Four Strand Flat Braid Mohair Reins

Have a horse or a friend that has a horse? Need some reins for that horse? Want to make some instead of buying them? Then this Instructable is for you!

With a few materials and a little bit of time and effort, you can make your very own reins the exact length and color you'd like.

We'll be making mohair reins with leather end-caps. Mohair is the wool of the Angora goat. It is a durable fiber that is spun into yarn that feels great in the hand and will last for years. The leather end-caps are completely optional, though if you have some scrap leather sitting around, they're fairly easy to make and give a nice finished look to the ends while also providing a bit of abrasion protection at the snaps.

You could also experiment with other yarn or cord using this method though your results may vary.

Materials

You'll need the following materials for the reins:

• 8-ply Mohair in the two colors of your choice
• Two 3/4" trigger snaps

For the optional leather end-caps you'll need:

• About 14" of 3/4" leather strap. 10-12 ounce is a good thickness, but any leather with some weight to it should work
• Leather cord or leather thong

You can purchase mohair from many online retailers such as https://www.ubraidit.com/ or https://www.hitchingpostsupply.com/. Trigger snaps are available at many online sellers and sometimes at hardware stores. The snaps bear a lot of the strain in riding, so try to find some of good quality.

Leather, leather strap, or leather scraps can be purchased from any number of places. This project doesn't need much of it.

Tools and Supplies

The bare minimum if you are making the reins without leather end-caps:

• Scissors
• Tape measure
• Large-eye yarn needle
• Fabric glue, preferably that dries clear and flexible

The following will come in handy if you have them:

• Needle-nose pliers
• Metal ruler
• Sharp knife and cutting board/mat for leather
• Hemostats (Fancy needle-nose pliers)
• Any leather working tools you have, see image for ideas. Many of these can be improvised with what you have lying around
• Remember: The leather tools are not necessary so don't be discouraged if you don't have them. A plain rectangular leather strap cut with a utility knife will look great even if you have never worked with leather before.

First we cut the mohair to length.

We will use two lengths of mohair folded in half through the snap which gives four strands to braid.

Some of the length of the mohair is taken up in the braid so a bit extra is included in the following measurements.

For 7 foot reins, cut each mohair color to 16 feet.

For 8 foot reins, cut each mohair color to 18 feet.

For 9 foot reins, cut each mohair color to 20 feet.

For 10 foot reins, cut each mohair color to 22.25 feet.

Tips:

Remember the saying, "Measure twice, cut once." I sometimes even measure three or four times. Better to take a few extra seconds to be certain than to have a piece of mohair too short to use.

Since I make these reins quite often, I wrap the cord around a dowel and use marks on my floor for quick measurement. So don't be confused by the pictures. The mohair is doubled up on itself so when I am cutting at the 10 foot mark, the total length of the yarn is double that - 20 feet.

Attach one of the trigger snaps to anything convenient. This could be clipping it to a drawer pull, a piece of rope tied to a door knob, or anything that will stay steady even when you give it some tugging. I've attached mine to an old cinch frame I made (maybe a future Instructable?) but as long as it's fairly steady, you should be good.

Now thread the ends of the two cut mohair colors through the snap's ring, put all four ends together, and pull it all taught so the middle of the mohair is at the snap.

Carefully grab the four mohair strands close to the snap to ensure they don't shift and now it's on to the braiding.

The four strand flat braid may look complicated, but once you get the hang of it you'll see it's just a couple movements repeated over and over.

Step 1. Once the mohair is pulled through the buckles, arrange the four cords as shown.

Step 2. Bring the top left cord over the top right cord. (this is the only time you do this step)

Step 3. Now take the far right cord and place it under the cord to its left, then place it over the next cord to the left.

Step 4. Take the far left cord and bring it over the cord that you just wove in step 3.

Step 5. There is now a new cord to the far right. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with until your reins reach the desired length

Once the rein is the desired length we secure the ends to prevent unraveling. Hemostats work well if you have them. Or you can use a piece of tape, a clothespin or you can just improvise.

Make your final measurement with the both clips to confirm desired length.

You can purchase 2-ply mohair, if desired, but you can also just separate 8-ply and use that. This is a great use for some of the cut-offs that are too short for other projects.

Simply find a piece of suitable color and length (3-4 feet long for this project) and untwist it. You'll get four 2-ply pieces out of an 8-ply piece.

