An interesting take on the 'Be Nice Head Collar'

[Pale Rider]

Anyone have a look at the website? GP saddles are a bad thing apparently. Have a look at the pictures of the grey pony, doesn't look like the same one in both pictures and if that's Britain, I'll give my dinner to the dog!

I have a Be Nice halter, never had a horse rear in it, I've even ridden in it

It's like anything, the tool is only as good as the person using it and sadly there are some real muppets out there.

Lol, better and better.

 

[lula]

'Riding any closer than one full horse length from the back of and the side of the back of another horse can see you kicked with a broken leg or even death'.


you dont say...
i would NEVER have thought of that one on my own.

i hope people dont pay this person for his pearly words of equine wisdom.

 

[dominobrown]

I must admit I find pressure halters very useful, used correctly of course. Say if I was loading etc, and the horse is not resisting and going foward there is no pressure, if he resisits or evades me the halter increases pressure, as soon as the horse softens and walks on again pressure is released so the horse learns that going foward and doing as its told involves no discomofrt or pressure, though if it wants to rear, resist etc there is pressure. They fast get the picture! I would much rather use a pressure halter than whips and brooms etc to load a horse. Giving it a name such as the 'war' bridle is just as bad as calling it a be nice, lets just call what it is a 'pressure' halter.

 

[JFTDWS]

Not a parallel universe, you get it or you don't, if not, so what?

So what? Well normally when people post something, it's a little clearer what they're trying to achieve - advice, indoctrination of others with their opinion, sharing a laugh, sparking a debate - in this case I can't work out what the buggery the point of the post is - I'm presuming a laugh

 

[Foxhunter49]

I only use the Be Nice when absolutely necessary - with a pig headed, ill mannered beast that has learned it is stronger than a human. I like them and have never had a horse rear with one on.

It is very different to the 'War Bridle' as I know it.

Lastly, I have had horses rear and go over when they were having their teeth floated and they were not wearing a control halter of any sort - generally my dentist has a halter on around their neck and not on their heads.

I do agree that they are not for an amateur or ignorant to use.

 

[Mithras]

You tend to find people who say this sort of thing have small ponies that they've had since youngsters. Team them up with a 17.2 bolshy 14 year old showjumper thats been around various countries and homes that tanks off in hand and it would be a different matter. Ideally we would all teach our horses to lead in hand beautifully as youngsters, in reality we have to often deal with problems caused by others somewhere along the line as best we can, while still keeping the horse in competitive work, avoiding it running loose onto a busy road and providing tools grooms on a livery yard can use to handle it with.

I also find the horse world in general is too full of people who would try to tell you what to think, and relieve you of your money for doing so. I find I don't go far wrong if I follow my own judgement and choose those I ask for advice from very carefully.

 

[QueenOfCadence]

Roper halter

COWER AND HIDE! This horse is about to blow and go up into a 180 degree rear!!!!!! NOT

Ponio loves his rope halter, can be ridden in it, lead in it, lunged in it - never once reared with it or even seemed to dislike it

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I'm completely lost what is this website people are talking about and what a strange topic for Xmas day!!!

 

[Ibblebibble]

proof that anyone can make a website full of 'interesting' ideas and at least one person will think it's gospel

 

[Bikerchickone]

If this expert's horsemanship is as good as his grammar and punctuation we should all be worried lol!

What a crock of s***!!!

My Australian cousins have horses, I'll have to let them know about the rug terrorism campaign!!

 

[PoppyAnderson]

This is obviously John O'Leary, AKA Mr HorseProblems. Couldn't agree more that the OP quote is a load of old badly written tosh that makes little sense. However, John O'Leary is a first class horseman and some of the articles and videos on his website are brilliant. He knows his stuff and I've often pointed people on here to go and have a look at what he's saying and doing to get results.

 

[lastchancer]

'In essence, this is a 'WAR BRIDLE' dressed up as a rope Halter and with a quaint name for marketing purposes. The War Bridle as invented and used by Old Australian Horsemen of the past, is a very vicious piece of work and makes virtually 100% of Horses rear. The Monty Roberts Dually Halter is of a similar design and imho, is also a War Bridle which is why at his Adelaide visit, his floating Horse reared over backwards onto it's head. Thus proving my assertion. So let's examine the training messages behind this versus the rope Halter.

