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Shipping halters???

4K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  horselovinguy 
#1 ·
I've heard a lot of people saying that you should have shipping halter and I've heard other say that you shouldn't. I'm not sure what to do my horse does get frisky in the trailer sometimes. Should I purchase one or not??
 
#3 ·
My "shipping" halter is the same halter I use every day...leather.
Well fitted, quality leather ....
Some refer to a shipping halter as such because it has soft fleece padding on it to prevent rubs and may have a head bumper attached to it....

What do you mean exactly by "getting frisky in the trailer?"
Frisky and trailer makes me think ":eek_color:" when used in the same sentence...

So...as was asked....
What do you think is a "shipping halter"?
Why?
And what do you use currently to ship in?:think:

:runninghorse2:....

 
#6 ·
Get a leather or some with breakaway crowns at the least. If they slip or there's an accident, you want to give them a chance to break free instead of hanging.
I also use my every day halter, but I use leather every day. If it's a long trip, I've got some fleecys I can slide onto the halters.
If she's nervous coming out, you may want to look into getting a head bumper too. Golden Horse has a story on here about her horse who smashed her head on the trailer unloading.
 
#7 ·
Actually, no..... it makes no sense that she is nervous backing off a two-horse trailer...
You need to do ground-work with her.
You need to practice her following your cue on how she will act....
If she isn't nervous going in, she shouldn't be nervous going out...
Alert yes, aware of her surroundings yes, "frisky" or misbehaving no...

Besides the horse being unsettled when backing off the trailer is there more "frisky" behavior?

Any horse, backing out is tentative placing their feet as they can't see the ground behind them....
The horse also is bombarded with new smells, new environment....alert, you bet. Nervous or "frisky" no....
Teach the horse to not rush, to listen to voice commands, simple one syllable words...back, down, easy or slow work.
Do not use whoa....this word should be reserved for a immediate planting of the feet and instant stop and hold. Using this particular word is in my opinion for a emergent situation where rock steady stop and hold are needed to secure the animal/riders imminent safety.
You setting a firm attitude of leadership when handling her will also help....
This is like anything else horse...it takes practice and time.
Teach her....ground work done where she will calmly back where ever you point her butt to go.
Over anything, through anything, up or down anything....using those simple commands she learns the sound and correlates that sound/word with a particular movement of her body and "trusts" you.
Realize that "leading" a horse not only means forward but backward that you are respected, and complied with...
You are the "herd leader" and with that comes the responsibility of the horse respecting you that you will determine the safety of a situation, manage it, control it and by doing so she is safe....and can relax.

As for a nylon halter to ship in...just realize that nylon is one of the strongest materials in the world.
It has no give, it has no break. It can and will stretch under great force....

Years ago the Space Shuttle was towed down a highway with a nylon strap..:shock: that is a mighty strong material!
Thousands of pounds of steel towed miles on a nylon strap.:eek_color:

Realize that if something were to occur while the horse wears a nylon halter that is life-threatening the animal will panic, it will fight and it could indeed be the animal that pays the price in injury...
It is why so many will not ship in nylon nor use a nylon halter unless it is a safety halter that is made to release/break under duress...
A well-made quality leather halter will not release your horse to freedom easily but under heavy force will break...it will. It will give the horse a chance, period...
That is what makes a shipping halter special...it is made to hold the horse, but to release the horse under emergent conditions. It is some of the best leather placed carefully together making that halter.
I would never ship in nylon, period. I just would not...no way, no how...NEVER!

:runninghorse2:.....
jmo..


 
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