Loop Reins or Mecate Reins
The right pair of rope reins matters to training a soft horse. With the lengths, styles and materials on the market, choosing between them is not obvious. Here is the difference, plainly.
Loop or mecate
The short answer is length. Loop reins run shorter, normally 8 to 10 feet. Mecates run much longer, often 20 to 24. Beyond that, our loop reins and our mecates have exactly the same features.
Whichever you choose, the working loop — the part you actually guide the horse with — is the same, about 10 feet. The difference is what is left over. The 10 ft loop reins have weighted ends and poppers that finish at the slobber straps. The 22 ft mecate carries an extra 12 feet of rope off one end.
What the extra 12 feet gives you
It makes the mecate the more versatile of the two. It functions as loop reins do, and the lead end works on the ground and under saddle both.
On the ground it does the job of a lead rope, so you can do groundwork without changing tack. Tied properly, you can tie the horse using the reins and bridle alone. Under saddle the tail serves as a connected spanker for a lazier horse.
The slack from the extra length also means the mecate adjusts across larger and smaller horses.
Why anyone chooses the shorter pair
Bulk. Some riders would rather not deal with a lead end at all, and the loop reins are cleaner in the hand for it. We also make a water loop version.
Loop reins are shorter and sit closer to the horse. Mecates are longer and do more jobs. Everything else about them is the same.