roping reins.  I'd been working for my Grandpa cleaning the barn ( It was a Big barn!) & my reward was to buy what I wanted at the sale barn tack shop.  Of course Grandma was very unhappy when she saw that they were closed reins & asked Grandpa why he let me buy them?  His reply;  "She wanted them!"  :-)

Wall of "stuff"

Since my time as an adult with horses, I've run the gauntlet of trendy tack.  When my husband was asked what I do for fun besides ride, he responded;  "Buy's tack!"  Does he know me or what?!   Thankfully, I've gravitated back to the roots of the American West & leather.  Yes, it's work to keep clean & conditioned, but that's part of the fun.  Conditioning tack is something I enjoy.

There are some good reasons to use leather.  Here are a few;  It's form fitting -- conforms to the shape of the horse over time.  It Breaks!  This is my usual answer when asked about using it.  If for whatever reason my mare should find herself tacked up & alone in the wilderness, I would hope that if she got tangled or in trouble, that the tack would break & set her free.  If for whatever other reason I might get entangled on her, again -- I would hope that the tack would break before I do! 

Dean Essex, DVM started me with the 1", six or seven foot leather split reins.  I LOVE them!  The weight is perfect in your hands, signals are clear, reins stay steady on the neck, when I dismount I have plenty of rein to guide my horse, hold my horse, or do whatever I want with her.  Being split, I should never get tangled in them.  Also, on the one or two occasions where we've split company unexpectedly, I still had a rein in my hand when got up!

I do own Beta reins too, custom made to the size mentioned above, they work great in the rain & aren't slippery as leather can be when wet.  I have Beta headstalls too & use them occasionally.  Beta is such a huge improvement over Biothane in my opinion.  It seems softer & looks more natural.