Rope Halters - preference on regular rope or thin rope?

Hi everyone,

This is a post I wrote to help people choose the best rope halter for their horse:

Rope Halters – how to choose the right one « AllHorseStuff

How do people feel about the thin 5mm stiff rope? My store uses the thicker rope for our rope halters, I'm wondering if we should carry the thin rope as well. I find the 5mm thin rope makes the halter look nice because it is very low profile, but it's also much harsher on the horse. Any thoughts on this would be helpful :)

Hadrien

I never use thin halters, because I find them to be un-needed pain. If your horse is leaning or jerking against you, it's a respect issue, and you should correct is the right way- not by stabbing your horse in the most sensative part of his nose. It's like wrapping thread around your finger as opposed to yarn. With either one someone can pull you around by your finger, but the thread is going to feel uncomfortable with even the slightest pressure, whereas the yarn only will when you pull violently back.

I do use stiff halters sometimes, for stallions and horse that I am training, but I never ever tie a horse by a stiff halter. So my ideal choice in a rope halter would be a thick cotton or parachute cord halter with no extra knots.

Should you carry it in your store? Its your choice. People will buy it, and many of them will do so because as you said, it looks 'prettier' to them. More delicate. In the article that you gave a link to, I really don't think that any of that information is really useful or valid. I would not offer a four-knot,stiff-thin rope halter to someone with a push horse. Rather, I'd hand them a nylon halter, a hard hat, and go tell them to find a trainer.

Hi,
I use a fairly thin and a medium stiff rope halter and It does not have extra knots on the noseband. Before I used this halter I had to lead him with a chain or he'd break free or trample me. I use one that is a little on the thin side because he pulled through the thicker one. I use a slightly softer rope because it doesn't rub and it's easier to get on in a hurry. I use one without the extra nose knots because I didn't want the extra leverage and pain for him.

As far as your store I suggest having a variety. If I go to a tack shop and they consistently don't have a variety I don't go back. I also suggest making sure your staff knows about 'em and can explain that they can cause some pain and damage if used incorrectly.

Also... sorry for reviving a dead post...

I like the thinner and stiffer...it is just a personal preference. When they have their halters on they know they can't drag me around and lean into it if they want to test me.

Its completely your choice. Everyone has their own ideas and ways. I like the softer type when training, I don't like my horses to have raw spots on their face because the rope is too stiff.
You could just get a couple to start with and see how many sell.

Hope this helps you out.

It depends on what I'm doing with the horse/halter. To is, there is a timelplace for each tool