# Tips to Soften Rein Leather



## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

Hey guys!

I got a new bridle last winter which has been getting pretty regular use, but I've taken the reins off and they are sitting at the bottom of my tack locker because they are just so stiff. The bridle itself is a Val du Bois, market price around $150. It's a good bridle honestly and I love it. Because I use it on my horse all the time, it has gotten more supple over the months.

But the reins: not so much. And I just can't ride with them with them being so stiff! Right now I have some older reins attached but I would like to use the newer ones because they're shorter.

Anyone have any ideas on how to get the leather more supple without drying them out? I have oiled them a few times.

Thanks!


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Hmm, if you've oiled them several times, I would just start using them. Sometimes you've got to "break them in" to get the leather soft.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Go over them a few times with oil or conditioner, manipulating them a lot with your hands. Boring work, but something you can do while you're watching TV or something.

I have reins that I found in the bottom of my tack locker (which used to be my trainer's locker and still has a couple things of hers in it). They were REALLY dirty and stiff, but didn't look like they had ever been used, so I offered to buy them from her and she just gave them to me. We both figured it was a bad sign that they had gone stiff instead of molding in that environment as the lockers are in no way temperature/moisture controlled :lol: 

I tried out some advice I found online about using olive oil and it did the trick. I put a generous amount of olive oil in a gallon bag, put the reins in there (after cleaning off all the dirt!) and then swished the oil around until it had coated everything, then set it in a warm place for a while (near the heating vents). Left it there overnight, then the next day took it out. I spent a lot of time just flexing the leather and it worked- they're not butter soft by any means, but are much, much better than they were before. I've been using them for a couple years now and haven't noticed any ill effects from having used olive oil.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I like to slather on the neatsfoot oil and use a wooden dowel (about 1/2 to 1 inch diameter) to soften stiff reins. While the oil is still soaking in, I cover my hands with old socks and gently stand on 1 end of the rein, take the dowel under the rein while holding the loose end of the rein with a little pressure down and pull up, running the curve under the rein, flip the rein over and work the other side. 
Does that make any sense? Basically I use the round dowel to flew the leather while working the oil in.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I usually use Lexol, but I have used unscented castor oil for extremely dry leather and I had good success with it. If the leather is new, I would probably just use lexol and then start riding with the reins to break them in.

http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Solutions...UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-1&keywords=castor+oil


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## ALegUp (Sep 26, 2013)

I've had very good luck using the olive oil in a ziplock bag tip mentioned above. The heat helps with the oil absorption (in my experience). Just make sure you clean the leather really well before letting it soak up the oil.

I also use olive oil and a paint brush for my heavy tooled western saddle. Clean with Lexol and then paint on the oil (warmed in the microwave). 

For my English leather, I have been very happy with Higher Standards Leather Care. My saddles drink it in and it smells yummy!


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## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

Thanks everyone, I am going to try this olive oil trick tonight when I get home from the barn!


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Let us know how it works. I haven't tried olive oil.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Too much oil can make the leather gummy and once that happens there's no turning back.


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## Chillertheater (Jun 30, 2018)

Hello folks, thanks so much for the olive oil advice. I bought some reins which were very stiff. I put them in the gallon bag with about 4 tablespoons of oil (that's all I had left), rubbed it into the leather the best I could through the plastic and left them for a while. Then I manipulated them with my hands, rolling them between my fingers, making little folds, etc. They got much softer, and -- bonus -- so did my hands!


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