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Rope Halters?

27K views 114 replies 52 participants last post by  Fancy That 
#1 ·
Heya,

I know someone asked about the handy stick, but what about all these Parelli and Anderson Rope Halters? Are they truly superior to regular rope halters or?

I don't want to be cheap, but I don't want to get ripped off either!
 
#3 ·
THey are pretty much the same thing. I looked at them both hand in hand and they ARE the same, The only difference is the color and the type of rope. The handy stick /whip aren't the same thing but work the same and equally. The handy stick can have the rope de attached, and thats the only difference.
 
#4 ·
I know the CA halter has 2 extra knots along the nose that the rope halters at the local TSC don't have. Yes, that's a difference, but I refuse to pay that much more for 2 knots. :lol: I'm not sure if the Parelli version has extra knots or not...

I have a $6 rope halter from TSC, and I don't have one complaint about it. I'm more than willing to work with "substandard" equipment and have ~$85 more dollars in my bank account. My horses don't seem to care one way or the other. :wink:
 
#6 ·
As previously mentioned, the Clinton Anderson rope halters have two additional strategically placed knots that act on pressure points on the horse's nose when you put pressure on the halter. This is a big difference from the regular rope halters. I really find these knots do help out, they help the horse to understand what is being asked from the get-go. The CA halters are also made out of a stiffer rope, which I like. It makes the halter not feel so flimsy. I have a couple of CA halters (from when they weren't so darn expensive!) that have lasted me for several years. I would definitely take a CA halter over a regular one!

I use a regular rope halter with my yearling, and while it works for now, I plan to get him a CA halter soon. While it might be expensive, it will easily last for most of his life!
 
#8 ·
You can get just regular, relatively cheap rope halters with knots as well. I have just started noticing them around here. Usually it's just a plain rope halter or one with a rawhide nose thing (After all of these years I just realized I don't know the parts of a halter :oops:).
 
#12 ·
You can get the doublt knotted ones online, easily. The only thing I can say about rope halters is don't get one that is too soft. If they are so soft that they are limp, they're a pain to put on . Diamond D makes great rope halters and they carry them at the local grange supply here.
 
#16 ·
Rope halters - with the "extra" knots or without - are a WONDER for training. The horse can't lean on a rope halter like they can a regular nylon/web halter. This requires the horse to give to the halter much faster, whereas in a nylon halter they have the wide straps they can lean against. You can easily see the difference in the horse's understanding if you switch from a nylon to a rope halter.

The extra knots simply quicken the understanding even more. Same thing in that you don't need a rope halter to train, a nylon halter works - but a rope halter makes the process easier on the horse. And you don't need the two extra knots, but having them makes the process even easier and simpler.

And like tinyliny said, if you get one that is too limp and soft, they're just a pain. That's another reason I like CA's halters - the stiff rope they are made of. I'm sure you can find cheaper halters with just as stiff of a rope - just like the cheaper double knotted halters mentioned above - but there is absolutely no selection of anything in tack shops around here, so everything I buy is off the internet where I cannot feel the item beforehand.
 
#17 ·
Hi,

Well, I know the rope halters I make are vastly inferior to the Parelli ones... because mine don't have that little flap of leather with the Parelli logo on them!<TIC>

If you google 'rope halter instructions' you'll find instructions & I make mine with a 'fiodor' knot at the chin, just because they look better. I use good quality yacht braid rope, as I don't think the cheaper varieties are good enough. Takes about 6m of 6mm rope for an average size halter. I don't like extra knots over the nose, so mine don't have them. I also put a few stitches through the fiodor knot, as it can come loose otherwise, and stitch the loose ends together, for ease of tying.
 
#18 ·
There are good quality rope halters and poor quality ones. If you can throw the halter on the ground and still tell it's a halter, it's a piece of crap. It won't have the same feel and if we are striving to be horseman we need to become particular about the quality of equipment we use with our horses.
 
#19 ·
If you can throw the halter on the ground and still tell it's a halter, it's a piece of crap.
As opposed to looking like...?:lol: Agree with the rest of what you say, but it's never occurred to me to judge quality on that note.:?
 
#22 ·


Horse hair halter and lead rope... for the win :D
 
#23 ·
the parelli ones are made of a different rope and if you are doing a lot of ground work finding something with the same rope would be recommended...by me (not saying spend that kind of money on one tho) if you look around you can find them. they are a heavier core inside the rope which gives it more wieght and more feel. i personally made my own out of the same kind of rope and then bought a cheap one from my LTS and i've only used that one once because i found my horse didn't respond the same to it. but if your just using it for whatever then it doesn't matter. my horses ALWAYS have rope halters tho, never nylon.
 
