# Horses Turned Out with Halters?



## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Why do people continue to do this? I just don't understand why you wouldn't do something soooo simple to save your horses life. 

I know 10+ owners who have lost horses by turning them out with halters. Yet people stilll do it. 

I see numerous people around here turning horses out with halters, and I see tons of pictures on here with horses turned out with halters on. You are endangering your pet. 

I just don't understand, for the extra couple mins it takes. Sheer laziness!


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

I'm guessing you don't board your horses

For many people, it's not a choice. When one person is bring in 25+ horses in large pastures, with all the horses having different head sizes, it's just not pratical. The worker would need to take 4X as long and get paid much more. You might want to hike across 3 and 1/2 acres *hoping* you can catch the right horse for the halter you are holding, but it's not pratical for someone bringing in 25+ horses daily 

And did these people whose horses died use break away halters? I can gaurantee these work from all the time's I've gone "pasture hunting" for lost halters. The gelding pasture loves their halter tag, lol


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

I do board one of my horses and I would never have her turned out in any halter. 

I used to have to catch 25+ horses daily off of 160 acres. Rope halters are an amazing thing...they fit pretty much any size horse at least enough to bring them in. 

And no I wasn't talking about breakway halters, I see horses turned out all the time with regular heavy duty nylon halters. And breakaway halters aren't always the best thing either...a friend of mine had a two year old get his "break away" halter caught on the fence. He stood there for hours trying to fight it off...until someone came to rescue him...it didn't "breakaway."


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

Wow, turning out in a non break away is just dangerous and idiotic! That's weird about the break away not working, I've never known that too happen. Maybe it was fault manufacturing. The break aways at our barn work very well, they don't break under slight pressure ( such as a horse trying to pull away) but if it gets caught in the pasture or "halter tag" gets a bit too rough the leather part snaps


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I never turn out with halters. When I have turned in for barns, they have also never had halters.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Tell me about it! It's not only stupid, but dangerous to the horse. 

I don't disagree with breakaway halters but they don't always work and if you really don't need it...no halter is always best.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

The first barn we were at, it was mandatory for the horse to have the halter on 24/7. The reason? In case of fire or the horse got loose.
Any chance we got take the halters off, we did. They were breakaway halters, though they never told to use them.

At the current barn, they only had their halters on when out in the pasture for the first week or so, just because they were in a new place. They had leather halters on at time.
Now they are nekkid!


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## paintluver (Apr 5, 2007)

I never have had to leave the halters on my horses. I don't like it, they get those rub marks, they could get stuck, or something worse. I just don't like it. But I guess it is just opinion.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I never leave Lacey's halter on. My BO wanted it on the first week Lacey was at her house a year ago (in the round pen with no places for her to get caught) but after that she's never worn it in the pasture... Except for one time I forgot to take it off, then I called and had them take it off for me.


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## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

my horses do have there halters on except for caddo. I could run some of them without their halters on but some of them are impossible to catch if you don't have them on. I have one mare that is head shy without a halter on you aren't going to put a lead rope on her and you will not catch her either.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Maybe the people have never had a problem. When you have done such and such for x many years without incident, then you will probably continue to do it until something happens.


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

When I first got Major I had to leave his halter on because I couldn't catch him. I fooled around with it for a while before I finally realized I was going to actually have to take the time to train him to be caught. I spent a couple of months just working on that. I don't think a lot of people realize that when you have a horse that is hard to catch then you have to work with them...same as any problem. Some of it may be that some people are to lazy to work with their horse on it. Also, you have those people that just want to ride and that's it.


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## APHA MOMMA (Jul 10, 2009)

Well I know we left halters on for foals and weanlings when training them to get used to it. Even if it was a couple of months, but I can guarantee you they weren't in a pasture with anything for it to get caught on. Scout I would never leave a halter on in a pasture because he is already well trained and puts his head down for the halter.


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

I do leave halters on mine when they are turned out, but I have taken the time to scrutinize every sqare inch of turnout for potential hang-ups. The relatively small turnouts are also fully visible, so no chance of a horse stuck "up in the woods" or something without help. They come into stalls every evening, so no unsupervised turnout. My Scout _does_ need a new breakaway, on my list to get @ TSC this weekend, in fact. 

The reasoning behing my leaving the halters on is simple. I live on an extremely busy highway (and I mean ON, we once had a car fly off of a curve and land *on* our front porch. Not kidding), where the majority of the traffic consists of tankers, semis, and logging trucks who seem to think that the speed limit is 90 mph. If, heaven forbid, the horses did get out, and didn't have "handles," and chose to bolt for that road, I can easily imagine vet bills on top of lawsuits.

Maybe not ideal, but, the way it's gotta be, for now, anyway.


