Rope halters....

[Welly Boot]

I am seeing a lot of horses at the yard & competitions with rope halters on rather than the webbing type.... is this a new fad or are they actually better for the horse? I know the natural horsemanship guys use them but what is the benefit? Are my horses missing out?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

We got our 1st horse 50 yrs ago and were given an old-fashioned rope halter for him (like a cow halter). We have used them ever since and find them very effective for 'pressure and release', on every horse we have had. I much prefer them to headcollars.

 

[JenJ]

I am seeing a lot of horses at the yard & competitions with rope halters on rather than the webbing type.... is this a new fad or are they actually better for the horse? I know the natural horsemanship guys use them but what is the benefit? Are my horses missing out?

I think they offer more control over headcollars due to the knots on pressure points, and as you say, are used in NH.

 

[dorsetladette]

We got our 1st horse 50 yrs ago and were given an old-fashioned rope halter for him (like a cow halter). We have used them ever since and find them very effective for 'pressure and release', on every horse we have had. I much prefer them to headcollars.

I always have a couple of these hanging around. They are really useful in emergencies etc.

 

[catkin]

Headcollars and rope halters have different jobs.

Both the cow-halter and the NH style halter are good for handling a horse if the handler knows how they work (pressure and release).
To tie-up a horse I would use a leather headcollar as safer in emergencies.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I always have a couple of these hanging around. They are really useful in emergencies etc.

Me too, the traditional ones

 

[Jenko109]

I hate headcollars and also hate the halters with the knots.

Have used an old fashioned rope halter for as long as I can remember. They are a one size fits all, they are easy to put on one handed, they are a great tool for something a bit tricky to load and they are easy to wash.

 

[Skib]

A rope halter tightens if the horse pulls on the lead and uses pressure from that tightening to control the horse.
A rope head collar (I use Double Diamond) is fastened on with a knot and does not tighten when the horse pulls, because the lead rein is tied to a loop under the chin.
The advantage of rope over leather (if any) is that the knot of firm rope on the side of the horses head gives a more precise cue than the flat brass buckle of a UK leather head collar.
Horses on our share yard have leather head collars but I take in my rope halter if I want to do ground work.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Headcollars and rope halters have different jobs.

Both the cow-halter and the NH style halter are good for handling a horse if the handler knows how they work (pressure and release).
To tie-up a horse I would use a leather headcollar as safer in emergencies.

Oh yes, we have always used a headcollar for travelling. Rarely tie up for anything else, tbh.

 

[HuskyFluff]

They're a useful training tool, but you shouldn't tie horses up in them

 

[Dave's Mam]

I use headcollar for tying up & travelling. Rope halter for groundwork & loading practice.

 

[HBB]

Headcollars and rope halters have different jobs.

Both the cow-halter and the NH style halter are good for handling a horse if the handler knows how they work (pressure and release).
To tie-up a horse I would use a leather headcollar as safer in emergencies.

I am the same as you, I would never tie a horse up with a rope halter as it's far too dangerous but i see it all the time with novice horse owners that don't realise how to use them correctly.

 

[CJoe]

love them, fit from a shetland to full size (same halter!), great for handling babies......!!

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Rope halters can be tied so there is no ring and metal clip between the line and the halter, this makes them capable of much more subtle communication than a head collar, which is a very blunt tool. The lines are far longer than standard lead ropes so much better for groundwork. The knots allow for more communication too. But don't confuse a plain rope head collar with a control halter which are not 'nice' despite the name.....

 

[paddi22]

i love them for loading. the bit of extra pressure is very useful for tricky horses

 

[Skib]

love them, fit from a shetland to full size (same halter!),

I dont think this is so. Or I lack your skills. My love of rope halters means that when in USA I bought three of them in different sizes. I dont know if Irish horses have big heads but both my shares have needed the largest size. My favourite Connie wore the medium.

 

[McGrools]

I love my rope halter. All of mine can do groundwork in an open field in it. Much more control than a head collar.

 

[Jenko109]

We seem to be back to the 'what is a halter' debate.

This is a halter



This is a knotty mess

 

[Tiddlypom]

Headcollars aren’t about control? They need to be a safe and comfortable item of tack suitable to lead a horse about in, to tie it up or to hold for the farrier etc, but not to injure it if it pulls back or slips.

Halters have more nuance for training, but need an educated handler.

I have halters somewhere, I think, but my default is to use headcollars as none of mine are arsey to handle. I would use a halter if manners needed to be installed, but once that is done I revert back to a headcollar for safety and comfort.

