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.

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

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.

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.

Attached to the S-hack

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!

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Q's spooking habit may have largely disappeared in recent months, but it has unfortunately - though not surprisingly - been replaced by another issue: rushing, leaning, and falling constantly onto the forehand.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.

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!

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!

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.

Two Horse Tack Product Review x3

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Two Horse Tack and I was compensated for my time, however all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Two Horse Tack Nose Buckle Halter

Many bloggers have already reviewed this product, but I'd like to add another to the mix!

Griffin is modeling the Arab-size 3/4" nose buckle safety halter and lead in turquoise.

I love this color on him.

While his head isn't quite as refined as other horses, this halter helps bring out some of his finer features.

As with the halter-bridle, the workmanship and hardware on this product is very solid.

I had my doubts about the beta biothane lead, but it ties well. And while the snap isn't as heavy duty as most lead ropes, it certainly does the job. However, I wouldn't trust it with a horse who likes to test things on a regular basis as I believe it would "give" quickly and easily.

My absolutely favorite thing about the halter though?

It's practical nature for bridling a horse that may not be easy. (Not Griffin, for the record, he's such a total doll about bridling.)

This halter slips off easily once a horse is bridled.

An effortless and simple process. This halter is an amazing tool to have in your tack locker for green horses or those who need a simple reminder lesson. I'm excited to have it along for future training ventures.

Two Horse Tack English Convert-a-Bridle Bridle

And with those images, we've segued beautifully into the English Convert-a-Bridle!

Once again, I love the "dark blue", which looks much more like royal blue, on Griffin. This is the 3/4" width, once again in Arab size.

This bridle is a neat concept. It's both an English and a western headstall in one.

The noseband slips easily through the bridle, right below the cheek and above the bit.

It buckles under the chin as most English cavessons do.

But if you so desire, it can be easily unbuckled and slipped free of the bridle.

And presto, in no time at all, a western headstall!

Once again, as with other products from Two Horse Tack, this bridle is very well made. The hardware is solid, the stitching is well done, and the colors are beautiful. If you're somewhere between wanting an English bridle but also utilizing a western headstall often, this is a great option for you to consider. It's perfect for trail riders who like to dress the part of whatever saddle they may be using that weekend. Bonus? The removable noseband could be used as a dog collar in a pinch or for attaching a bundle or something to your saddle - perhaps that raincoat you suddenly don't need because the skies cleared for the day.

Two Horse Tack English Breast Collar

And finally, as you've noted in numerous photos above, Griffin is also sporting the Two Horse Tack English breast collar.

It's construction is pretty standard for an English breast collar.

And, recognizing that I sound like a broken record, it is a well-constructed product with solid stitching and hardware.

As I noted in my review of Two Horse Tack's halter-bridle, this product compares very closely to competitors like the Distance Depot in construction and hardware. Differences include that the standard THT breast collar attaches directly to the saddle while DD's uses clips. However, for an additional $3, you can select the option for THT to include clips to their breast collar. Even with this addition($43 instead of $40 without clips), this breast collar is still considerably cheaper than the DD product ($67). So, if you're on a budget or would simply like to save some money, I'd recommend the THT breast collar.

THT makes a wide variety of quality tack for those with a need for beta biothane or perhaps a desire to add some color into their lives. From western to English to endurance to just around the barn, THT has a wide variety of beautiful, well-made, affordable options for you to choose from. I think you'll find the hardest decision to getting a THT product is picking a color. 😉

Two Horse Tack Halter-Bridle Review

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

The Quick & Dirty

I am really impressed with the quality, the fit, the construction, and the overall appearance of Two Horse Tack's halter-bridle. I highly recommend it to any horse person out there, especially endurance folks. Additionally, I can say with certainty that Two Horse Tack has permanently swayed my business to them for my future beta biothane tack needs. Stellar product.

Some Background

Jacke from Two Horse Tack (and also known within the blogging and endurance world as Endurance Granny) reached out to me recently to see if I would be interested in reviewing a product for Two Horse Tack. I've known about this company for some time, but until recently, I haven't needed any new items, so I'd put off trying out Two Horse Tack. Life with horses on a budget, ain't it grand?

However, Jacke's message to me was rather timely. With Stan's re-entry to my life and Q's slow reintroduction to work, I'd been hemming and hawing about getting Q a new halter bridle. See, Stan is the original wearer of orange tack. In fact, when he came home with me he wore his very faded orange halter and lead rope he's had since he was a 4 year old. It was only fitting that the orange halter-bridle Q used to wear would become his. I've wanted to put the mare in hot pink for about a year now because it is so striking on her dark coat, but just couldn't justify purchasing more tack without a use for the orange! Stan resolved that quandary and Two Horse Tack jumped in to introduce a new line of beta biothane halter-bridles to my tack locker.

Two Horse Tack Traditional Halter-Bridle with Bit Hangers

As I noted above, the product I chose to review was Two Horse Tack's solid colored halter-bridle. As also noted above, I chose an obnoxiously bright pink color to deck Q out in. And, as you can see from the photos, it looks stunning on Q and stands out beautifully against her dark coat (which is at its peak sun-bleached state from a long, too-sunny winter).

