Have you ever seen round, thick horsehair reins, known as mecates, tied onto a bosal or hanging from slobber straps on a snaffle bit rig? Steeped in tradition, mecate [pronounced meh-caugh-tee] reins are a top choice for many riders and trainers. They’re versatile, allow for a great feel, and look good on a horse. Read on to learn about their origins, construction and uses.
History of the Mecate
The mecate has a rich history that spans thousands of years and different cultures. Gloria Michelle, a fourth-generation mecate artisan at The Colorful Cowgirl, says the earliest equipment used for controlling domestic horses likely originated from gear used with camels.
“Over time, the means of controlling a horse became more sophisticated,” she says. “The Persians in 500 B.C. were some of the first to use a thick plaited noseband to help the horse look and move in the same direction. This was called a hakma.”
From the Persians to Mexican vaqueros, over time the hakma turned into the hackamore we know today. The hackamore, which is composed of a rawhide bosal, bosal hanger, and mecate rein, is used in various horsemanship traditions. “Mecate” literally means “horsehair rope” in Spanish, Michelle explains.
“Back then, mecates were made out of undesirable horse tail hair,” says Michelle.
Today, mecates come in a variety of materials such as horse mane hair, cotton, yak, alpaca, mohair, treeline rope, or yacht rope. Pat Puckett, who carries on the Californio bridle horse tradition, says that during World War II, mecates were even made out of paracord recovered from parachutes abandoned in deserts from training missions. However, for many traditionalists, horse hair is still the best option.
“The Buckaroo tradition stems from a combination of the Great Basin and the Californio traditions, and then there are the pure Californio vaquero traditions, and then there are the Texas vaquero traditions,” says Michelle. “Each of the different traditions uses the mecates a little bit differently. Maybe one emphasizes using the hackamore more than the other, or one tradition uses them more on snaffle bits, but all traditions understand and use them.”
Tools of the Trade
Traditions may vary, but riders across the country use a mecate rein throughout horse training stages. Ty Evans, teacher and trainer at TS Mules, uses mecate reins during the progression of training a horse or mule to ride straight up in the bridle. He uses mecates built by Vic Lott in Spring City, Utah.
“I use the mecate during the snaffle bit process, hackamore process, and two-rein process,” says Evans. “In the snaffle bit, it’s just personal preference for rein use. But you have to use it in the hackamore and two rein stages; after all, it’s a piece of the hackamore, and you can’t have an actual hackamore without it.”
Evans prefers treeline mecates for the snaffle bit stage and traditional mane hair mecates for the hackamore stage. It comes down to personal preference for the weight and feel of a mecate for horses at different stages of training.
Typically, a mecate is 22 feet long, but they can be custom-made to fit a rider’s specific needs. About 10 feet of the mecate is used for the reins, and the free end can be tied to your saddle horn, strings, or run through your belt loops. The mecate should also be a similar size or smaller than the diameter of the bosal that is being used.
Michelle says there are two types of mecates: get-down lines, also known as tie-ropes or get-down strings; and two-rein mecates. Get-down lines are usually 3/8-inch in diameter and 10-16 feet long, depending on how you are going to tie it on.
“These are used to lead your bridle horse that is in a bridle bit and romal reins, and it lets you lead them without pulling on your nice bridle horse’s mouth,” says Michelle.
Two-rein mecates are usually 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch in diameter and around 22 feet long, she says. These are typically used on a stiffer 3/8-inch two-rein bosal to transition a horse from the snaffle or hackamore to the bridle. There are also 1/2-inch, 5/8-inch, 11/16-inch, and 3/4-inch traditional mecates that are 20-24 feet long and used for snaffle bit setups with slobber straps and hackamore setups.
“Mecates for hackamores are typically longer to allow for the wraps around the hackamore,” says Michelle. “The most popular diameter in the full mecates is a 5/8-inch.”
Caring for your Mecate
As with any other piece of gear, caring for your mecate should be a priority if you want it to last for years to come. If your mecate is made of a natural fiber, it’s critical to care for it well or the fibers may degrade over time. T3 Weavers, a family-run business in Elbert, Colo., recommends simply spot-cleaning your mecate with a wet cloth, only submerging if a true deep cleaning is needed.
Many makers recommend loosening the knots of your mecate if it’s tied onto a bosal, allowing it to air out overnight. Sweat, saliva, and grime can weaken the strands of the mecate if it’s permanently tied the same way for months on end.
Mecates can also be stored in large coils, ideally in a temperature-controlled area. Similar to a garden hose or power cord, mecates have a “memory” to them and can become twisted incorrectly if stored improperly.
The material of your mecate also impacts its care. Paracord and yacht rope mecates perform very similarly in wet and dry conditions, while mohair mecates will stiffen when wet and soften as they dry.
“Tail hair mecates aren’t the most desirable using mecates, but if you are going to hang it on the wall then that’s okay, or put it in a hatband or something like that,” Michelle says. “The tail hair is very coarse, and doesn’t soften up like mane hair or break in like mane hair, and they stay very prickly.”
Blending Art and Tradition
Mecates are a small part of a living legacy of horsemanship that has been passed down through generations. Michelle’s family has been in the mecate business for decades.
“My great-grandmother Clara learned to tie mecates from an old Spanish man named Jesús,” Michelle says. “She lived down in the depths of the Owyhee Canyonlands of Idaho at the 5 Bar Homestead. Once she learned to make them, she made them for pack lashes for her brothers to tie things onto their pack horses. Then she taught my grandmother how to make them for the buckaroos of the Great Basin, then my grandma taught my mom, and then my grandma and my mom taught me.”
No matter your chosen discipline of horsemanship, mecates are useful tools rich in tradition.
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This article appeared in the April 2024 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
