Parachute cord?

Yesterday I purchased 100 feet of #550 parachute cord (I think that means it can hold up to a minimum of 550 lbs of pressure) to make some rope halters with. I made one last night (it actually came out pretty good), and now looking at it, the cord seems more floppy than most rope halters. Is it ok to be soft and floppy? You could ball it up in your pocket if you wanted to. And also, is the rope strong enough? Thanks!

Everything to do with horses needs to break before the animal does. That's the problem with cheap imported nylon web halters - the old ones had a weakly-stitched 'panic break' built in, but few modern examples do.

I'm not sure about strength of parachute cord but someone here will probably know :)

I have a soft one and it works just as well. It's handy that it will stuff into a pocket.

Thanks! I have another question about the paracord: I believe the width is 5/36", is that too thin/harsh? Thanks again!

I am also reading that it is 3/16", is that too thin? What is the ideal rope halter width?

550 lbs is the breaking strength. I may take more than that to break it but it is pretty much a guarantee it will hold 550 lbs. When I make a rope halter with paracord I use 2 strands. I find it is a little less harsh, and still fit nicely in my pocket,

So it is doubled paracord? As in two pieces instead of one? Would your noseband be 4 strings? Sorry for the boatload of questions, I'm just curious about this type of rope.

Yeah everything is 2 strands except the nose which is 4. Then you can combine different colors too ;)

Oooh I like the idea of combining colors :) Thanks!

We use light paracord for the halters on our polo ponies. They all (but one and she hobbles well) stand like statues so we don't worry about the thinness of the cord. The halters have to be large enough to go over lots of gear.

Even then, I tie a very light cord or jute string to the trailer and tie the lead ropes to it. Just in case somebody has a bad dream, or gets startled in some other way. I want it to break. They never go far, not wanting to leave their herd mates. I don't want any neck strain on them.