Double Diamond Hill RanchDouble Diamond Hill RanchDouble Diamond Hill RanchDouble Diamond Hill Ranch
  • About
  • Services
  • Products
  • Events
  • Posts
  • Contact

Horse Tack: Mecate reins for cheap

    Home Horse Tack Horse Tack: Mecate reins for cheap
    NextPrevious

    Horse Tack: Mecate reins for cheap

    By Tyson Davis | Horse Tack, Reins | 10 comments | 28 April, 2017 | 3

    Not everyone understands why someone would use Mecate reins for riding but they are very helpful in teaching your horse how to give to pressure when it is applied. What I found was that these reins are not cheap at all, especially for good ones. I found that most quality mecate reins cost around $150-$200 and that is without slobber straps. So like any other person wanting to get the best bang for their buck, I went to work searching. Turns out that they are not cheap anywhere. So after doing some more research, I found that there are a bunch of different materials that are used for reins. Anything from Yak hair to horse hair and even human hair sometimes. The one that intrigued me the most was parachute cord ropes, parachute cord is used for making all kinds of things and I am not terrible at braiding (I was pretty good at boondoggle as a kid) so I looked into making them myself.

    I found a couple of places that sell supplies to make mecate reins but the one I liked the most was U-Braid-It or Amazon is a great place to find good priced paracord as well like this listing. They even sold me instructions and suggested the lengths of paracord that I needed to be able to make a 22-foot mecate rein.

    Mecate Reins

    Here is the start of my 22-foot mecate reins that I braided, the hemostat was very helpful in keeping everything nice and tight.

     

    Mecate Reins

    Here you can see that I braided twelve strands of paracord around a paracord core.

    Mecate Reins

    This shot shows how I got the pattern I was going for six strands of brown on the left side and the brown, grey, turquoise, turquoise, grey then brown on the right side gave a really cool pattern.

    Mecate Reins

    The process of braiding is not terribly hard to do a twelve strand mecate rein and after a while, it became second nature to work on it. After a few days of working on it here and there, and also having to undo some braids that were done wrong. I had finished the length that I wanted.

    Mecate Reins

    The hardest part was doing the Gaucho knot to finish the rope so that everything stayed but with a little practice I got that finished nicely too. All together the cost for the mecate rein turned out to be about $75 and around 10 hours to get a $150 rein. Which is way better in my book plus I learned a new skill!

    Mecate Reins

    So now I can make mecate reins when I need them and they are very strong and feel great. Plus now I have something to do in the winter when the weather is bad. Have you ever made your own tack gear? Or found any other ways to save money on horse tack? Let me know in the comments below.

    Here is the second rope that I made!

    As an Amazon Associate, DDH earns from qualifying purchases

    Claim your FREE cattle feed schedule

    Get a free nutrition schedule for your cows today!


    (without having to pay or rely on a nutritionist)


    This schedule is the same one that is being used to produce a $100k/yr. income!

    DIY Saddle Fender Replacement
    Custom Saddle Under $1500
    braid, diy, horse, mecate, reins, tack

    Related Post

    • Horse Tack: Saddle Fender Replacement

      By Tyson Davis | 0 comment

      So here is the story about how I decided to do my own saddle fender replacement. I have this older saddle that I keep around just in case I need one with a little bit ofRead more

    • Going to a Show? Helpful Tips to Prepare Your Truck and Trailer

      By johncash | 0 comment

      Whether this is your first show or your one-hundredth, pre-show jitters can leave you scattered and scrambling the week of the event. Here are some helpful tips to keep you organized and make sure thatRead more

    • Flags, Ropes and High Hopes

      By Tyson Davis | 0 comment

      High in the Uintas as I come down off the last bit of snow on the peak, I realize it’s been hours since I have been back to camp. Around the bend and I startRead more

    • 7 most used horsemanship tools of 2018

      By Tyson Davis | 0 comment

      Many of you have followed our site for a while and that means that you know a bit of my story. To remind you of my story you can go here to read about it.Read more

    • Horse Tack: Buying a Cheap Custom Western Saddle

      By Tyson Davis | 0 comment

      So I have had a dilemma finding a saddle that fits my horse for some time now. When you have a oddly shaped horse things get a little difficult, unless you have $4,000 for aRead more

    10 comments

    • Dick Log in to Reply July 10, 2017 at 10:39

      Great looking reins! I was told by them, yesterday, they didn’t have the paracord instructions, not until the fall, did they sell you the mohair instructions?

