re-cover rubber reins?

[whitby which]

I have a lovely pair of English leather rubber covered reins. They are the perfect length and width for my son. They are in really good condition, but the rubber has lost its bobbles where it matters most, so they are more like slick racing tyres than grippy off-roaders, IYSWIM :giggle:

Do you think it is worth getting them re-covered? Or will they be weaker after that is done - due to the extra holes? Or is it simply not worth the money, and I'd be better buying new ones?

 

[Trewsers]

I have the same problem, the mice ate mine in the tack room at home - little so and so's I was plagued one year, and they must have enjoyed eating the rubber!!!! Be interested to see if it is poss to recover them.

 

[Kis Vihar]

It depends how much a saddler would charge to re-rubber them. We'd charge about £20 to remove the buckle, remove the old rubbers, put the new rubbers on, spot-stitch and replace the buckle. We use the proper English Equus rubber grips...not the scary cheap imported ones which melt in the sun! (they are vile!)

If they have been machined along the rubber, they can be spot-stitched a couple of times then the leather becomes too weak.

That's why ours are always correctly spot-stitched, allowing for a few re-rubbers without weakening the leather any more.

If they are good English leather reins which have been well looked after, it's probably worth getting them re-done.

We used to do loads in England. The riding school would bring us piles of them - and seeing as I have a phobia of rubber grip reins, it turned my stomach! :giggle:

 

[Sparky Lily]

I hated having to remove melted rubbers! The horrid stuff stuck to everything.

I think it would be worth getting good reins recovered, but do ask for them to be spot stitched as KV says. May be more expensive, but will keep the leather going longer.