Braided Core Or Twisted Core For Hackamore

[Lamplog]

High Michael,

I have worked with both the twisted and braided. I have never had a twisted come apart yet but I feel better about the braided ones knowing that it is not going to be a problem for one of my customers down the road. I do charge more for a braided core because of the time factor. I noticed when I was buying my hides in, that the rawhide tends to be a lot stiffer than my homemade rawhide (not limed). The cores from that store bought rawhide is pretty stiff. I tend to side with Allen on this in that how stiff does it have to be. The function of the bosal is not a matter of putting the horse's head between his knees! Relief off pressure comes from the release of the rein and the weight of the heel knot. I have found that at least on my own horses that I tend to like the cores being a little softer. I did not make them that way at the start because I did not make my own rawhide. One thing I have noticed is that if you are braiding right over the core without any tape or filler that can absorb moisture such as in your build up of the nose button it puts moisture back into the rawhide and seems to keep it wet all the time, especially in my part of the country where we usually have more water than we know what to do with. I am not sure where you are but location does have something to do with it. If you live in a dry part of the country you probably are not going to have a problem with this. I know that when some folks come in here from out west they like using a reata because of the moisture in the air and they pretty much do not have to temper their reata. I do not braid my cores with anything but a wet string, water only, if you use saddle or plain soap I find it really makes for a soft core. I use it when braiding over the core and on my nose button but not the core. I make all my cores 4 plait and adjust the size of the string for the core. Let em cure good in the sun or here I put em in the same room as my wood cookstove and they come around pretty quick. Thanks Allen and Jake for the insight. Allen I would like to see your contraption for braiding a reata. I hope to make a few next winter, if time permits.

Tom