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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!
 
#69 ·
Well regardless of whether extra knots on the nose band effect actual nerves in the face, I find that with especially resistant horses they are a godsend in getting the horse to settle down and start behaving. I do think, just by sheer experience in training over the years that horses do find the extra knots harder to lean against and so give up that habit alot quicker. When that happens training goes quicker, and you can then go back to a regular rope halter with two knots if you so desire.
 
#70 ·
mom2pride..
that is the issue,
once you actually know that the extra knots on the noseband create points of pressure, also called pain, are you willing to accept you train with pain as a controlling technique?...or do you just excuse the responsibility to a website that excuses pain in training.?
Are you are willing to inflict pain on a horse to dominate the horse??
That is what you are saying.
Does it feel good?
There is never an excuse to inflict pain on a horse.
Pain is a poor motivator in training... ask any reputable trainer.

sorry to pick on you... there are many posters on this thread that seem to accept that inflicting pain on a horse is an acceptable training technique.

Crawl out of the 19th century....and drag that Clinton Anderson with you
(no one in Oz had ever heard of him till he was in the states claiming to be gods answer to horses)

or sell your horses to people that actually accept responsibility for their actions.

Will all the " pain is a valid training technique" supporters please form a cue to the right.
The relevant authorities will take your statements in turn.

This may seem a bit harsh, but honestly, when does one stop accepting pain inflicted on horses as a legitimate training technique??
when you are charged for cruelty to animals?
or when you accept the responsibility of training with consideration to the horse.?

Dont agree?
Thats your priviledge,

Rob
 
#72 · (Edited by Moderator)
Oh good grief. I hope it feels good having such conviction that you are right and everyone else is wrong.

On that note, please excuse me - I have to serve both my mares with a summons to appear in court on cruelty charges because I noticed they got a little rough and came in with patches of hair missing from a scuffle. When will they LEARN not to abuse each other? Geez. :roll:
 
#71 ·
although i am in total agreeance with that philosiphy, and horse training can easily be achieved without pain, and i never use pain or fear in any of my training.

but horses bite/kick eachother if prior communication has been ineffective, and being bitten/kicked by a horse certainly hurts more than a few silly knots pressing into you.

but they are exactly that, silly knots. they serve no real purpose other than to lessen the use of the reins, without actually lessening the pressure felt by the horse. so really they're just for people too lazy to take the time to establish or refine proper communication.

mom2pride said:
horses do find the extra knots harder to lean against
the good horseman won't be leant on, regardless of equipment.
 
#73 ·
We use both traditional 3 ply nylon halters as well as rope halters...as far as daily handling I really don't see a whole lot of difference. I did however splurge and order a "be nice" halter from Valley Vet to use in training. Wasn't sure I'd like it, but it is wonderful! I have a newer horse who was bullied/scared into working for his previous owner and as a result his first reaction to anything was to back up and raise his head - everything was out to get him...(literally anything...even lifting my hand to wipe sweat off my brow caused him panic - I am most certain he was smacked about the head) This halter has been wonderful for him. It works like an old cowboy "war bridle" without the harshness. It has small metal fittings on the poll area with nubs (for lack of better word) and nose knots, it is ran thru rings under the jaw and when handler puts light pressure on the rope it applies pressure to both nose and poll in conjunction without inflicting pain, just enough to get attention and ask them to give to pressure. As soon as the give and allow slack in the rope, pressure is gone. Wonderful tool!
 
#74 ·
Whether it's two knots or four knots over the nose, we are all 'accepting "pain" as a motivator to train our horses, are we not? I would rather use a rope than a chain...wouldn't you? Like any other training tool if used properly this is not an abusive tool for god's sake...

Off to court with Macabre...
 
#75 · (Edited by Moderator)
I am glad that the post has brought some replies...

christopher
Thank you for your post that gives an opinion on the issues raised.
The interaction between horses in a herd can be certainly extreme and cause severe injury or in some situations, a death. But should what horses do to each other in a herd or wild state be the standard by which we train our horses?

John Lyons said that anything that forces a horse instead of teaching a horse is a gimmick. The extra noseband knots seem to fall into that description.

MacabreMikolaj
Thank you for your reply.

You seem to think that personally insulting me will somehow excuse the use of tack that is specifically designed to inflict pain. If you cant see the difference between the hierachy scuffles in a herd of horses and the deliberate causation of pain by a human, there is probably little we can discuss in an exchange of opinions and experiences.
I thought that is what forums were for... the exchange of thoughts, experiences, opinions and information.
 
#78 ·
I guess it's really hard for people to understand that there is a big difference between a horse being uncomfortable and being in pain. Most normal horses will stop resisting before anything gets to the point of pain.

But to imply that you would never use any form of pain on any horse is rather naive. Occasionally, it comes down to a point of 'hurt them before they hurt you'. If you have never had to deal with that kind of horse, then consider yourself lucky.

I guess the reason I don't see a reason to spend uber bucks on a rope halter is because I am like nrha. Halters are for catching, leading, and tying. I will occasionally ride one of my older horses in one but I could ride them in an old garden hose, they don't care.
 
#79 ·
I don't care for the plain rope halters w/o something extra on the noseband. They just aren't as effective for me when I train - I feel like it's easier for the horse to ignore, and I don't like to "nag". Either knots, or a wrapped noseband are good choices. They're just easier for me to work with and control the amount of pressure I put on a horse - Easy to go from "asking" to "telling" without the halter doing things I don't mean to do. Actually, I prefer the wrapped noseband to the knots, as it is a bit stiffer and really looks great with a contrasting color on the noseband. Personal preference. I had my wrapped noseband halter custom made on ebay, but Stacy Westfall sells them, too. My custom one was cheaper than Stacy's. Personally, I'm not going to even buy the knotted halters anymore, but just stick with the wrapped ones if I need to replace any or get additional ones. So far they're all holding up great, though.




