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breakaway vs. leather halters

8K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  Dumas'_Grrrl 
#1 ·
OK -- I made a boo-boo today and didn't tie my horse properly and she couldn't break off when she spooked. Nor could I untie her quickly enough. So, I'm going to go get a new halter and USE it, but do I buy a breakaway or a leather one? The only time I use a halter is for tying and putting in a trailer (I don't tie in a trailer). They don't wear halters in the paddock unless I leave with one horse and the other is alone (and might try to look for us!)
 
#3 ·
I personally like leather for the reason stated above. They can break at any point and to me that seems safer. The breakaways only break at the top, which in most cases would be fine but if the horse gets caught in someway, I would rather it break anyway possible and not risk injuring the horse. Then again, I am at a boarding barn where halters are left on in the field, so, if he gets it caught in a fence, I want it to break! I have never put a nylon halter on my horse.
 
#4 ·
I can't think of any way that a horse could get it's halter caught and have a break-away NOT break away. I mean, I'm pretty sure that if any part of the halter breaks, there's going to be pressure on the crown. If you get a break away with a nice soft, thin suede crown piece it should be perfectly safe. Don't get the double-stitched, thick leather ones, they may break but they just seem like the horse would have to do a lot of yanking to get it to break.
 
#7 ·
I'd say a breakaway cause it's easier to fix and alot cheaper.
One thing though....if you get a breakaway get one with a FULL leather crown...not just the small piece by the buckle. I had one like that and yes it did break correctly...BUT I could NOT find a replacement part ANYWHERE so I had to buy a whole new one...hence the reason why I suggest a full crown one...it's easier to find a replacement part
 
#9 ·
If you think safety is an issue for the horse, I would stay away from leather. I have only had 1 horse spook enough to break a halter and he was wearing a regular nylon halter at the time. It broke where it should have. I have never gone thru the same thing with a leather halter, so I won't be of any help:???:
 
#10 ·
I'm afraid that I don't agree with using a breakaway halter for anything but as a turnout halter (and I don't like haltering a horse in a turnout).

I use a rope halter when I tie my horse to a trailer or for any reason. A horse that learns it can break a halter many times becomes a habitual at it. I want my horse tied so that it can't get free unless I undo it. For that reason I try not to leave my horses alone and I always use a slip knot for fast uniting with me still having control. (There are, of course, times that they are alone such as on overnight rides, or when we stop for a lunch break, etc.)
 
#11 ·
You know that used to be my thinking, but twice now I have had situs where the horse pulled, couldn't break free and had pulled so quickly and hard that I couldn't release the slip knot either. Once I ended up lucking out because that horse thought I was holding her so I'm now the great and strong master, but she did get a nasty cut on her eye over it. This weekend, if the hitching board wouldn't have broken, I think that mare would have hurt herself in her panic and as it was, she took a 3 foot chunk of it with her when she freaked. I was right beside her, but again, she pulled so fast and hard, I couldn't release that stupid knot quickly enough. I'm going for a halter that breaks.
 
#12 ·
Just to play "Devil's Advocate" but what do you do when she breaks free and runs off?
 
#13 ·
Oh, that's easy with my girls -- just walk up to them when they're done spooking! No problem to catch them anywhere. (so far, that is...) On the weekend, Jade was done running, the neighbour's dog chased her so off she went again, but towards me now, saw me... slowed down and stopped dead at my truck for me... "Mommy, I'm scared. Take me home please!"
 
#14 ·
That's great NM, I couldn't take that chance where we trailer. Typically here are a lot of trailers and a runaway horse, even if it's for a few min could cause a real wreck.
 
#15 · (Edited)
The problem with using a halter that won't break is that if you can't get the knot undone, something is going to break. Either the halter breaks and you have a loose horse, or whatever you tied the horse to breaks and you have a loose horse with a chunk of wood dragging behind it. I'd much rather have a horse break a halter than yank off part of a hitching post and drag it around, get tangled in it and break a leg. I've heard some pretty horrific stories about situations like that, including one idiot who tied his horse to a cinder block and the poor thing ran off with it.
I don't think many horses will develop a pulling habit out of one or two times where they panic about something and pull back. That's just my experience with the two horses I've had, maybe others pick up the bad habit quicker.
If for some reason they do, then that's an issue that you deal with in a situation you have control over, not in your everyday setting while you're tacking up or at a show. I'd much rather deal with a pulling problem than an injured horse.
 
#17 ·
Iride beat me to the post. I'm not a fan of breakaway halters. I have one that I bought in a lot at an auction...I don't ever use it. I don't want my halter breaking. I only halter when I need them caught.
 
#18 ·
I see you point with the break away halter. I still am not a fan. I always carry a knife when I have my horses haltered. I'll cut the lead before I want them naked and uncatchable. I also never tie to something that will break. I'll choose a tree over a nailed/screwed on hitching post any day.

Guess we all do things just a little differently. :D

What would shipping on a break away be to Canada??? Probably more than it would cost to buy a halter! :???: If you were closer NM, I'd let you have mine. :D
 
#19 ·
Well, I really, really didn't think any of my riding horses would break the hitching rail I hooked up. I'm quite sure my smaller girl wouldn't have... as it was, when it broke, the release of pressure literally threw my horse back about 10 ft and she fell. A knife wouldn't have helped -- too slow. And if that rail hadn't broken, I think the horse would have. All in all though, I'm not going through that again.

I can't even make it to the tack shop this week, so I haven't tied her at all... even for her feeding, which was a big part of her training. Maybe you should ship that halter FedEx overnight and I could use it b4 I get to the store!:D
 
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