First up, this Halter should NEVER be let near an Amateur, nor should the Dually Halter and definitely never the War Bridle.

The reason why you see this piece of equipment 'half work' during the Stage Shows is that given the strength of the handler and the few rips around that the Horse gets, it actually does tweek up some lost lightness in the head of the Horse and gets their attention to where they half listen to walk near a Float, so that the Yards can come into play. Nothing more than that. If that piece of equipment was an effective training Tool, YARDS would not be required.

When one takes up a feel on a rope Halter, the pressure is placed across the back of the head of the Horse and the handler has the available options of maintaining that feel if the Horse doesn't come forward, give or try or start reversing backwards. It has one request, go forwards and it has one directional request. Come, from the back of the head. If it tries, the subsequent 'reward and relief' soon signals to the Horse what is required and it learns via a reasonably efficient pointer.

With this Halter in the Photo, "Feel Good" hahahaha I love that if you pull on the lead rope, the Halter closes as a vice on the face of the Horse and gives pressure from front and back. Telling or asking the Horse to go forwards and backwards at the same time, not to mention the available 'pulley system' and fulcrum affect to empower the Human to become super strong, a dangerous thing to have.

So this piece of equipment has zero training qualities and is an unjust tool of training as well as cruel in a large percentage of uneducated and un timed hands of the majority. The Metal fittings don't require comment but then you have to consider that the 'brain dead' of the Horse Industry (not their fault just not taught Horsemanship) would tie their Horse up with this equipment and don't anyone tell me some wouldn't. Then you can truly imagine the foolhardiness of selling such equipment into a Market that cannot be controlled or educated.'

Lifted from the Horse Problems Australia Website.

The war bridle is indeed a very severe piece of equipment, not sure how you think it compares to the BeNice or those NH halters though to be honest.
Dont forget The War Bridle would have been used for training unhandled Brumbies or the USA equivalent on Mustangs (I believe it was originally known as a Commanche War Bridle as they were used by Commanche Indians) Wild horses that are a somewhat different undertaking to the average fubsy UK bred horses.
A very simple piece of equipment that can be made in seconds by anyone with a suitable piece of rope. Used correctly they are a useful tool for unhandled horses but the potential for serious injury is very real, even when used by experianced handlers. Not many horses in this country should need one, and the people handling such animals will have been using them for years.
The single most useful book I have ever read on handling feral/badly trained horses focus's largely on the War Bridle, but because the author didn't have a fancy marketing machine behind her or a load of over priced gear to sell it's been largely ignored. Probably for the best as the last thing an idiot with a spoilt horse needs is to be hauling their animal about with one of these.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Can someone put a picture up of this halter people are talking about as I cant find anything other than a rope going round the head then round the lower mandible and Im HOPING thats not what people are saying that a MR halter is based on. It doesnt go round the lower jaw (in the mouth) that I have seen.

 

[team barney]

Can someone put a picture up of this halter people are talking about as I cant find anything other than a rope going round the head then round the lower mandible and Im HOPING thats not what people are saying that a MR halter is based on. It doesnt go round the lower jaw (in the mouth) that I have seen.

I always understood a war bridle to be like this... http://www.cariswanson.com/wordpress/war-bridle-lariats-available-for-sale/

edited to add another pic... http://americashorsedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/war-bridle.-journal-photo.jpg

 

[fburton]

There is a grain of truth amongst the detritus and untruths of the original letter - namely, that 'pressure halters' are potentially harmful in the hands of those who haven't been taught how to use them.

 

[AengusOg]

is a very vicious piece of work and makes virtually 100% of Horses rear...

That means nothing. A riding crop hanging in the tack room is highly unlikely to make a horse rear; a riding crop used across the front cannons of a restrained horse likely will.

A dog lying in front of a log fire is unlikely to make a horse rear; the same dog out of control on a bridle path may.

A halter on a horse's head is highly unlikely to make him rear; a halter used to create restraint, fear and pain will.

Can you see where I'm going...?