Re: Safety of reins?

["Cheryl" <mskit@utec.net>]

Hello All-

I too ride with closed reins. They are flat plaited rope with steel scissors
snaps, and eleven years old this summer, original snaps. I ride Bobby in
just a rope halter, no bridle, and have a rope keeper strap (latigo) on my
saddle (what the cowboys use). My rein is looped thru there, so if (or
when!) I do come off, the reins stay up (happened 2x last year). I also
always ride with a "drag line"  :)  attatched to his halter and tucked into
my pocket. It works. Along with my helmet, gloves and hooded stirrups (I do
like to ride in sneakers, they dry faster)  and ID info on both myself and
braided into his mane, I feel pretty good that were covering bases. I also
carry a cell phone now and file a "flight plan" at the barn. You do what you
can to minimize potential risks.

Safe riding-

Cheryl in WNY
Horse kids Kit, Bobby & Dani


-----Original Message-----
From: Tara Wheeler <harpy@io.com>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2000 1:17 PM
Subject: RC: Safety of reins?


>Angie said:
>>Come on guys! Who wants to have a runaway horse and breakaway reins?  If
>It's a catch 22.  You want the reins/bridle/halter to break if it gets
>under so much pressure and at the same time you want it to hold if you need
>it.


>Tara said:
>I use a heavy nylon rope halter and lead rope to hold and not break and a
>biothane halter and scissor snaps on my nylon reins that I know will break
>in an emergency.>However, I still have ten feet of
>line attached to the halter (trust me, this sucker's been pulled back on,
>it's going to hold) looped through my belt, so in a worse case scenario, I
>could do a one rein turn while disengaging the hindquarters.  Or I could
>bail and grab the lead as I leap.>The lead is looped, not tied, so it
should pull free if nessisary.>However, if I do get hung up in the lead
rope, I'm screwed.  :)
>>It's a dangerous world out there kiddies.  But you can take a few simple
steps
>to lesson the odds of injury or death.