Pro Rodeo Canada Insider Clay Elliott spurring over his rein at Strathmore in 2016 on Calgary Stampede’s M-2 Mad Money, who takes X + 5, measuring your fist from the swells, and then you add the full width of your hand, plus your thumb. “Double D from C5 Rodeo and Mad Money from Calgary Stampede take X + 5,” said Elliott.
material. You could grip it really good, but it was coarse. Since they’ve evolved, it’s still a nylon or poly material, but it’s kind of stringy and really loose — it’s a bit more silky and smaller diameter. It’s a lot softer so that when you grab one of these reins, your hand really sinks into them.”
BRONC REINS DEMYSTIFIED By TERRI MASON
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ot all bucking horses are equal. Some horses buck with their head high, while others are nearly rooting the ground with their nose, so naturally, some take more rein than others.
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I called two-time (2016 & 2018) Canadian Saddle Bronc Champion, Clay Elliott to get the long and short of it, and he explained it in great detail — and also gave examples of bronc rein measurements in use on some of today’s top broncs. Special thanks to Clay, and I hope you enjoy. HAS THE BRONC REIN EVOLVED? “From when I first got involved, guys were using a heavier, tighter braided bronc rein. It would be about two to three inches in diameter and quite a tight braid. It’s quite a handful. But things evolve, and now guys are going to a lot smaller rein with a looser braid. From when I first started the old school rein had some kind of a grass-type
HOW DO YOU MEASURE A BRONC REIN? “With the horse in the chute and the bronc rein attached to the halter, you pull your bronc rein up to the back of the swells. You pull it fairly snug, so your horse is still comfortable, but there’s tension on the rein. Then, the measurement depends on the bronc you drew. When you are getting on a horse you’ve never seen before, generally, the stock contractor will tell you what those horses take; they usually know the stud and mare the bronc came out of too.” c
Canadian Cowboy Country August/September 2020
PHOTO BY BILLIE-JEAN DUFF
THE SECRET CODE OF TAKING HOLD
WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE NEW BRONC REIN? “Originally, the bronc rein went from a 12-strand braid up to a 60. Now, the spur guard is made of parachute cord and is about ¾ of an inch in diameter. It runs about 18 inches from the halter to where the handhold starts. The spur guard is braided into the bronc rein, which jumps to a 30 or 40-strand loose braid. It would probably be two to three inches in diameter, but when you grab it, it’ll go down to about an inch, or an inch and a half. My rein is quite small. It’s kind of squishy, and I feel like I can get a better grip. Before the new reins, back in the day when they were very tight braided, anyone that stuck a finger in the braid … well, it’s not coming out. But now as the braids are looser and the material itself has gotten smaller; guys can put in a finger through it and it’s not as risky. Your finger(s) can come out if need be. I’ve seen guys put their pointer finger and middle fingers through and braid their fingers through the rein. That’s crazy to me, and I wouldn’t recommend that to anybody.”
