How to Make Leather Reins
When looking at horse tack, a novice rider will frequently find that leather ropes such as reins have been split into laces and then re-braided together. This is because a braided rope is stronger than a strip of leather of the same length. In California, vaqueros who braided their own tack have turned leather braiding into an art form by using different colored leather laces and weaving patterns from their braids. The simplest braid to learn is a three-string braid.
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Instructions
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Tie the end of your three strands of leather together into a bundle.
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Place a red-, yellow- and blue-colored plastic bead over each strand so that the red bead is on the left strand, the yellow bead is on the middle strand and the blue bead is on the right strand. Slip the beads up the length of the laces so that they are near the top. Use the beads to keep track of each strand of leather. As you braid the leather, slip the beads down the laces to keep them out of the way.
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Cross the strand with the blue bead in between the strand with the yellow bead and the strand with the red bead by bringing the blue over the yellow strand.
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Cross the red strand over the blue strand and in between the blue and yellow strands. The blue strand should now be in the left, the red strand should be in the middle, and the yellow strand should be on the right.
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Bring the yellow strand over the red strand and in between the blue and red.
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Continue to weave the strands by bringing the outermost strand on alternating sides into the center of the bundle. When you reach the end of the bundle, slip the beads off of the bundle and tie off the rein.
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