rope halters

If this topic has already been brought up someone ~ please direct me to the topic~

I recently purchased a rope halter for many reasons:

#1 I like them & think they are very nice "looking"
#2 It's a lot like this "natural" horse stuff everyone is getting into. I.e. My natural trimmer uses one of his own on all our horses when he trims & my horse seems to respond well to it....

#3 I just always wanted one & thought they were neat....

My question: What are the benefits vs the not "so" benefits of rope halters? How can they be used as training aids etc etc. I have been doing some reading on the web about them I'm just looking for your personal thoughts & opinions on them!!

Thanks in Advance!

I don't know much about them. But I use them on my horse all the time, like getting him from his pasture and tieing him up and lunging him. I think they work better than 'normal' halters in most general things, I like them and my horse takes well to them so I use them, I don't know much about the training side of them though.

I imagine I will probably be in the minority here but I personally don't like rope halters. :)

I like the good ol' fashioned nylon halters for the following reasons:

1) I feel they are more secure
2) You can utilize a stud chain if needed
3) I don't like tying with rope halters because of the so-called "pressure points" I think they can actually work against you.

And if you turn out with a halter (which I don't, but IF you do) :) I think the nylons are thick enough that it is less likely they will get caught. (But I don't advocate for turning out with halters anyway) :)

That's my opinion!

I also think you have more control over your horse with a nylon halter... forgot to add that.

I agree 100%

I personally prefer rope halters, I think horses listen better in them, certainly my mare does.
I think its a bit like having a dog on the lead that pulls, are they going to listen better if you've got a wide, comfy leather collar on them? Or if you've got a choke chain on them (and lets not get into a debate about that, just using it as an example :) )?
Webbing halters are wide and comfy and don't give as direct pressure as a rope halter does, allowing the horse to ignore you if it wants, not all do, but most will take advantage even if you don't notice.
I float and tie my horses in rope halters and have found them to be very sturdy and just as secure as webbing halters, some would even say they are stronger than webbing halters and less likely to break.
If you want to read some more check out this site, and read the articles on halters. He explains things better than I could.

http://www.horseproblems.com.au/hors...ndex_page2.htm

After 25 years of using halters I have come to one conclusion: it really doesnt matter and its a case of personal preference. I've heard all over the place about rope halters this and rope halters that...havent noticed a difference since switching to them to be honest however I do much prefer having a smaller, lighter halter on my guys. Lets face it, we put so much gadgetry on them that is so unnatural why stick a thicker, heavier halter on them when it really serves no more purpose other than using a stud chain :roll: there are only extreme circumstances where a stud chain is needed and in those instances fair enough. Its hardly a reason for not using rope ones though. That's just circumstantial convenience.

I have found nothing to be a problem using a rope halter. Tying up: fine. Leading: fine. Lunging: fine. Using the halter for pull and release (submission) is better than nylon as he does respond much quicker with the rope.

Even though I find little difference I prefer the rope halters.

I like rope halters...
I use them When I lunge My horse or do any other ground work with her.

I have tried nylon halter on her and she pulls against it more. But she does really good with a rope halter.
I also use them When I groom and stuff.
But I would never turn her out on pasture with any kind of halter on.

I think it depends on the horse.

Yay I basically agree with you all. I don't turn out in halters at all b/c I have had way to many accidents w/ them period! But I just like the looks & thought of the rope halter. I do use the regular nylon halter when trailering however b/c my girl can be a lil hard headed from time to time and has been known to break a few trailer ties or cross ties. I think this (haven't tried it yet) will help prevent the over acting of the cross ties. Anyway I'm more of the natural person in that aspect & rather let my horse graze or ground tie when grooming. She seems to do much better with that then tying.

Thank you everyone for your opinions & thoughts. Like I said I kinda hang on both ends of the line here but I def. Like the look of the rope halter. I have not used it yet to provide any personal insight on my thoughts of if they work better or not! :P

I used rope halter when my mare was extremely bossy and tried to get advantage of me. From my experience yes, rope halter gives more control. After working with it for while I practically don't use them anymore. And I really hate to use them under bridle. The cheap nylon halter does as good as rope one.