Why do people like rope halters?
I love the things, you have so much more control in them. I think it’s because the rope is thinner than a headcollar so the horse responds to the pressure better. My sister’s cob is very strong and when food is involved he will just drag me across the yard in a headcollar. I put a halter and I can hold him. He’s now learnt that its not ven worth trying in the halter. I also find them excellent for loading a difficult horse. I’ve worked with several horses who would not go near a trailer and there was no way I could get it in, the first time I tried a rope halter the horse that we had on a previous occasion spent 6 hours trying to load (we were on the way home) took around 1/2 hour once I put a rope halter on. The other nice thing is you can ride in them as a hackamore. A few people have mentioned that they have an intergral lead rope, but the ones I use have a short loop, about an inch or two hanging down from the chin and I just use a lead rope with a normal clip on it attached to tho
I use mostly rope halters and it is not because it is “what’s in style.” I am an English rider so don’t say that’s what we prefer. I really like them for many reason. 1. I have seen how a nylon web hatler’s metal brackets can pull apart if a horse is serious about pulling back or how a clip on a lead can snap and coming flying back and smack and injury a horse in the face my mare did that as a yearling 2. When I trail ride I leave the halter on in case I need to stop and tie. With a snap on lead, it swings back and forth on the horse and is annoying to the horse and me. Just the weight of the clip and bracket is enough 3. Rope halters encourage more senstive response from the horse. Like it’s been said they can just lean on it when they don’t feel like listening 4. Rope halters fit a wider varitey of horses. I don’t have to have a different halter for each horse plus they are adjustable if you want one to fit a certain horse. I have all ages and breeds of horses from yearlings to aged,
it is a combination of the fact that they hit pressure points on the horse’s face, poll, and nose… this enables them to give more direction than a regular halter does (from the knots). Also, they are thinner, and the horse is not as likely to throw weight against it… this is especially helpful for young or unruly horses, or my mustangs also for that matter. Many of the rope halters are high quality marine or yachting rope, which is very helpful… the rope is designed to be soft but firm on contact, but also, to be light enough for fast and effective pressure release. Since the horse is an animal that learns much from giving pressure to make him/her do something, and to release the pressure when the task is accomplished, the halters release very well… this makes them very effective, and I know I prefer them, although many web halters work very well for people, I have found the rope halters work better for me. It is a matter of what sort of training the owner does, and how a horse
Well, I ride a spirited Polish Arabian and they rope halter helps to control her better. With other halters I have to pull on her and with this one it’s like she know exactly what I want her to do before I say it because if she starts trotting when I holding her I just squeeze my hand on the rope and it’s as if she can feel it because she stops. It gives me more control of her!
