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Buy or Pass?

3K views 21 replies 8 participants last post by  SRCM16 
#1 ·
I've been looking online a little for an Arabian show halter for my Morab mare for this coming show season but couldn't really find anything until I started looking on other forums and found this one. Should I buy it or pass on it? Its $60 for the halter and lead. (Made by EquineElegants on HGS)


397488_340826665943474_116293721730104_1456526_1402862738_n by Rebel.Cowgirl, on Flickr


388584_358311937528280_116293721730104_1518968_677568600_n by Rebel.Cowgirl, on Flickr

The mare that's going to be wearing it; its an older photo when she was just starting to get into work and after a few months off to gain weight.


312719_285367578150487_100000317405929_1025067_2016751614_n by Rebel.Cowgirl, on Flickr


321285_285366098150635_100000317405929_1025053_294011777_n by Rebel.Cowgirl, on Flickr
 
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#2 ·
Personally, I'd go with a plain black cable halter like this one:


You can either use silver or gold for the Throatlatch chain and chin chains and conchos, but just make sure everything fits well and matches. A plain black leather lead is also the best accompaniment.

You'll find most people don't use those blingy halters in the arena, just for pictures.
 
#3 ·
#7 ·
I'm guessing you'll just be doing local schooling shows? I agree that the plain cable halter like Dreamcatcher showed would be better. You want your horse to stand out, not your tack/accessories.

I'll give you an example...there were three horses entered in the English halter class at our local schooling show a couple of years back when I attended (wasn't showing...was just watching and ended up working the entry gate). There was a big friesian gelding, a little paint mare and an older gray mare. The friesian was wearing a white draft show halter with matching lead, but wasn't groomed to his best. The paint mare had on a somewhat blinged leather halter with matching lead and was groomed decently (better than the friesian was, if just barely...if I remember correctly, the cheek pieces on her halter had pink rhinestones on them). The old gray mare was wearing a plain, clean leather halter and matching lead, but was turned out beautifully. Her long mane and tail were clean and well-brushed and her coat was shiny and spotless. Guess who won the class? Not the big friesian with his fancy gaits and fancy show halter. Not the paint mare with her blingy halter. The plain old gray mare who was cleanly turned out and didn't have anything distracting from her natural good looks.

Think about it from the judges standpoint. Do you care more about the horse or the tack? Are you going to judge the horse the same if it's in a fancy-schmancy halter or if it's cleanly turned out?

Don't distract from your mare's natural good looks with an out-of-place halter. Go for simple and let her do the winning, not the blingy tack.

Just my opinion, though. Take it or leave it.
 
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#12 ·
The friesian was wearing a white draft show halter with matching lead, but wasn't groomed to his best. The paint mare had on a somewhat blinged leather halter with matching lead and was groomed decently (better than the friesian was, if just barely...if I remember correctly, the cheek pieces on her halter had pink rhinestones on them). The old gray mare was wearing a plain, clean leather halter and matching lead, but was turned out beautifully. Her long mane and tail were clean and well-brushed and her coat was shiny and spotless.
The Friesian & Paint mare didn't win because they were badly groomed, and the old mare won because she was spotless and well groomed. I don't see how that has anything to do with halters. :? If the old mare was wearing a fancy show halter I doubt the judge would've down pointed her.

A friend of mine judges equitation/breed shows and she EXPECTS to see a well groomed spotless horse with a nice fancy (she does QH's and Paints) western halter with silver on it and a stud chain lead.

Its three a.m here so my brain probably isn't working 100% but wouldn't you want to stand out? (like seira -sp- said)

Also a thicker halter is what I need because my mares head is actually quite large. I blame the Morgan in her. :roll:
 
#8 ·
Since you're talking just local, all breed shows, go for whatever pleases you, but like DraftyAires Mom said, groom her to within an inch of her life. In a breed show though, I wouldn't wear anything but the plain black cable, it would make you look......realllllly ammy.

The blingy ones make real pretty pics though. The main thing I don't like about the blingy ones though is their too fat on the cheek & nose pieces, would hide her pretty face. The cable halter is a less is more kind of thing.
 
#9 ·
Honestly, its just a halter.
Although I see you guys stand point on the less is more and simple and plain and being like everyone else is the way to make sure the judge does not get distracted by you halter and pays attention to your horse.

I would think a judge would be more drawn to notice the horse that stood out more then the others.
I know a girl who used to judge and she admitted to me one day that she pays more attention to the horses that catch her eyes more, whether it be their tack or the riders/handlers apparel. She mostly judged halter and western/english pleasure, she was a very good and fair judge.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Like I said, just my opinion, take it or leave it. Personally, I'd want my horse to stand out because of his or her good conformation, quiet manner and impeccable grooming, not anything artificial like his or her tack.

