The Right Fit
September 5, 2008
Make sure your horse’s halter fits correctly.
From AQHA Professional Horsewoman and Certified Horsemanship Association trainer Julie Goodnight
Photo courtesy of Julie Goodnight
Is your horse’s halter too snug or too loose? Does it hang down around his nose or squeeze his face, rubbing the hair away? Do you fit a rope halter the same as a web halter? How do you know if your horse’s halter fits or what size halter he should wear? These are all legitimate questions, and it is important to have a halter that fits your horse just right for his comfort and his safety.
Whether you use a rope, nylon or leather halter, the fit should be the same. The cheek rings of the web halter and the cheek knots of the rope halter should sit about one finger’s width below the bottom of the cheek bone. If the noseband gets much lower, it could cause damage to the sensitive cartilage of the nose. The noseband should not fit snugly, but should not be so loose that your horse could get a hoof caught when he scratches his face with his foot. You should have at least two fingers’ width between the noseband and your horse’s jaw.
Halters come in basic sizes: yearling, small horse (cob size), regular horse (most horses fit into this category), large horse (Warmblood or draft crosses), and draft and mule. The average horse typically wears a regular horse size; if your horse’s head is very small and dished, he might need a small-horse size, but keep in mind that you do not want the halter to be tight and uncomfortable for your horse.
Rope halters can be a little trickier to fit correctly on the horse. When you put the rope halter on, be sure to pull the throat knot all the way up to the horse’s throat, then tie it. This should place the cheek knots just below the cheek bones and keep the upper piece above his jowl, not going across it. If there is too much room in the noseband because your horse has a very refined head, you can loosen the fiador knot under the chin and work it up to tighten the noseband. Or you can use electrical tape to tape around the fiador knot to make the noseband smaller.
Stay Safe
Horses should never be turned loose with a rope halter on because it is easier for them to get hung up and rope halters will not break loose. If a horse must be turned out with a halter on, make sure it has a leather breakaway strap at the top so your horse can break safely away if he gets snagged.
When trailering your horse, make sure he is in a breakaway halter. Never trailer a horse in a rope halter. If your horse falls or you are in a wreck, you want him to break free. Most halters made for trailering are made of leather because they are more breakable. Most rope halters are made with climbing rope, which is not breakable. Also, you want your horse to be as comfortable as possible in the trailer and not pulling against the rope halter when he gets off balance.
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6 Comments on “The Right Fit”
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September 6th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Hi and ALOHA from Hawaii;
I am in a horse family for as long as I can remember.I jist celabrated My 69th birthday and I have been a cowboy and horseman since my dad put me on a horse and I believe I was 2-3 years. I read your article about halters and it was very good. However as a active cowboy to follow all of the recomendations would take up too much time for what we do. I will not get into that and I believe that I could contribute in a Hawaiian Cowboy way. If you are interested in tapping my knowledge let me know. Thanks and ALOHA : C.U.Online..Bones
September 6th, 2008 at 12:09 am
Hi and ALOHA from Hawaii;
I am in a horse family for as long as I can remember.I jist celabrated My 69th birthday and I have been a cowboy and horseman since my dad put me on a horse and I believe I was 2-3 years. I read your article about halters and it was very good. However as a active cowboy to follow all of the recomendations would take up too much time for what we do. I will not get into that and I believe that I could contribute in a Hawaiian Cowboy way. If you are interested in tapping my knowledge let me know. Thanks and ALOHA : C.U.Online..Bones
September 10th, 2008 at 6:47 am
One thing about rope halters many people do not know about is the correct way to tie them. The picture in this article is the WRONG way to tie a rope halter. You should take the end UNDER the loop, and bring it back through. This picture show is going over the loop. If a horse were to pull back on this kind of tie, you would have to cut the halter off. It would pull too tight to get it undone. If you tie it under the loop with the top of the loop showing on top of the tie, if a horse were to pull back, you can always get it undone. It may be tight, but up can work the top of the loop back and forth until it becomes loose enough to get off. And onther thing I see people do with them is let them hang too loose down on their noses. VERY dangerous if a horse gets in trouble. It will cut their wind off and they can’t breath. Please be educated by an experienced person when first learning about rope halters. Thank you.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:04 am
thanks m johnston for that input,i see long and improper fits on rope halters all to often.i myself use web halters and fit them properly all the time.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:35 am
If you haul a horse in a trailer slot should you not have a secure halter rather than a break a way? if the butt bare is secure and the horse is tied in should he not stay that way until he is removed from the slot.?
Several years ago i loaded a paint mare on my 2 horse Trailett. The mare snapped her head up, broke the halter, dropped to her knees and then slid out the back of my trailer under the butt bar. it all happened in the blink of an eye!
I never hauled her again with a break a way.
Some horses learn how to escape by breaking a break a way on purpose and use that skill.
I use break a way ties on all my hot walker horses and every where else, but i am hesitant to use them when a horse is put in a slot.
Sallie Jo Reid
September 2nd, 2010 at 10:33 am
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