Beware cheaply made knotted rope halters. I got a cheap one off ebay and it was just a piece of junk that didn't fit well and was basically useless. I ditched it.

I don't have any experience with the rawhide wrapped nosebands. Just never cared to even give them a try, no particular reason.
 
#80 ·
Beware cheaply made knotted rope halters. I got a cheap one off ebay and it was just a piece of junk that didn't fit well and was basically useless. I ditched it.
can you put it on your horses head? can you lead the horse with it? can you tie the horse with it?

If so it serves its purpose.
 
#88 ·
I can't comment on the halter you had specifically, but in general I have found rope halters to be adjustable. For instance, I had two "adult" sized halters that I was able to manipulate the knot under the chin and make them small enough to fit my weanling. I plan to let some length out again as he grows. :)
 
#82 ·
Folks, it's time to calm down and re-read the Etiquette Policy!

Please, stay on track as this thread sounds like getting downhill fast! Please, respect each other opinion even when you disagree!
 
#86 ·
If any of you are interested in tying your own rope halters, we have a web page devoted to the subject: P.A. Farms - How to Tie a Rope Halter . The one we show is a 2 knot, but you can turn it into a 4 knot by simply tying two more overhand knots on the noseband (before tying the fiador) and then coming back and tying in the second overhand knots later. When you tie your own, you can use whatever kind of rope you like - stiff or soft - narrow or wide - whatever works best for you.
 
#89 ·
I didn't read this whole thread. I only read the first couple of posts. So it may have been mentioned.

If you wanna save some money on your rope halters you can make your own. There's a very good video, "it's actually two videos", on youtube about tying a rope halter. Watching that video and following along makes tying a rope halter SOOOO easy.

I would link the video but I lost the link. You can search youtube though. You can also do a search here to find the video cus I've posted it before. Just use my name in your search and the words rope halter and I'm sure you'll find it.
 
#91 ·
I just bought a rope halter on eBay that has the 4 knots and attached 14 foot lead for $15.00 with the shipping. I love to watch CA and PP and others training, but as far as buying their stuff, there is no way. I can't afford it, and even if I could I'm too cheap :) If it works, what makes the difference if a name is plastered on it. I don't understand why people have the need to drop names. I don't SKIMP on equipment because I want my horse to be happy and comfortable, but I I haven't taught Sienna to read yet so she doesn't know if there's a name on it or not :)
 
#92 ·
the Parelli and Clinton ones are only expensive because it has thier name on it. Go to your local tack store and buy one that's a fair price, not cheap.
 
#93 ·
I am going to echo the words of others... Beware cheap rope halters!

I bought one at a TSC for $8 or so... A week later part of the weird plasticky rope pulled away from the halter, making an irritating bubble that makes it frustrating for me and Kelty to put on him. So annoying.
Plus, it's got a lead line already permanently attached to it so I can't use it to lounge.
I wish I hadn't bought it.

I'd rather buy something NICE and definitely functional than waste my cash on crapola.
Tying my own is an option.. but too much work :/

My friend's a parelli member so I'm getting a Parelli one for $20.
Just $20.

Not $80
Or $50

TWENTY.
I don't think that's so bad a price ;)
Especially since I'll be longeing with it.

Thanks for this thread- it helped me pick!
 
#94 ·
Wow, that's a great price!

Even if you tied your own (it's not as hard as everyone thinks it is) you would probably have to pay that much for very good quality rope (marine double braid is about $1 per foot).

Please let us know how you like it (quality,function,etc.) when you get it! I bet there are a lot of non-Parelli members who would appreciate your feedback to help them decide if it's worth shelling out the big $$$.
 
#96 ·
Cool!
Believe it or not, I can buy a good quality halter cord for about 20 cents a foot - although the Samson EQ-braid lead rope rope is 1.02. I have my halter (made from a less-than-Samson-quality rope) and it still functions perfectly - I've had it for OVER a year with almost daily use!!
 
#97 ·
Does not matter what others think. I have seen and used others peoples PP rope halters and such and I have used my $5 including shipping rope halter and will not pay the difference as their is no difference. There is no need to pay a lot of money for something to tie a horse with. I have no use for it to lunge as I do not lunge my horses. For me and my horses it is a wast of my time.
 
#101 ·
Copy that! My halter has been through hell and back and works great. Cost me a couple cents to make. And I ain't budging.
Does not matter what others think. I have seen and used others peoples PP rope halters and such and I have used my $5 including shipping rope halter and will not pay the difference as their is no difference. There is no need to pay a lot of money for something to tie a horse with. I have no use for it to lunge as I do not lunge my horses. For me and my horses it is a wast of my time.
 
#98 ·
Well I haven't used mine on Sienna yet, and I just read what I said, and with a 14 ft lead I can do most anything i want to do with her, short fast change circles if she's acting out, and backing, etc. so maybe I'll see what she says about it, LOL. Well I already know what she'll say, rope halter means work, she doesn't like to work so she probably won't like it :)
 
#99 ·
I've been very happy using simple DoubleDiamond rope halters for years. I find that I'm more particular about what the leadrope is than the halter as long as the halter is well-fitted.

For leadrope, I've been using treeline for the last 3-4 years and have been quite happy with the feel I get.
 
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