However, between the two halters you like, I would personally go with the first one. Yes, it's got more bling on it, but looks to be finer/thinner and more delicate, so it would compliment your mare's face better. If she had the thicker morgan face, I'd say go with the second one, but since she has the finer arab face, the second one would be too heavy-looking on her.
 
#14 ·
since she has the finer arab face, the second one would be too heavy-looking on her.
Believe me her head isn't as fine as it looks in that picture. :lol:


300235_285367321483846_100000317405929_1025065_1672868102_n by Rebel.Cowgirl, on Flickr

that's how your horse needs to look, grooming and condition.
Believe me in the summer (its too cold in the winter) I'm a groom-aholic.

Coconut oil hot oil treatments, baby oiled tails/manes, rinsed off after every ride so no sweat, and long "spa days" on the weekends when they don't get worked.

Also in the summer time they get worked every day for *at least* two hours each.

I know I have no life outside of horses. :oops:
 
#11 ·


The horse on David's right is Magnum Psyche 'dressed up' in his custom made native halter, for picture taking only. On David's left is *Padron, Magnum's Grandsire, in his custom made show halter, called The Padron. It is even less than the cable halter I showed you, it is only 2 cheek pieces that buckle over the poll and has a snaffle bit in the mouth rather than cable over the nose. It's very elegant and doesn't distract from *Padron's good looks. The picture halter Magnum has on, is very cool looking but too distracting to show. That's how I feel about the blingy halters. But LOOK at the grooming on both these boys....that's how your horse needs to look, grooming and condition.
 
#17 ·
OP-You have the opinion of a pro. Personally, I would not be questioning that. If you want the first one, go for it, knowing you will look "local" like everyone else there. If, on the other hand, you want to steep it up a notch-I would take Dreamcatchers advise, but thats just me.
 
#19 ·
Exactly a pro. I'd understand if I was planning on doing big high class Arabian shows, but I'm doing small local shows where I'm going to be the only Arabian against 10 - 12 Paints & Quarter horses with there big butts, flashy halters, and flashy markings. My mare is a solid black Morab, what's flashy about that?
Unlike some people I don't mind looking 'local', h*ll I look 'local' with my show apparel anyway so it won't bother me.
If I was doing bigger shows would I buy the first halter instead of the one that Dreamcatcher is suggesting? No.

OK my two cents worth. If the mare is immaculately groomed you need to decide if you want the halter to draw attention to her head. If her forelock is thick, try clipping some between the ears and the forelock. It will make her ears really stand out. Good luck if showing amongst a bunch of stock horses as most judges don't even see Arabians. She is going to have to really stand out.
I don't get what you mean by clipping between her ears. The forelock or just the fur/hair?
Thank you.
There was an Arabian last year with the basic cable halter like Dreamcatcher suggested except I think it had purple beads and the girl got last place against the few QH's that were in that class. At the big Arabian shows was getting 4th and above against forty some odd people. And she was this pretty red chestnut with three socks and blaze. The girl that was showing her though got pregnant and won't be showing anymore.
I don't even think most of the judges last year were very educated about Arabian conformation or anything because one of them told the girl to make her horse stand square not 'parked'. :?
 
#18 ·
OK my two cents worth. If the mare is immaculately groomed you need to decide if you want the halter to draw attention to her head. If her forelock is thick, try clipping some between the ears and the forelock. It will make her ears really stand out. Good luck if showing amongst a bunch of stock horses as most judges don't even see Arabians. She is going to have to really stand out.
 
#20 ·
When you're at a backyard show the judges will probably not judge to Arabian Standard and may tell you to square up and not 'park' even though that's not what we do. If they have a Pleasure Type Halter class, I'd go for that, you're more likely to get some judging for Arabian Standard and not look like a skinny, poor relation against the Stock Types. BUT, if it's a mixed type halter class, then do whatever you want. In one of those, I could take *Padron or Magnum in and probably get the gate. Actually, I guarantee I WOULD get the gate the first time one of those horses started to show.

I took one of my Arabian mares to our local county fair show and of course it was all stock types. I took the heaviest mare I had with the LEAST typey head and fattened her up til she looked like a cow and stood her up in a barn halter. She took 4th out of 10, I was actually pretty proud of her. She squared up and schlepped around and didn't flip her tail once. LOL! It was the easiest show I've ever done!
 
#21 ·
Personally, I'm a fan of the plain cable halters -- but then again, I prefer plain things and dislike bling. The most outrageous piece of tack I own is a black leather halter with turquoise padding, just to give you an example of how plain I like things.

Have you considered a plain cable halter with just a bit of bling on the nose band? That way, you have your bling, but you don't distract from how pretty your mare is either.
 
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