 

[blitznbobs]

We seem to be back to the 'what is a halter' debate.

This is a halter

View attachment 145021

This is a knotty mess

View attachment 145022

I couldn’t disagree more . I use the second type all the time. It is the best pressure and release tool I have ever found. I use it to teach pretty much everything up to piaffe and passage. The first is a showing tool.

I don’t use it to tie up but other than that I use it A LOT… it is an amazing tool and better than any of the ‘controller’ headcollars etc etc …

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I use whichever one I grab off of the peg outside his stable first daily.
I travel in a leather headcoller, use the rope one if he is erring towards being full of himself for any reason

 

[rabatsa]

I have rope halters all over the place. Small ones for sheep and larger ones for equines.

This is a traditional rope halter that fits everything https://www.welshcobshop.com/collections/halters/products/basic-white-rope-halter

This is a traditional web halter https://www.welshcobshop.com/collections/halters/traditional-web

I was brought up using these halters and we had posh leather ones for special occaisions.

What most people are now calling rope halters are to my mind rope headcollars.

 

[MuddyMonster]

They're a useful training tool, but you shouldn't tie horses up in them

You can get panic clips for them, then you can tie up in them (I use them). Makes them much easier to put on too as you don't need to tie a knot everytime! Otherwise I agree, they aren't safe for tying up otherwise.

I use one a lot of the time, especially at this time of year as pony is often spends time in a bare field and to get to his stable we go across the farm with grassy verges and through a grassy field.

I leave one when other people handle him too. He's geniune enough but absolutely thinks it fair game to test them by gleefully pulling them or pulling back from them to get more grass/up the verge/somewhere he isn't meant to be etc . If he realises he can't, he doesn't try and is as light as a feather to lead and handle.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I dont think this is so. Or I lack your skis. My love of rope halters means that when in USA I bought three of them in different sizes. I dont know if Irish horses have big heads but both my shares have needed the largest size. My favourite Connie wore the medium.

Proper old fashioned cow halter types are infinitely adjustable. Shire horse people use them for showing, you just end up with a longer lead if you use them on small ponies

 

[Tarragon]

I use a knotted rope halter all the time, and a 12 foot rope that is looped to the halter so there is no metal clip. I tie up using a safe tie, and when I ride, I put my bridle with no noseband over the top and tie the rope around his neck (using a knot that doesn't tighten!) I wouldn't use it if I was boxing him anywhere.
Because I just hack for miles, having the option to lead from the halter when I am out has proved invaluable over and over again.
I went to a Richard Maxwell clinic with my pony, and we each came back with a knotted rope halter that he just made for each of us from a coil of rope, that is like the ones used for stock that tighten over the nose. I have also used that for when I want more control, but haven't needed it for many years.

Edited it to say it was Richard Maxwell, not Michael Peace that ran the clinic - oops!

 

[Landcruiser]

They're a useful training tool, but you shouldn't tie horses up in them

..unless you use a safety tie such as an Idolo tie.

 

[Fjord]

I use a standard leather headcollar for Bobbi, as she is quiet to lead. Angel has a knotted headcollar as she can be pushy or pull away. I did try a rope halter, but found it slipped a lot and I wasn't so comfortable using it (I think it was a Richard Maxwell one, a lot of money for a piece of rope). I've got one of the plastic clips on the rope headcollar but I don't leave her tied unsupervised anyway, as she can panic.

I definitely like the rope headcollar with a long lead line for a strong horse, or for inhand work.

 

[criso]

I don't tie up in them. Depending on what type of quick release or safety tie, I've had them fail and not release and the leather on the headcollar has snapped. The rope ones wouldn't break.

 

[Landcruiser]

I call the knotted type a "rope halter" and use them all the time. I only use a "normal" headcollar for tying up for travelling. When I tie up (using either) I use an Idolo safety tie.
I think headCOLLAR suggests something with a strap rather than a rope and I don't think therefore it's the correct word for a knotted rope halter.

I love the knotted ones because they DON'T tighten, and they offer instant release. Those cattle type ones look like a bit of a blunt insrtument to me, and although I'd happily use one to lead a horse around, I wouldn't do groundwork in one.

 

[Caol Ila]

I have a couple knotted rope halters around that I use for groundwork and for in-hand walks into the park (I have not, admittedly, done much of the latter since I backed my youngster). They give more control and clear pressure-release signals, so they are better for training.

For day-to-day use -- tying, going to and from the field -- my horses have normal flat nylon headcollars.