Monday, April 9, 2018

Product Review: Two Horse Tack Super Grip Reins

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Two Horse Tack and I was compensated for my time in the form of a free product; all opinions expressed are entirely my own.


Construction & Details

Over the winter, Two Horse Tack reached out to me to ask if I'd review their Super Grip beta-biothane trail reins. Loving anything that can improve my grip and thus my control, I eagerly agreed.

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As with other products I've reviewed for THT, the construction of these reins is very solid.

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Super grip in hand

The beta-biothane is stitched very securely the the super grip and each rein ends in a conway buckle with a scissor snap for quick attachment to your bit or hackamore of choice.

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Solid stitching, super grip, and conway buckles ending in scissor snaps

The "trail" part of the reins denotes that the reins are one solid piece without a buckle in the middle - something I greatly prefer for life on the endurance trail. It's a lot easier to have reins double as a lead rope/tie when they don't have an added point of weakness like a buckle.


My Favorite Aspects

Scissor snap ends: I especially appreciate the scissor snaps because I work Q in both a bit and a hackamore depending upon our venue (bit at home, hack on the trail). I love being able to switch between both in the blink of an eye without undoing buckles etc.

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Attached to the S-hack
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Attached to the bit, moments later

Super Grip: Without question, the super grip is my favorite part of these reins. With and without gloves in dry and wet conditions, it lives up to it's namesake and provides superior grip. When you've got a horse like Q who tends to lean into the bridle and go heavily on the forehand as her first and most favorite evasion, having a secure grip is critical!

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Nice secure grip on the little dragon mare who was very eager and powerful on this day


Practical Application

Q's spooking habit may have largely disappeared in recent months, but it has unfortunately - though not surprisingly - been replaced by another issue: rushing, leaning, and falling constantly onto the forehand. We're certainly working through it, but it will of course take time! I honestly prefer this issue to the spooking one because it's one that I have a lot more patience dealing with and have a much larger treasure chest of tools to use as I work through it.

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This is Q the Sass Master eagerly plowing ahead and slightly annoyed with my insistence to trot only and not canter

These reins have been a godsend this winter as we've worked through this problem. Q wants nothing more than to take the reins from me in certain moments to gain release and reward. Her idea of what is good behavior meriting this release and reward isn't often correct though! Q, dear, plowing forward at speed, falling into the bridle and onto the forehand doesn't help anyone, nor does it get you out of work sooner!

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LOL to my expression and obvious talking to her to try to calm the dragon inside.

Thank goodness for the super grip; it allows me to meet Q's evasive maneuvers with a solid boundary wall that only gives at the proper time. With other reins, she's able to force them through my hands which only reinforces her behavior. Fortunately, the super grip helps me remain steadfast and more stubborn than this little stubborn mare. #sorrynotsorry, Q!

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Plowing forward and taking advantage of me opening my fingers to give her a little release after she maintained a steady trot for a few strides. On this day she was such a sassy powerhouse that all small rewards were taken advantage of. C'est la vie! I was just happy she WANTED to work and offered trotting of her own accord when we were traveling AWAY from the barn/herdmates.

As time goes on, Q is offering up a softer contact and pushing more from her hind end. Things are far from perfect, but with each added second of balance and soft contact, we're making progress - and that's what counts! Slow and steady progress is better than none.

Overall Impression

All things considered, I love these reins! The construction is solid, the price ($18+ based on options you choose) is incredibly affordable, and the color options are on point. I have already recommended these reins to friends and anticipate providing that recommendation even more as the riding season picks up and we get out riding with more folks. The pink is so eye-catching that I always seem to get compliments and questions.

14 comments:

  1. I love the quick-snap reins. They are pretty awesome for when you need/want to switch bridles and/or bit vs hack.

    Q is hilarious - what a little dragon!

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    1. I'm coming to grips with her dragon-tude. I like it, but eek! lol

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  2. I've had these same reins by The Distance Depot for the last..3-4 years? Two sets of them, one for each horse, and absolutely love them!!

    Note about the scissor snaps (Gail had pointed this out to me originally and I'm passing it on because I got to experience it first-hand): they do wear down over time and sometimes a lot faster than regular snaps would, which can be a safety hazard on trail. They are also not very strong when it comes to actually staying in place under extreme pressure. I once had Lily spook and pull suddenly while leading her with my grip reins and the snap neatly slid off of the ring of her halter bridle. Didn't break, just slipped right off. Lily took off at a gallop while I chased on foot. That was fun (thankfully we were at the barn). We had a similar incident happen to Carlos while riding Gracie: the scissor snap slipped off of her bit on one side, leaving him with only one rein...while we were doing gallop sets. The good thing is that Gracie stopped anyway. Both sets of scissor snaps were replaced with sturdier spring snaps and we have had no other issues since. Love love love the reins!! You really don't lose grip even when they are wet from rain/sweat, and they don't crack with extreme temperature changes. :) They'll last you for a long time!

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    1. Yep! I've got a DD pair, too, and they've held up awesomely. These are nearly identical, which is pretty cool.

      Greeat note on the snaps! I've replaced some on other rope reins after they got sticky/rusted from wet/dry conditions and horse sweat. Will keep an eye as the years pass by =)

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    2. One of the bits of feedback I received from a trainer is that the weight and connection to the bit with those types of snaps is inconsistent. A horse in dressage training will do better with the reins attached directly to the bit. It creates a much better connection.

      Also, hope you have better luck with their products then I did.

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    3. Yep! I've received the same feedback. I've got reins with hard connections to my bits for jumping and dressage, these are for my trail/endurance/lollygagging in the field days. =)

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  3. I'm glad to know you like these so much! I was thinking about ordering a pair for myself (and just sent a friend a link to them since she was looking for an affordable pair of extra long reins)!

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  4. oooh those are cute!!!! i wonder if i need a pair for my hackamore....... hm....

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  5. Those are so super flipping cute. Think they'd fly in the hunter ring?!?! LOL LOL

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    1. LOL! If you try to make them work in the hunter ring, I wanna hear the story ;-)

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  6. I love this list because there are pictures of Q. Anytime I get to see Q, life is good. 😘

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    1. Hopefully the next time you see her in person she'll be a reformed little [dragon] lady.

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