Opinions....Be nice Halter??

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foxtrot

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What do you think of this type of halter??

Is only going to be used for leading a bulshy horse whom sometimes dooks off for grass or refuses to walk at all. Will never be used for tying the horse.

Let me know what you us if you have a similar horse??
 
I personally would just get a plain rope alter and do some ground exercises with him to learn some manners. My girl isn't extremely bolshy but she's big, as soon as I put her rope halter on now she knows its sensible, have good manners time.
 
It was a long time ago but I had great results using one of these on a horse that would rear, drag, bite and kick. She was sold to me with Chifney but she had no resect for this at all and personally I don't like them. The Be Nice was perfect for her.
 
ImmyS said:
I personally would just get a plain rope alter and do some ground exercises with him to learn some manners. My girl isn't extremely bolshy but she's big, as soon as I put her rope halter on now she knows its sensible, have good manners time.
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+1

Technique before tools. Just learn to use them properly.
 
We are in the realm of gadgets and fashion again. To my mind simplicity is the key, and of course proper training.

Horses should be trained to lead properly in an ordinary head collar. By that I mean a rope one.

Leather ones are fine for trained horses, but just look nice and provide something for horses to comfortably pull against. Pressure halters cover over the cracks in training.

With horses that are lead about in bridles or whatever for 'control' have massive holes in the training, so that is down to the handler not the horse.
 
An excellent tool if used correctly and I have one here that has been very useful.
Few people realise you can start with the blebs inside and test your training by putting the Be Nice on inside out so it becomes a plain head hugging halter.
Much prefer it to a Dually and as mine are turned out in leather topped headcollars I tried a Kemp controller which was useless.
 
For a pony that was dangerous to lead as mine was, the Be Nice was perfect and actually DID help my pony. I never had to be forceful with it and IMO it was kinder to her than the Chifney. The Be Nice did form part of her training as she needed to respect the halter and me when being led, for her safety aswell as mine. It wasn't the answer to all her problems but it did help.
 
I found it very useful when leading my tb on spooky windy days. I usually only needed to put it on with the bobbles on the pole facing up but when he was really spooky I would put them downwards. I used to have to lead him across a busy main road to bring him in at night in the winter and if nothing else having it on him gave me confidence which usually reflected in his behaviour.
 
Dry Rot said:
+1

Technique before tools. Just learn to use them properly.
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x 2.

You could always get an IHRA as a second pair of eyes to look at your leadership/body language etc - huge amount of help to have a set of unbiased eyes looking at the problem :)
 
Ditto immys, dry rot, pr. I'd use a rope halter. Control halters are really an expensive stallion chain, they aren't 'kinder' in anyway. So anyone using one should really consider whether they would be justified in using a chain instead. If the answers yes, a short, sharp lesson is needed for everyones safety fair enough, use one for a brief time. Considering the very rare & limited times I have had to resort to a chain over the years I find it bizarre how many people supposedly need be nice or duallys as a piece of daily kit. And as pr said, the times I've used a chain have always been the result of someone else's training gaps, & not a decision I have taken lightly, nor for extensive periods.
 
I used one about twice on my boy. It worked the first time, it sort of worked the second time and after that he realised that, as with everything else, he is way way stronger than any human so if he just pulls enough he'll win. He's a nightmare! He's a smart nightmare and he has no concern whatsoever for safety. He'll quite happily just plough people out the way because he learnt from his previous owner that people are ineffective and no sort of match for his bulk (which strikes me as particularly odd for a horse that spent 4 years being "Parelli"d). We just don't lead him anywhere in a headcollar and certainly not with a rope on. He goes from stable to field in his headcollar and that's it. Anything else he wears his bridle because he's completely different with a bit in his mouth. I'd rather just do that than try and "cure" him with different gadgets and risk anyone's safety.

His behaviour is learnt and absoutely the result of lack of training as a youngster. He's lightning quick though and you get no warning if he decides he's off. On a yard that is also a riding school full of little kids I'm just not prepared to take the risk. I can see that these different types of halters could be useful on horses than need a slight correction of behaviour but I don't think they're a good idea on something that's just dangerous.
 
Well BlackandWhite, a horse like you describe certainly needs training rather than gadgets. As for for 4 years Parelli training, that's laughable. I know lots of people who reckon to be trainers, and quite frankly they couldn't train a mouse to squeak. Lol.
 
To be fair the owner didn't peg herself as any sort of trainer. She was a total novice with a manual and a DVD and she turned out the devil himself! To give her her due she said to us "I did Parelli (whatever "doing Parelli" is) and I think that's where I went wrong." No *****!! It simply boggles my mind that anyone would think an instructional DVD is all it takes. Poor Mr Horse. :rolleyes:

Thankfully he came to us and he's had just over a year's proper training now and he's a million times better. Still a pushy bully but far less frequently.
 
i bought one for my 2 yr old for going out on walks,because everytime she decided to go tanking off it was better for her than yanking a bit through her mouth.infact she was better at walking out in the be nice than a bridle...far more respect.
 
I have a horrible feeling that the Be Nice has taught my horse to rear :-( he only does it if he's wearing it and now understanding more about horses reaction to pressure, which is to go into it this makes sense.

