Tack Talk The rope HALTER

Like any tool, the rope halter is only effective as a training aid when used correctly and in the right circumstances.

The classic rope halter can be a wonderful tool to have in your tack room for training benefits and control. Traditionally thought of as ‘western halters’ their popularity has spread across all disciplines and equestrian interests as more people recognise the benefits these halters can offer, which includes just a little ‘more’ influence than a regular flat halter.

Rope halters come in various forms, including knotted, knottless and a range of materials such as polyester, marine rope, para cord and cotton. They are considered to be ‘unbreakable’, but options for breakaway clips and leather tabs that release the halter are available. With new materials, stronger buckles and clips, many flat, regular halters can now also be termed ‘unbreakable’.

For safety reasons any halter should be removed when a horse is turned out, but because the rope halter is extremely strong and without the ‘breakaway’ additions is ‘unbreakable’ it is particularly important that it is never left on a horse in the paddock, round yard, stable or yard.

There are many things haltersflat or rope - can catch on and it only takes one little catch to pin your horse in place, regardless of the resistance it may exert to get free, the damage it can do to itself and/or the property in the process of panicking can be devastating and even fatal.

your horse in a truck you could change this to a very breakable flat halter once the horse has been loaded. Many people do transport their horses regularly in their rope halters and have no problems but there is always that day when an accident occurs - the horse goes down, goes over the rail or the float is in an accident - and a horse secured may have an increased risk of injury. Some horse owners take halters off their horses altogether in the float/truck, but there is definitely down sides to this way of ensuring the halter isn’t caught on anything.

Be aware that, although the clip on the lead rope is very convenient, as opposed to the permanently fixed rope lead, the clip itself is often the weakest link. These clips are also usually quite solid and can bump the horse under the chin or around the mouth if it gets a fright or starts playing up.

do not use it correctly.

As with most activities with horses there are many different methods of putting on a halter, however there are some methods that are ineffective and even dangerous. My preferred method works for the well handled, trained horse as well as the nervous or barely handled one. It is also the method I use when teaching the horse (preferably at a young age) to accept the headwear.

Step 1:

Stand on the left side of the horse near the head, facing very slightly towards the front of the horse. Facing slightly forward is so you can see the horse’s ears and easily reach its nose.

Step 2: Pat or rub the horse’s neck and nose if it requires reassurance about what you are doing. Personally I never just walk up and put on a halter without at least a small pat or stroke. At this point you could loop the lead rope around the horse’s neck. This serves two purposes, it prevents the lead rope from being inadvertently wrapped around the handler’s arm or leg and gives some control if the horse decides to move off.

Step 3: Put the long tail of the right cheek piece of the halter in your left hand. Make sure the rope is not wrapped around your arm or leg (in case of a hasty horse exiting).

Step 4: Reach under the neck with your left arm (holding the long tail), and over the neck with your right arm until you can pass the tail of the halter from left hand to right. For the nervous or new to haltering horse this can be done with plenty of rubbing in the process. For horses that are a bit shy with their heads this can be done quite a way down the neck.

Step 5: With your now free left hand catch the tie loop on the left side of the halter cheek piece. Now you have the long tail in your right hand and can control the remaining bulk of the halter with your left hand. This also means that you ‘sort of’ have the horse caught now.

Step 6: Bring your right hand, now holding the long tail, over to your side of the neck, heading a bit up the neck towards the ears as you go.

Step 7: Loop the noseband of the halter over the nose, as you pull the halter up by pulling up with your left on the tie loop and ‘fundamentally’ down with your right. Once again, for nervous or new horses this can be done slowly and carefully with lots of advances and retreats and rubs.

Step 8: Bring the tail in your right hand down to push the end through the tie loop in your left hand – from the back to the front, from the horse toward you. Make sure your fingers and hands don’t get caught up in anything here.

Now here is where you have options. However, with both options it is important that the actual knot ends up on the tie loop and not above it on the long tail part. By having it on the tie loop it is always easier to undo.

If it is tied above the tie loop the knot can become so tight that it will be difficult to undo. It is also preferable to have any long tail hanging/pointing towards the back of the horse, rather than towards the eye. It is only really an issue with shorter tail ends that may poke the eye.