REGULAR FEATURE TRAIL SAVVY by Robert Eversole PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROBERT EVERSOLE The Essential Halter I The Big Three: Flat, Round, and Special Purpose f you have a horse or a mule, you own a halter. It may be plain, fancy, or have spe-cial uses, but you have one (or several) of these pieces of tack laying around. Let’s take a peek at some of the different types of hal-ters and discuss how and when to use them. All halters perform the same basic func-tions. They provide a tool for controlling horses’ movements during handling. But all halters aren’t equal. Not every halter is going to suit your needs any more than every halter is going to fit your horse’s head perfectly. care for. With its wide webbing, a simple ny-lon halter is my go-to tool for trailering. Leather halters look terrific! They offer plenty of strength and durability as long as they’re well taken care of. Well taken care of is of course the point here. Despite the clas-sic look, feel, and smell of leather I’d rather be riding than cleaning and oiling leather. nection between handler and horse, allow-ing for the development of subtle cues. I use rope halters when practicing groundwork at home, under a bridle when trail riding, and when camping with a highline. Fitting a Flat Halter The Big Three I lump my halter collection into three piles — flat, round, and special purpose. Let’s check them out. 1. Flat As the name implies, flat halters are flat and generally made of strips of flat nylon webbing or leather connected with metal rings and buckles. Flat halters come in a variety of sizes such as cob, full, and more. Sizing your hal-ter correctly is important not only for ap-pearance, but also functionality, ensuring it stays in place properly and is comfortable. To fit your flat halter properly, be sure to use the adjustment points on the crown-piece and noseband. The crownpiece should fit comfortably behind your horse’s ears without pinching. The noseband should sit about halfway between your horse’s nostrils and eyes, with about two to three fingers width between the noseband and your horse’s nose. The throatlatch should allow for three to four fingers width so your horse can breathe and swallow properly, but not so loose as to catch a hoof in it. Finally, be sure that the hardware is not too tight. A properly fitted flat halter evenly distributes pressure and is ideal for trailering. How They Work Rope halters are thinner than leather or nylon halters, so the pressure is more focused versus being distributed across a wider area. As a result, a rope halter can apply a bit of pressure when you want to reinforce a cue. Tying a Rope Halter 2. Round Flat nylon halters are strong and easy to care for. Rope halters may not be as instinctual to put on as a flat, but with a little practice the process will become second nature. A correctly tied rope halter is secured with a sheet-bend knot that points back towards the rump. Nylon is available in a variety of colors and patterns. These halters stand up to the weather and resist abrasion. Nylon halters are very strong and they’re easy to wash and Round or rope halters are my favorite type of halters for around the barn and on the trail. Rope halters are created from a single piece of rope and forego hardware at-tachments that are prone to failure common in flat halters. Because rope halters don’t in-volve any hardware, they are much stronger than flat styles and offer an unfettered con-Robert Eversole, “the trail meister,” owns www.TrailMeister.com, the largest database of horse riding and camping areas in the U.S. with free trail and trailhead information, trail maps, and much more to help horse enthusiasts experience the joys of trail riding. Robert is a registered riding instructor with PATH International, a mounted search and rescue team member, and a U.S. Marine who has served on the board of the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington (BCHW). He is enjoying his new career helping fellow trail riders stay found and safe on the trail. When not on the trail, The Trail Meister resides near Spokane, WA and teaches land navigation to a wide variety of out-door groups across the nation. For North America’s largest horse trail and camping directory, trail tips, and more, visit www.TrailMeister.com . How to properly tie a rope halter in 4 easy steps: 1. Stand on the near side (left side) of your horse. Reach over the neck and grab the poll strap with your right hand. 2. Slide the noseband over the horse’s nose and the throat knot upwards below the jaw. 3. Take the end of the poll strap pointing toward you and run it through the tie loop. www.nwhorsesource.com PHOTO: KATHY TUGWELL 14 January 2021 The Northwest Horse Source
The Northwest Horse Source NWHS Issue 0121: Page 14