I wish I'd just gone with getting an IH person out straight away as we wouldn't of deteriorated so much. Won't be using it again and he's now back in normal headcollar with lunge line xx
 
The plain fact is with a head collar and 12 foot line, you can stop this sort of stupid behavior in half an hour if you know what your doing.
But, you have to be consistent. You can cure this easily if the horse goes back to the owner who cannot use the technique the horse will revert to taking advantage. Same when a pressure halter comes off. Horses aren't stupid and they know. They weigh up the handler and the equipment. If you don't do it correctly, you will always have trouble. I did one a few years ago and just to prove to the owner how well behaved their horse was when dealt with properly, I lead him about without anything. From stable to field to manage and back again several times. It's not the horse, it's the correct application of a training technique, by a confidant handler.
 
Agree with everything pale rider is saying. Gadgets do not solve the problem they just mask it. I can take my girl out anywhere in just a rope halter because bad habits have been corrected through handling and groundwork rather than through just being covered up.
 
I dislike the Be Nice. It isn't. Also dislike thin rope halters, particularly when badly fitted.
The Dually is not so bad but when wrongly used, it's not so nice either. Its unfair to inflict pain on the horses poll or muzzle, just as daily yanking on a head collar is too.

Most horses can be trained to walk with a headcollar and for those that can't, find the reason why there's a problem.
The reason may be lack of basic training, environmental, wrong feed, lack of turnout etc etc.

If I have to, I'll use a dually or a rope over the muzzle, or even a bridle but never on a long term basis.
A horse that isn't respectful when led is a PITA and just as with any other part of training, it needs sorting, rather than masking with gadgets.
 
I think they are excellent. My boy used to drag me in the field & I've got a shoulder problem that would flare up after he'd pulled me all over the place but with the be-nice he can't do it & he has now got out of the habit and I can lead him with a conventional without any problems.
 
Supertrooper said:
I have a horrible feeling that the Be Nice has taught my horse to rear :-( he only does it if he's wearing it and now understanding more about horses reaction to pressure, which is to go into it this makes sense.

I wish I'd just gone with getting an IH person out straight away as we wouldn't of deteriorated so much. Won't be using it again and he's now back in normal headcollar with lunge line xx
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Misuse of the halter causes horses to rear, not the halter.
 
Pale Rider said:
We are in the realm of gadgets and fashion again. To my mind simplicity is the key, and of course proper training.

Horses should be trained to lead properly in an ordinary head collar. By that I mean a rope one.

Leather ones are fine for trained horses, but just look nice and provide something for horses to comfortably pull against. Pressure halters cover over the cracks in training.

With horses that are lead about in bridles or whatever for 'control' have massive holes in the training, so that is down to the handler not the horse.
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I agree with you on this however there is always a BUT!!!

I had a cob arrive here who knew exactly how to set his neck against you and just go.
I am very experienced with problems and know enough that if you keep his head turned he should not be able to set his neck - not so with this horse!

A Be Nice has its place in the proper hands and believe me there have always been gadgets around to solve the problems.

I would never dream of leading a well fed colt fit for racing, without a bridle.
 
Usually on something a bit ignorant (and please don't get me to define ignorant.......) a rope around the nose usually works quite well on youngsters who have not yet had a bit in their mouths - I don't like chiffneys - often too severe (and they will rear - and why not?)
And of course proper handling from year dot is the answer, but not all get nags at that stage.....
I have just taken on a young horse, that who is very quiet and docile (ish) 5 years, broken, but has clearly never been taught to lead...so I lead him in and out from the field with a schooling whip to get him leading at my side - not in front, not in behind, but where he should be......has taken a week - but now he is better - and I have actuallly noticed he goes forward better now when I ride him as well (clearly rocket science!)
It does beg the question now, that the old horseman/women would spend weeks on the ground before backing a horse, now ala Monty Roberts we back them in 10 mins! Apols this has become a far wider discussion then just using a 'be nice halter.......' whoops!
 
Personally, I wouldn't choose to use one - I think the name is laughable in itself and certainly not appropiate to describe it!

Would rather use a rope halter any day.
 
Another vote for old fashioned cow halters here. We have used them on everything from 12.2 section A's up to 17hh Shire and all inbetween, from the well taught when they got here, to the absolutely ignorang. They all learnt to lead properly.
 
I have one & it has its place in the tackroom, I also use rope halters as they fit anything, in fact my welsh is shown in one and she is the easiest pony at a show even hyped up.
However, the BeNice has a definate well earned place, useful for a stroppy youngster, or one that takes the mick trying to load. Yes they have had the groundwork but they havent all had a textbook upbringing.
The BeNice was wonderful on a 5yo Welsh C mare, totally unhandled with a big opinion & strength to match. We 'resorted' to a BeNice eventually as her get out clause was to rear, it really helped us.
At one yard we had a thief and my Benice was stolen along with bute, rugs etc, YO reported to the police and the student groom was found to have taken the stuff, got my Benice back :)
Used properly, a very useful piece of kit but then again so are saddles, bridles etc
 
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