Buckle/Billet Reins

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Dizzle

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Which do you have an why?

I have buckle reins, they are so easy to swap between bridles (I have two bridles with different bits that I regularly swap between and it makes life so much easier when swapping) and I think they look smart. I also seem to recall that when pony racing you must use buckle reins, does this mean there are safety implications?

Does anyone prefer billet?
 
Dizzle said:
Which do you have an why?

I have buckle reins, they are so easy to swap between bridles (I have two bridles with different bits that I regularly swap between and it makes life so much easier when swapping) and I think they look smart. I also seem to recall that when pony racing you must use buckle reins, does this mean there are safety implications?

Does anyone prefer billet?
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I actually prefer billets - think they look smarter and somehow feel safer (less to break), but I will admit that they are a regular pain to do up/undo with cold fingers ;).

P

P.S. Edited to say most of our reins are billet fastening - simply because that's what we bought . . . we have one pair of continental reins that are buckle fastening.
 
Having had a billet come out so I lost the rein out hunting I only use billets for dressage shows now the rest of the time I use buckles .
 
Buckles only for racing, all my race reins have these. But being a traditionalist all my reins on normal bridles are billets, much smarter look, less bulky . I think a buckle looks cheap!
 
I'd always thought that the preference for billets was largely a tack-snobbery one, since most foreign reins have buckles, and better quality usually have billets. However most of my antique (yes, really :P) reins have buckles. They are most definitely English leather, beautifully hand stitched at 12-14 to the inch.

Personally, I couldn't care less, unless using two reins, when buckles could interfere.
 
All my reins have billets on but that's just how I find they are manufactured now.

I'd much prefer buckles - I struggle in the cold and generally with my hands and there's been many a time I've had to collar a livery to help me with the billets! I do agree with others though they do look smarter.
 
MincePieAMinute said:
All my reins have billets on but that's just how I find they are manufactured now.

I'd much prefer buckles - I struggle in the cold and generally with my hands and there's been many a time I've had to collar a livery to help me with the billets! I do agree with others though they do look smarter.
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Maybe I am odd, but always found buckles harder to undo than billets. Although I have been told the key is to keep the leather well oiled which can make a difference.
 
Much prefer billets. However I am a bit of a traditionalist with tack, and I don't ever recall buckles being used years ago, only billets.
 
All reins have billets, the billet is the leather strap that goes round the bit, the billets I think you are referring to are either have buckled up billets or hook stud billets so which ones do you prefer?
And yes, out of the two, buckles tend to be safer, I repair far more hook studs that have broken off than I ever do buckles and I prefer buckle billets over hook stud billets any day
Oz
 
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pennyturner said:
I doubt you're as old as some of my older tack. It's hand-stitched and has buckle reins.

I have a photo of some of it, dated c.1900!
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Do you mean buckles which attach at the bit end of the reins?

Tbh I never ever recall any which used to be like that, but maybe that's just me! :-)
 
Doesn't it depend upon the "quality" of the hardware that's used as apposed to the way in which it's delivered i.e. either buckle billeted or hookstud? A cheap buckle with an ill designed tong will be far weaker than a stainless steel hookstud IMO.

I think the racing regulation regarding stitched reins onto the bit goes back a long way when most hardware was nickel; for many, many years now we've only used stainless steel hardware but clearly nickel hookstuds and buckles are still used on cheaper lines.
 
Sabre Leather said:
Doesn't it depend upon the "quality" of the hardware that's used as apposed to the way in which it's delivered i.e. either buckle billeted or hookstud? A cheap buckle with an ill designed tong will be far weaker than a stainless steel hookstud IMO.
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Yes that's pretty obvious but I am talking about quality English fittings not nickel or imported fittings, I would never use anything other than quality English fittings when making saddlery of any kind and hope riders are as discerning in their choice of the saddlery they buy.
 
cremedemonthe said:
They probably mean stitched straight on to the bit, some used to years ago, mainly in racing, the buckles they refer to would be on the hand part.
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No - definitely buckled billets (bit end of reins) on a late 19th century English riding bridle, originally from a country house in the yorkshire pennines. Would have been made to order, I expect, so could have been a local fashion, or even a personal preference of the owner.
 
I cant find any anywhere, but used to have a pair of loop end continental reins, which I loved. I think the loop ends look neater than buckles, and safer than billets, but the only ones I've found are rubber or laced, and I don't like either!
 
It depends on what the bridle is for, for me. If it's just for appearance and nothing else, I prefer my bits sewn on, then hook studs, then lastly buckles, which I find ugly. Actually, no, clips are last on the list.
I don't have any problems fastening or unfastening any particular style.

cremedemonthe said:
Billets are the LEATHER STRAPS that go round the bit, it's either buckled up billets or hook stud billets, you mean the hook studs billeted ends I take it?
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This.
One of my petty pet hates that people get this wrong, especially with people you think would know better :o

Moomince Pie said:
Do you mean buckles which attach at the bit end of the reins?

Tbh I never ever recall any which used to be like that, but maybe that's just me! :-)
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I've got a war era bridle with buckle billets too, they've definitely been around forever :)
 
simplyhunting said:
Buckles only for racing, all my race reins have these. But being a traditionalist all my reins on normal bridles are billets, much smarter look, less bulky . I think a buckle looks cheap!
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This! Buckles were always classed as dealer's bridles. cheap tack. If your tack is regularly cleaned, billets are a doddle cold fingers or not.
 
cremedemonthe said:
All reins have billets, the billet is the leather strap that goes round the bit, the billets I think you are referring to are either have buckled up billets or hook stud billets so which ones do you prefer?
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I will disagree with you there! I was taught that there were Buckles and Billets - the billets being the little hooks - I trained on the yard owned by a Master Saddler.

Traditionally

Buckles were used on a Working Bridle
Stitched direct to the Bridle were for the show ring and made to measure
Billets were also for the show ring

I've generally always had bridles with billets because they look smarter - well made English ones rarely come out - it's the cheaper tack, made from poorer quality leather that pull out or split.

I have a couple of work bridles that have buckles, again well made English leather.

Good leather maintenance certainly prolongs their life
 
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