      Thank you.

      • Tyson Davis Log in to Reply July 10, 2017 at 12:49

        Hey Dick,

        Thanks for the compliment! I purchase plans from them a few years ago so they may have changed them up a bit, which would be why they aren’t ready yet. I would assume that their mohair rein instructions would be similar but you would be best off to ask the kind folks at U-Braidit.

        Good luck!
        ~Tyson

    • Dan Breedlove Log in to Reply October 14, 2017 at 11:48

      Great job on the reins. About how much paracord did that take? Did you do 6 strands doubled over or was it 12 individual strands ? I assume you left the cores in the paracord or did you remove.
      Thanks
      Dan

      • Tyson Davis Log in to Reply November 9, 2017 at 13:56

        Hey Dan,

        I doubled mine over, so twelve strands made from 6 doubled. I don’t remember how long everything had to be but it was quite the length. Yes the core was left in and it was a doubled over parachord.

        Thanks for reading,
        Tyson

    • Whitney Mullikin Log in to Reply November 9, 2017 at 09:57

      I am doing my own mecate reins. They are 8 strand with a core…cant figure it how tight I should braid it and if I should push the braid up on the core or pull it down on the core…

      Thanks,
      Whitney

      • Tyson Davis Log in to Reply November 9, 2017 at 13:58

        Hey Whitney,

        When I was braiding mine I would make sure I kept the core pulled tight and then make sure the braid was pulled tight. This was to help create some structure and so that when it was done it wouldn’t “pull” apart. So to answer your question I tried to make sure it was a tight braid so that it created a good rope.

        Thanks for reading,
        Tyson

        • Whitney Mullikin Log in to Reply November 9, 2017 at 15:12

          Thank you for your help! And curious on 2 things does it still have good flexible movement? I guess supple still is the word I I am looking for! And did you preshrink your password or have any issues to it without if you didmy preshrink?

          Thanks again,
          Whitney

          • Tyson Davis Log in to Reply November 9, 2017 at 16:24

            Hey Whitney,

            Yes it has great “feel” it isn’t stiff. I would suggest preshrinking your parachord or you may run into issues.

            Thanks for reading,
            Tyson

    • N. Erskine Log in to Reply January 28, 2020 at 06:42

      Hey, I was wondering is there a tutorial on how to do that braid? It looks great!! I’m still working on a lead and fixing my grandpas bullwhip keeps breaking… But my crackers turned out great. Thanks for sharing how you made yours!

      • Tyson Davis Log in to Reply January 30, 2020 at 18:25

        I do not have a tutorial for this braid, you may be able to find one. It is a pretty common one. I’m glad that my post was helpful. Thanks for reading,
        Tyson

    Leave a Comment

    Cancel reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    NextPrevious

    Recent Posts

    • Life Skills You Should Learn Before Living Rurally
    • How to Get Started Keeping Bees on Your Homestead
    • Essential Tools for Maintaining a Large Homestead Property
    • How to Get the Best Use Out of Your Homestead’s Fireplace
    • Dealing With a Mouthy Puppy on Your Homestead

    Recent Comments

    • nha cai, nha cai uy tin on DIY Concrete Countertops: Polishing
    • link letou on DIY Concrete Countertops: Polishing
    • link letou on DIY Concrete Countertops: Polishing
    • Jefferey Dickson on 7 Common Pests That Can Threaten Crops or Livestock
    • ASH Green on DIY Farmhouse Table

    Archives

    • February 2021
    • September 2020
    • July 2020
    • February 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • February 2018
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • November 2016

    Categories

    • Books Worth Reading
    • Country Girl
    • Cowboy Poetry
    • DIY
    • Exterior
    • Gifts
    • Homesteading
    • Horse Tack
    • Interior
    • Interior
    • Life Lessons
    • My Old House
    • Reins
    • Saddles
    • Shooting
    • Thoughtful Thursday's
    • Thoughts on Horsemanship
    • Uncategorized

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    • About
    • Services
    • Products
    • Events
    • Posts
    • Contact
    Copyright 2021 Double Diamond Hill Ranch | All Rights Reserved
    • About
    • Services
    • Products
    • Events
    • Posts
    • Contact
    Double Diamond Hill Ranch