Essential Tack for Reined Cow Horse

One of the first questions new cow horse people ask is some version of: "What do I actually need?" It's a fair question — western tack can get expensive fast, and there's a lot of gear marketed toward cow horse that isn't strictly necessary when you're starting out.

This is my honest breakdown of what matters, what can wait, and what I genuinely use. I've included Amazon links where useful — all use my affiliate tag hrpellison-20, and the full disclosure is on my disclaimer page.

The Foundation: What You Cannot Skip

A Quality Snaffle Bit

Everything in reined cow horse starts in a snaffle. This is where your horse learns lateral flexion, vertical flexion, collection, and responsiveness to light pressure. If you get one thing right in your tack setup, make it the snaffle.

Most trainers in the cow horse world start young horses in a smooth, full-cheek or dee-ring snaffle. The dee ring or O-ring allows for more direct pressure, while the full-cheek gives some lateral guidance. Neither is wrong — ask your trainer which they prefer and match it.

What you're looking for: smooth mouthpiece (no twist, no ports, no shanks for a true snaffle), quality metal that won't rust or flake, and rings that move freely. You don't need to spend $150 on a snaffle when you're starting out — but don't buy the $8 one either. Find something in the $25–60 range that's correctly made.

Mecate Reins

The mecate setup — a continuous rein made from rope or yacht braid that includes a lead rope end — is the standard for snaffle bit work in cow horse and reining. It gives you a loose rein side and a lead rope for ground work, all in one piece.

Sizing matters here. For most adult riders on average-sized horses, 5/8" diameter works well. Yacht braid (synthetic) is more affordable, easier to clean, and holds up well. Traditional horsehair mecates look beautiful and have great feel, but they're expensive and require more maintenance. Start with yacht braid.

Length typically runs 22 feet — long enough for the lead rope portion with proper rein length. Make sure you learn how to properly coil and carry the mecate before you use it so you're not tangling yourself or your horse.

Protective Boots — Front and Hind

This is not optional. Horse's legs get hit during training — by the other hoof, by the arena base, and during athletic maneuvers like stops and spins. Protective boots prevent injuries that can take a horse out of work for weeks or months.

For the front legs: splint boots (also called sport boots or open-front boots). These protect the cannon bone and lower leg while allowing the front foot to feel light touches on jumps or poles — which is less relevant in cow horse, but still the standard front protection.

For the hind legs: skid boots are essential for reining-based work. Skid boots protect the hind fetlocks and pasterns during sliding stops. They're specifically designed for the mechanics of a sliding stop and you will damage unprotected hind legs doing this maneuver regularly.

Brands I trust: Professional's Choice and SMB Elite for fronts. Classic Equine and Pro Choice for skids. All available on Amazon.

A Functional Headstall

The headstall doesn't need to be fancy when you're training — it needs to fit correctly and hold the bit in the right place. What "correctly" means: the bit should hang in the mouth with one or two wrinkles at the corners of the lips, and the headstall should sit flat without pinching or twisting.

A one-ear or two-ear headstall works well for snaffle bit training. Browband headstalls are also fine. I prefer two-ear for training because there's less hardware and it stays put. For showing, I'll usually dress it up a little.

Material matters less than fit. Get the right size for your horse (horse vs. cob vs. warmblood sizing), check all the hardware, and replace anything that's worn or cracked before it fails at a bad moment.

The Important-But-Not-Day-One List

A Good Saddle Pad

You need a pad that doesn't slide. That's the main criterion. Sliding saddle pads cause saddle fit issues, back soreness, and discomfort during athletic work. Look for a thick felt pad or a contoured pad with a non-slip bottom.

The Navajo-style wool pads are traditional, classic, and functional. The contoured memory foam pads are excellent for horses with sensitive backs or challenging saddle fit. Either works — just don't use a cheap thin pad for serious athletic work.

Bell Boots

Bell boots protect the coronary band and heel bulbs — the area at the very bottom of the front leg. Horses that interfere (hit their front heels with their hind hooves), horses in bell-boot-intensive work, or horses that are barefoot or freshly shod can all benefit.

I don't always use bell boots, but I keep them on hand and use them on horses prone to interference or when working in deep footing. They're inexpensive and the protection they provide is worth it.

What You Can Skip Early On

Expensive Show Tack

Wait. There will be plenty of time to spend money on show headstalls, silver saddle accents, and fancy saddle blankets. When you're building your foundation and learning the discipline, the horses don't care and the judges care much less than you think.

Compete in functional, clean tack that fits correctly. A well-fitted plain headstall and a clean pad will not cost you points against a silver-laden showstring if your horse is correct and your riding is right.

Specialty Training Gadgets

The cow horse equipment market has a lot of specialty tools — draw reins, side reins, german martingales, training forks. Some of these have legitimate uses in the right context under the right guidance. But if you're early in your cow horse journey, you don't need any of them.

Work with your trainer on a direct line. When (and if) a specific training tool is indicated for a specific problem on your specific horse, your trainer will tell you. Don't add tools to your repertoire looking for shortcuts — there aren't any in cow horse.

A Hackamore Before You're Ready

The progression in NRCHA is snaffle → hackamore → two-rein → bridle horse. The hackamore is a piece of equipment that requires a lot of feel and experience to use correctly — it works on the horse's nose and jaw with significant leverage and requires quiet, precise hands.

Don't rush toward the hackamore because it looks cool or because you see high-level riders using it. Your horse needs a solid foundation in the snaffle first. When your trainer says it's time, it's time.

A Note on Quality vs. Cost

Western tack pricing ranges from "suspiciously cheap" to "more than my truck payment." Here's my honest advice on where to spend and where to save:

• Spend on: protective boots (you'll use them every day and they protect expensive legs), the bit (it's directly in your horse's mouth — quality matters), and your saddle pad (fit and non-slip are important).
• Save on: mecate reins (yacht braid works great), headstalls early on (functional over fancy), and anything show-specific until you're sure you're committed to the discipline.
• Never buy cheap: anything with hardware that could break at a bad moment — snaps, buckles, bit rings. The failure cost is too high.

See my full Gear Page for specific Amazon product picks with my affiliate links.