# Riding with a halter



## CrazyChester (May 5, 2008)

Im guessing riding in a halter is like riding in a bitless side pull, I may be wrong.


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## Jdun722 (Dec 27, 2008)

Depends. Do you have leadlines/reins attaches to both sides of the halter? Or is it just halter and rider with no ropes or lines attached? Because if its a halter and leads then its kinda the same as riding with a bitless "bridle" because a bridle is a steering devise. If its just a halter then its like riding without a bridle.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

I've ridden with a halter and lead rope before, when I go bareback, or feel like just hopping on. I always attach the lead rope from both sides. The first couple times I did it, it was fine. But then my mare suddenly realized.. I don't have a bit in my mouth, and started to take advantage of it. I think its fine if your not doing any major work, but I still prefer a bridle.


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## RusticWildFire (Jul 6, 2008)

Jubilee Rose said:


> I've ridden with a halter and lead rope before, when I go bareback, or feel like just hopping on. I always attach the lead rope from both sides. The first couple times I did it, it was fine. But then my mare suddenly realized.. I don't have a bit in my mouth, and started to take advantage of it. I think its fine if your not doing any major work, but I still prefer a bridle.


 

I agree. I like riding with the halter and lead rope like she explained. It's much more relaxed for both me and my horses. But it's harder with the younger one. I have more control with the bit and bridle. But I do like to switch it up a little for both of us now and then. I don't do any work or long trail rides with the halter, though.


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## Ne0n Zero (Dec 25, 2008)

I've jumped 2' in a leadrope/halter.. the lead was clipped to the middle ring and i was just holding it on one side of his neck ^^


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## mlkarel2010 (Jan 27, 2008)

It depends on whether you use a basic nylon halter or a rope halter. The rope halter has a closer effect to a hackamore. In natural horsemanship you ride in a rope halter for a long time, with either one rein or two. 

A nylon halter is a little different though and because it is thicker it is less severe.

It's not exactly the same because the cues are different and the areas where pressure is exerted aren't the same.


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## PaintedLady (Jul 30, 2008)

I've ridden in just a halter. LOL...can you spell disaster? No..I didn't hit the ground or anything, but the halter was sliding all over the poor girl's face. Got up in her eyes and everything. (nylon web halter.) If anything, for us it caused a lot of confusion.
I also have the bitless bridle. That confused her a bit at first, too, because of the way it crosses beneath the jowels. So..if you want to go left...they are feeling pressure on the right. But horses move AWAY from pressure, so after the first session...she had it down pat!


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## Jdun722 (Dec 27, 2008)

It really depends on if the horse is easily intimidated or headstrong. I've worked with horses of both types, both can be ridden properly with a halter + leads but you just have to do things a bit differently  Horses that are intimidated easily need more leg cues, horses that are headstrong may need some stronger pulls and possibly a light jiggle of the end of the leads. Riding with a halter and leads is basically different from riding with a bridle only because you have to use your arms differently for it to be a bit more effective, you usually have to pull your arms out to the side more so their head turns, whereas on a bit and bridle you would tug the reins straight back. Riding with a halter is usually more eventful if you are looking for some excitement in life, or just a change in things. Some horses resent changes, it all depends on the horse like most other things.


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

I have an older ex-lesson horse that I ride in a halter more than with a bit. She has learned over the years to ignore the bit because of all the little kids that rode her and used the reins for balance. She is a lot more responsive with just a halter because she actually pays attention to what I want.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I ride my 9 year old gelding in a halter (rope) he is very responsive to it. I only ride him in the arena (haven't ventured out yet) but I dont think that would cause too much of a problem if/when we do. He too was an ex-lesson/trail/camp horse and my fiance and I felt the need to give him a break from the bit, and in turn we saw the Gem much preferred going bitless. 

I did ride my (at the time) 4 year old mare in the same rope halter and I just felt it was a diaster waiting to happen. We have not tried it since.

I also briefly rode my qh gelding with nothing on, but it was more for just a "lets chill and relax" then any actual work. I let him go where he wanted.

I did get a bosal for him but I have yet to use it. Saving that for the Spring.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Yeah, you could say that. I think if you have reins/rope hooked to the sides of the halter, it's kinda like a bridle. :lol: Except bitless of course.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I think only the well trained horses would respond to your seat and weight on their back because I know for a fact that growing up with a horse and riding with a halter my poor mare only making sense of what I was asking of her by the pressure on her halter :lol:

Most of us tend to be pretty obvious with our aids when riding bareback and I think only the REALLY well trained horses are going to be responding only to your seat, a recent video posted which would be a good example of that. Just tried to look for it on this forum but could not find it. It was the video of a gal riding bareback in a hay field cut down on a bay?? I believe? 

if anyone what video I'm talking about, love some help


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## Mira (Aug 4, 2008)

A horse we used to have was among the group of dead broke, bombproof horses. He'd always go as far back in the grass pasture as possible and wouldn't feel like coming up for feed time so I'd have to run out there with my halter and lead and go get him. I'd set him by a stump or something and climb on and just ride him up with the lead attached to the middle ring.

I tried to do this with Gizmo the other day when I was out walking him in the snow but failed lol. I was on the roundbales and trying to get him to get close enough so I could get on but he'd be just that teensy bit out of reach. Sure, I could have gotten on him all right but I'd have dropped down onto his back and struggled a bit. He's only four and I didn't feel like it was worth the risk of freaking him out having me just drop down from a high place onto his back so I reluctantly just lead him back. I will do it one day soon though. xD


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Jubilee Rose said:


> But then my mare suddenly realized.. I don't have a bit in my mouth, and started to take advantage of it.


Same with my mare. As long as she found out she can start graze and I couldn't stop her at all in halter (she's very head strong) she took advantage of me. So I do ride occasionally in ring, but not on trails anymore...


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## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

Riding in a rope halter is much more effective then riding in a flat nylon or leather halter. It provides pressure to delicate pressure points on the face and top of the poll, like a hackamore. I have started green horses with rope halters, and they have done great. When they start to push through it then you move them into a simple O ring snaffle or D snaffle and incorporate that with the commands of the rope halter. It works really well, and the horses come off working well out of the halter.


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## BurningAmber520 (Jan 6, 2009)

I ride my gelding Liberty bareback with a halter all the time, he responds to it really well. We go out on trail rides with it, and ive even jumped him over a 2' course like that, its fun!


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I ride my mare and colt with a halter and lead every so often... My colt is still learning to respond to seat and let commands, and since he isn't ridden on a schedule (he's a coming three year old and he's ridden maybe once a month). My mare has never been ridden with seat/leg cues, but I'm trying to get her used to them slowly... it's not working too well (lol) so riding her with a halter is always a challenge.


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