We recently spotted something a little unusual on top French showjumper Simon Delestre's Instagram feed: what looked to be a pair of beautiful, fluffy reins...
There’s no denying that the equestrian world is susceptible to a trend: from matchy-matchy numnahs and leg wraps to diamante browbands for the dressage divas amongst us.
Social media is rife with the latest ‘must-have’ piece of kit, all at the swipe of your phone, meaning you don’t even need to leave your stable to find the next trend from your favourite riders.
Recently at Horse & Hound H&Q we spotted something a little unusual on top French showjumper Simon Delestre’s Instagram feed: what looked to be a pair of beautiful, fluffy reins. Had we just stumbled across the trend for 2018?
Whilst looking extremely comfortable and cosy for both horse and rider (your hands would never be cold again holding the reins…) it does appear that on closer inspection Simon’s “fluffy reins” are in fact wool noseband covers that have been used to cover the reins. Genius.
Savvy riders are using the nifty covers to prevent reins rubbing particularly sensitive-skinned and clipped horses.
The Dually training halter, designed by Monty Roberts can be used in a number of different situations from leading, loading
So we went on the hunt to find out how you can fluff up your reins…
You can buy wool noseband covers from a host of equestrian brands including Le Mieux (from £9.95) and Griffin NuuMed (from £13.50), who both have their own range of luxury wool products in a variety of colours.
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Blend in with black, cream and brown or stand out and take your matchy-matchy to the next level with bright red or blue. A handy solution for horses having their final winter clip of the season and who are prone to rubbing.
“The great thing about wool is that it is totally natural and you’re not introducing any foreign elements,” says Rosie Pocock, managing director of Griffin NuuMed. “Wool has various attributes that help with protection — it is a soft gentle material that works very much with the horse. The material is able to spring back when compressed so you get a continual and very even protection that doesn’t become rigid against the horse’s neck.”
Just remember — if you warming up in them, do remember to remove them before heading into the jumping arena or trotting down the centre line in your dressage test…
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