I'd heard rumors around the internet about sizing complications with Two Horse Tack products in the past, so when Jacke inquired about what size Q would be, I volleyed the question right back to her with, "Well, what do you think?" Jacke noted what size her mare wore for me to compare with Q and we jointly decided that Arab would probably be the best bet. (Q is half Arabian, so this should have been a no-brainer for me, but I've always ordered her horse-size in past after a fluke sizing issue with an off-brand halter from a company I don't recall and haven't heard of again.)

Shipping from Two Horse Tack to me was lightning fast. So fast, in fact, that when I asked Jacke about a tracking code to make sure I could be on alert for it's arrival, she noted that USPS' site was glitchy and wouldn't give her the code but she'd venture to guess that I'd have it before the website would be resolved. She was right and I had the product in my hands early the next morning!

I rushed to the barn to try it on Q immediately. It fit her little head almost perfectly straight out of the box. I moved it to an extra hole here and there, but nothing significant. It definitely fits better than her orange halter-bridle, however I did order that in horse size and not Arab, so that's on me.

Construction and stitching of the halter is more solid, in my opinion, than her former halter-bridle also. The stitching throughout is solid and very well done.

The clips to attach the bit hanger to the halter-bridle are a bit bigger than I was accustomed to from her past halter-bridle, however from a form and function standpoint, I like the bigger clips a lot more. They're a lot simpler to clip on the go than the other design I was used to.

The only modification I had to make to the product was to add an extra hole to the bit hanger setup to to guarantee that Q's S-hack sit in the correct position on her delicate face. However, this was not a big deal though as I'm used to adding holes to various horse tack and my personal belts. In fact, a leather punch travels with me in the back of my car at all times and helped me make quick work of adding the extra hole to the bit hangers on the spot.

Overall impression: I am very pleased with the construction, the fit, and the overall appearance of this piece of tack.

The construction of the halter-bridle is solid - more so than on other products I've used in the past. I have faith that it will stand the test of just about anything I deign to put it through based on my experience with beta biothane materials.

The pink is obnoxiously bright and looks stunning contrasted against Q's dark coat. Additionally, the Arab size compliments her face better than any other tack I've had on her in the past. I give the product two enthusiastic thumbs up, five shining stars, and will definitely be purchasing a matching breastplate from Two Horse Tack in the near future!

Comparing and Contrasting Two Horse Tack Halter-Bridle to Distance Depot Halter-Bridle

Now, as I alluded to above, there are various similarities and differences between this halter-bridle and those from my past halter-bridle from The Distance Depot. As an endurance rider, I feel that this product review wouldn't be 100% complete without a bit of contrast and comparison between this product and one from a company that tends to be quite popular in the endurance world.  

Spoiler alert: Two Horse Tack is now the apple of my eye and will receive my future business for my beta biothane horse tack needs!

Let me tell you why I found Two Horse Tack superior:

• Cost: I also own two Distance Depot halter-bridles and while I love them and they've proven themselves through countless adventures, the cost of the damn things always sends me reeling a bit at the tune of $80. Two Horse Tack's halter-bridle is a much more affordable $55.
  
  Two Horse Tack's cost point for this product includes a solid colored halter-bridle with no bling. The company does offer halter-bridles with two colors and bling, but as you desire these options, the price point increases accordingly. The Distance Depot's halter-bridle gives you the option of all of these "extras" as I see them and lumps them into one cost. So, for my preference of a solid color with stainless steel hardware and no bling, Two Horse Tack definitely takes the cake.
  
• Construction: When you compare the construction of the halter-bridles between the two companies, they're quite similar. The width of the beta biothane is the same, the browband construction (though I do have custom browbands on my Distance Depot halter-bridles) is the same,  and the hardware connecting everything is similar/the same.
  
  The main differences in construction lie in the stitching along the cheek pieces and the way the throat latch attaches.
  
  
  
  
  Two Horse Tack's halter-bridle cheek pieces are stitched fully and are two full layers of beta biothane thick. Distance Depot's halter-bridle cheek pieces only overlap where they connect to the hardware; the beta biothane loops through the connection piece and is then riveted to itself. I'm certain this saves some weight, something a lot of endurance athletes tend to be concerned with across all endurance disciplines, but the couple ounces this saves aren't going to be significant in the long run.
  
  With regard to the throat latch, Two Horse Tack's halter-bridle connects with a classic buckle while Distance Depot's connects with a hook and snap. Distance Depot's method is slightly quicker to connect, but a halter-bridle is typically put on at the beginning of the day and removed at the end, so the few seconds one may save via a clip aren't exactly critical. Additionally, to nitpick weight again, the Two Horse Tack buckle is lighter weight than the hook and snap of Distance Depot, which likely offsets the weight difference saving of the cheek piece construction.

To conclude, when you compare Two Horse Tack's halter-bridle to that of the Distance Depot, there isn't a huge advantage between one or the other in construction or appearance. However, there is a difference in the cost, especially if you desire a solid color halter-bridle with no bling. And let's be honest, horses are an expensive money pit hobby, so saving some dollars wherever you can is key!

And for me? I find Two Horse Tack's halter-bridle to be better constructed (I like the stitching on the cheek pieces, the buckled throatlatch, and the larger bit hanger clips) and it is at a better cost for what I'm looking for. I can say with certainty that my future purchases of beta biothane tack will be from Two Horse Tack.

Thank you, Jacke and Two Horse Tack for giving me the opportunity to review one of your products. I'm really impressed and will be giving you more business in the future!