#27 ·
the parelli ones are made of a different rope and if you are doing a lot of ground work finding something with the same rope would be recommended...by me (not saying spend that kind of money on one tho) if you look around you can find them. they are a heavier core inside the rope which gives it more wieght and more feel.
Yeah, used to be into Parelli quite a bit, but never bought into that difference, with the halters at least. I have held a genuine Parelli halter in one hand & one of my home made yacht braid halters in the other & felt no difference. Even at a clinic I took my horse to, when the instructor bagged me for not having the real gear, the only difference between halters he could pick was the leather Parelli tag! As for weight of lead ropes, yes, the Parelli ones are thicker & heavier than I use, and each to their own, but I like it that way. I think the lighter ones actually offer more 'feel' than a heavy, dragging one, especially when they also have bloomin heavy clips - that sort of negates the lightness & point of using a rope halter IMO. Part of the point of a rope halter IMO is it's soft & light enough that the horse hardly feels it when you're not asking for something. That's certainly not the case when you attach heavy ropes.

The width of the rope matters cause with wider or thiner rope you get stronger or weaker communication.
Oh, so they're calling it 'communication' these days are they??<TIC> I call it harshness - the thinner ones are bitier. However, as I don't believe in using pain to train, I don't find wider ones, or even flat halters any 'weaker' at *helping* me communicate. ....I know, being a bit pedantic there!:)
 
#24 ·


You can buy or make the same style of the natural horsemanship halters...

buying $14.00 to $80.00 or make it your self for $6 Canadian pricing LOL

What matters is the material they are made up.. the good ones are made form marine grad rope to prevent them from adsorbing sweat, its super strong rope and they wear well.

The width of the rope matters cause with wider or thiner rope you get stronger or weaker communication.

Also you can get soft or stiff rope, stiff rope has more bit to more quick communication.
 
#33 ·
YouTube - Why a Rope Halter is Better Than Webs & Buckles - www.thinklikeahorse.org - Rick Gore Horsemanship

You can buy or make the same style of the natural horsemanship halters...

buying $14.00 to $80.00 or make it your self for $6 Canadian pricing LOL

What matters is the material they are made up.. the good ones are made form marine grad rope to prevent them from adsorbing sweat, its super strong rope and they wear well.

The width of the rope matters cause with wider or thiner rope you get stronger or weaker communication.

Also you can get soft or stiff rope, stiff rope has more bit to more quick communication.
I was going to post that people could go to a store, choose whatever type of rope, weight, thickness etc that they damn well please. And then they could check out youtube and make their own rope halters - with as many knots on the nose as they want (be a trend setter have six!!!). But you beat me too it. And your post was nicer than mine too.
 
#34 ·
Heya,

I know someone asked about the handy stick, but what about all these Parelli and Anderson Rope Halters? Are they truly superior to regular rope halters or?

I don't want to be cheap, but I don't want to get ripped off either!
Ahhhh...rope halters: another controversial issue in our horse world. I figure someone has already answered the OP's general question, but here;s my two-cent's worth.

The only thing that makes a Clinton Anderson halter a Clinton Anderson halter is the tag. I can buy identical rope and get the same thing - the "strategically placed nose knots" are really easy to "strategically place" - just find the spot on your horse's nose right on either side of his nose-bone - not too low though.

There are MANY rope halters out there, though, that are made of soft, floppy rope that won't have the same effect on the horse as a clinician-endorsed halter.

That said, I feel bad for not being on the forum more often! I need to check this place more!
 
#35 ·
I will never buy a double diamond halter again after a 2 year old filly pulled back and the knot slipped leaving the button on the end holding it on her neck and she ran around the field with it around her neck. I let her go so i could retrieve it later, rather than chasing her which would be making her more afraid.
Luckily I bred her to have good sense and I was able to sidle up to her after a few minutes and get it back off.
I bouhgt the best quality rope halter i have at a Dennsi REis Clinic.
It cost $51. 99
It is soft enough to "set" the knot good but as it ages it gets stiff around the nose....making it easy to put on.
I found one just like it (Weaver) at a local tack store a few months later.
Quality is not cheap.
Price $51.99
 
#36 ·
G'day all,
Great thread....
i have been making horse tack for years and specialising in rope gear for the past 15 years and it is good to hear honest opinions from horse people.
I was asked to do an article on rope halters for a horse site www.horseproblems.com.au , it may be of interest and give some info on rope types, halter construction, noseband knots and a few other things.
It is attached as a MSWord doc.... sorry, wont attached due to file size
ok, here is a link if anybody is interested.

Cypress Lodge :: Promoting Humane Training and Treatment of Horses

Have fun and ride safe
Cheers from Downunder
Rob
 
#37 ·
whaaaaat. I can't fathom paying so much money on a rope halter. Having control of your horse doesn't come down to that. My halter cost a couple cents to make and it suits us fine. Ya'll can do what you want, but I can't get my head around that 0_o
 
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