This step is more of an art than a science. The goal is to securely attach the second clip while also making it look good. Or at least acceptable ;-)

Step 1. Put all four free ends through the second clip and position the clip at the proper spot.

Step 2. Using hemostats or needle nose pliers pull two of the free ends through the finished braid about half an inch down from the clip.

Step 3. Now take the same two strands and pull them through the rein another half inch to an inch further from the clip.

Step 4. Repeat with the other two ends. Try to space things out as evenly as possible.

Step 5. Thread a strand of your measured two-ply onto the yarn needle.

Step 6. Following the bottom of the clip ring, push the needle through the braid. Pull the cord almost all the way through leaving a inch or two tail. Apply glue to the tail and carefully pull through so the cord end is flush with the edge of the rein.

Step 7. Now for the artistic part. We need to lock things together by sewing through the braided section and the loose ends. To start, take your needle and thread and push it through the center of you rein perpendicular to the rein ring. Try to go through both a braided cord and a loose end with each needle pass. Make sure not to pull to out the glued end.

Step 8. Wrap the thread from the bottom back to the top of the braid and again push down through the rein through a braided cord and a loose end.

Step 9. Wrap the thread again back to the top of the braid, this time on the other edge and make another stitch. The thread will end up making a figure-eight type shape as you continue to make stitches and wrap it around back to the front.

Step 10. Repeat steps 7-9 until the snap is securely fastened and it looks presentable.

Step 11. Fasten the end of the thread by pushing the needle under the thread wraps towards the snap. Put a dab of glue on the thread before pulling it snug. Repeat this thread-tuck-and-glue on the other side of the braid then trim the thread flush with the bottom of the wraps.

If you are not going to put on leather end-caps, you should repeat this process on the other clip end so both ends will have the same appearance when complete.

If you are going to use leather ends caps, wrapping the first clip end is optional. Since the leather hides the rein ends somewhat, it will look fine either way.

Step 1. Cut two strips of leather 3/4 inches wide by 7 inches long. The length can vary to taste, but 7 inches is a good starting place.

Step 2. Optionally, decorate the strap ends. I have a set of round end leather punches so I used those. You can also just use a sharp knife to carefully nip off the corners to get a respectable rounded shape as I've shown in the pictures.

Step 3. Optionally, bevel the edges of the strap. I have a dedicated leather edger, but you can also lightly sandpaper them or just leave them unfinished. They will still look great left alone.

Step 4. Measure 3/4 of an inch and 1 and 3/4 of an inch from all four ends of the straps. Mark the locations with an awl or a pencil. You should have marked four holes per strap that will line up when folded in half.

Step 5. Cut the holes in the leather. If you have a rotary punch or a set of hole punches, use those. If not, a drill works quite well as long a you securely hold the leather and take it slow. If you have nothing else, pounding through a good sized nail will even work. The holes should be big enough to get the leather cord or thong through without rubbing too much. Mine were about 3/8" for the leather thong I was using

Step 1. Gently fold the strap in half to get it into the right shape.

Step 2. Push the leather strap through the clip ring, nice side out.

Step 3. Thread the leather cord or thong onto the yarn needle. You'll need at least a foot or so. I often use a long piece so I can do multiple end caps without having to re-thread the needle

Step 4. Starting closest to the snap, push the needle in one hole, through the braid, and back out the matching hole on the other side.

Step 5. Pull the cord or thong through leaving about a 3 inch tail. Getting the leather through the braid may take some tugging and effort. Sometimes even aggressive force is needed. Use needle-nose pliers to get more grip on the needle, if necessary.

Step 6. Thread the cord or thong back through the leather and braid using the second set of matching holes so that both ends of the cord or thong end up on the same side.

Step 7. Fold the tail coming out of the hole closest to the snap down so that it rests next to the other hole

Step 8. Wrap the cord or thong end that is still attached to the needle around the tail you just folded down. Make two or three wraps around the tail. If using thong, ensure the nice side of the leather remains on the outside.

Step 9. Where the wrapped thong exits the coil, twist it so the nice side faces up.

Step 10. Trim the ends of the leather

Step 11. Repeat these steps to add the leather end-cap to the other snap.

You did it!

You now have a set of sturdy, beautiful, handmade reins that can be enjoyed on many rides to come.

Happy horsing!