ROPE HALTERS..........A GOOD THING???? OR NOT????

IT WAS WAY TOO LONG TO CUT AND PASTE, BUT HERE IS THE LINK TO THE SITE...............YOU MAY VERY WELL BE ENLIGHTENED BY THIS POST.

http://horsecity.com/stories/112409/tra_halters.shtml#

Its just like anything else - improperly used any halter or any peice of equipment for that matter can cause alot of dammage. I personally use rope halters because I like the feel they give, my horses PREFER them (well Tia and Dessi do anyways, Lexi hasnt had a *regular* halter on since I first had a halter on her) and respond well to them.

Yes horses have sensitive faces and the knots can cause dammage if the halter is used improperly/roughly, the horse is struggling or fighing against it or if it is left on for a prolonged period of time. The knots are there for a purpose - to give the horse something to listen to insted of just leaning against and ignoring. If the horse and handler are working together in unison and if they are paying attention to each other the way they should even while working through something new the chance of dammage being done is no more than that of dammage being done in a normal halter. In natural horsemanship it is the release that teaches - as soon as the horse even thinks about doing the right thing any and all pressure is taken away.


I read the who article and can agree with it to a point. Inproperly used yes a rope halter can cause dammage and maybe more dammage than a *traditional* halter would under similare conditions. Personally I don't think there is any dammage done when it is properly used and will continue to use mine. I agree that more knots across the nose may increase the damage done, the only halters I am familiare with have two knots - one on eaither side.

The article says *Last year I removed a rope halter from a horse that had been left on for a little over 24 hours and had already worn holes through his skin and soft tissues [see picture of lesions].* My first question to this would be how tight was this halter? And what being done durring those 24 hours? If I did the same activities in both a rope halter and a nylon halter (which I have) the same intensity of rub marks would appear though they would be wider/ take up more space with the nylon halter. IF the horse is not fighting the halter and it is properly fitted for the horse there is no reason that holes should be worn through the skin and soft tissue especially in that short a period of time. I have had horses that have had a rope halter on for more than 24 hours at a time for different reasons and they were perfectly fine.

Its a personal decision. Personally nothing I read in that article would make me change back and use nylon halters again (I only say nylon as I have no experiance with leather halters at all).

I love rope halters, Like said above you have to use them right as you would with anything... In the wrong hands could be very bad...

Interesting article although I think Tia makes a very valid point - you have to know how to use the training aids you have. Just like any piece of equipment we have for horses (crops/spurs/saddle/etc) can have a negative effect if the knowledge base isn't there. I find rope halters to be a useful training aid.

I too find them a great training aid, and like any training aid they have their time/place for use, they never were designed for "turn out" or daily use. And also like other training aids (spurs, whips, tie downs, harsh bits etc.... ) they can cause damage if used improperly or abusively or put in hands of the inexperienced.

Nothing like stirring up a little controversy to get folks chatting!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very interesting JJ. I use a rope halter when loading a horse on a trailer. In my experience the nylon ones can slip over their ears quite easily. Once they are on the trailer I change the halter. I also use my hope halter for turnout and bringing back in. That seems to be when "some" boys get silly and foolish. They are much better behaved when they have the rope halter on. I think it's because they understand it, whatever "it" is. Perhaps it's pain, perhaps it's clearer communication - who knows. But I do know that with the rope halter I don't get run over if any shinanagins start! Like everything else in the horse world, if it is used incorrectly then it can be a bad thing. I believe that if it's used correctly it can be a very good thing.

I agree with the others, that anything used incorrectly can cause harm, pain and discomfort to a horse. And sadly there are lots of people using lots of different types of equipment that don't know how to use it correctly.

I didn't read the link cause I'm to lazy tonight.. but here's my take on rope halters.. I use the rope halter to lead Gunnar and I'm always on the other end of the lead.. it's helped me a lot especially if he decides to graze.. getting his head up is no easy feat.. the strength in his neck is like no other horse I've ever handled.. so the rope halter gives me the upper hand. I use a leather halter to trailer or on cross ties.. and I never use nylon halters at all.. once my mare got caught up on a trailer door and the nylon halter just didn't give, she ended up with a nasty cut on her cheek.. so no nylon halters for Gunnar. He's in his stall and turned outside naked.. no halter.. and that's just the way I like it.. so there.. :)

Wow, great info on the nerves in the face etc... Makes sense.

However, the rope halter, when use correctly... is very mild compared to how I have seen chains used with a standard flat halter..(over the nose, under the chin, through the mouth, across the gum line etc)..
and even in a relapse, if someone who normally does have control of their hands and emotions, but do slip up and jerk and tug on a rope halter vs a chain, the rope halter would be much less severe...

As well as the release being instant....

Of course, a rope halter should never be used for turnout...

If the rope halter can cause such damage to nerves...what are mechanical hackmores, bosals, tiedowns, drop nosebands, gag style bits, etc..... doing?

I do respect the information on the nerves in the face though...knew they were there...but it does shed more light on the subject... it is a good article...

I feel the same as everyone else....

You can misuse any piece of equipment..... There is a lady at my stable that suggested a rope halter for my horse when I got him because he didn't know much....and said you can control him very easily with one.....Well I decided to keep him in a nylon halter and do a lot of groundwork and get him to respest me NOT the Halter...Saying that though I think that if you would like to ride with a halter I would choose a rope halter so you have the extra control if needed...

So if you use the rope halter properly I think they are no different then nylon, but if you need extra control you have it....which is nice...especially in new surroundings, ect..

Which is why I haven't switched to a rope halter for groundwork. I am just not confident enough in myself and would not want to use it incorrectly. Same with spurs, but those I haven't felt I needed yet. Starting to try and get some lateral movement and I can see where they would be handy, but again lack confidence and would not want to misuse them. I was brushing him the other day and he touched my nose with his and we got a static shock. He jumped turned his head away and acted like I beaten him bloody. He's a sensitive soul lol.

When my little ring is dry enough he free lunges beautifully and the nylon halter on the lunge line works fine with him. I take it off at night and when I turn him out.