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## Fire Eyes (May 13, 2009)

equus717 said:


> my horses do have there halters on except for caddo. I could run some of them without their halters on but some of them are impossible to catch if you don't have them on. I have one mare that is head shy without a halter on you aren't going to put a lead rope on her and you will not catch her either.


_
If you can't catch your horse without a halter, work on it. Constantly. One day you may *need* to catch your horse, you don't want to have to fuss around if something bad's happening. 

I would never leave a halter on in the paddock. We don't have massive paddocks, not small by any means, but not acres and acres. I have never had a problem catching my horse, even if I did I wouldn't risk leaving any halter on, breakaway or not, there are horror stories._


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Scoutrider said:


> The reasoning behing my leaving the halters on is simple. I live on an extremely busy highway (and I mean ON, we once had a car fly off of a curve and land *on* our front porch. Not kidding), where the majority of the traffic consists of tankers, semis, and logging trucks who seem to think that the speed limit is 90 mph. If, heaven forbid, the horses did get out, and didn't have "handles," and chose to bolt for that road, I can easily imagine vet bills on top of lawsuits.


Most folks around with pastured horses do the same, even on the 300+ acre ranches because a busy road is never too far away 'as the horse travels'.

Our mares are at home in a smaller place and I normally leave the halters off mainly because I don't like them to get 'halter nose' ;-) 

Over all the years, perhaps we've been lucky, or our stocky Paints are stronger than most, but when they have been left with halters and got snagged (happened twice), they've actually broken the brass snap clip on their halters.


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## ShannonSevenfold (Oct 11, 2008)

At my barn, they have some pretty massive paddocks. The land is all flat with no trees so you can always see the horses, but they are *huge*. Anyway, there's a rule of Absolutely NO halters at ANY time in the pastures. At the end of the night, they close the big door at the end of the aisle, open all the stall doors, the horses all crowd at the gates and then they run them in like you would with cows. They go straight to their stalls and we shut them up as soon as they're in. Seems to work for us. No horses-chasing. But I suppose it might be a problem if they had a straggler or two.


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## gothy06 (Dec 20, 2008)

its not stupid to turn them out with halters on , i know a stables that each week lets there horse roam around three different fields , and some of the horses are awful to catch du really expect them to run round after all these horses wasteing there time when its so easy to clip the lead rope on


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## Willowluva1012 (Sep 10, 2009)

When I first got Willow she wouldn't let me catch her.Now, she's a rescue, and didn't really like humans that much (not that I blamed her), and I could not catch her without a halter at first. I left it on Not because I was being lazy, but because I wanted her to trust me and THEN get the halter off so she would be completly comfortable w/ the whole thing.
Then she lost her halter for the first time.
At first, I got worried not only because every time she lost a halter I would by a new one and it started to cost me alot, but because I was afraid that she was getting stuck in the woods or something. Then, I brought her out one day and unclipped her lead and she walked on over to a fence post and unclipped it herself while I stood there staring at her w/ my mouth hanging open. I got worried that I wouldn't be able to catch her again, but before I could even blink, she walked over to me and I have been able to catch her ever since w/ no problem.
BTW: My DH was a little mad at me for waiting utill I SAW I could catch her to stop buying halters at TSC.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Then the owners of those horses need to teach them to be caught. Your horses saftey should come over what is "easy" for you. 

I have had hard to catch horses, very hard to catch. It's not all the hard to teach them to become easy to catch. When I got Dee if she even saw you she was gone, running all the way down and around the 5 acre pasture, but I NEVER once left the halter on her. I knew, as a reasponsible horse owner, that I had to take the extra time to catch and keep her safe. After two months of going out there and catching her EVERYDAY (It took her longer than usual, because she was an unhandled 4yr old who was very head strong) she became easy to catch, and at not one point did I put myself over her and leave her halter on. 

For all you people that turnout in halters(Not breakaway), when your dies...I won't even feel sorry for you, just the poor helpless animal. 




gothy06 said:


> its not stupid to turn them out with halters on , i know a stables that each week lets there horse roam around three different fields , and some of the horses are awful to catch du really expect them to run round after all these horses wasteing there time when its so easy to clip the lead rope on


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

For those of you that must turnout in halters and use breakaways...good for you guys! It's nice to see people that keep the safety of these faithful critters in mind.


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

I think it IS idiotic to turn out in non-breakaways I mean, they really aren't that expensive! You can even pay to turn a normal halter into a breakaway if you find a "have to have" color


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Breakaways (here) are no more expensive then a regular nylon halter.


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

I don't have a problem as long as it's a breakaway one. I personally don't leave halters on my horses. The only time they have halters on is when they're on cross ties or being led. I take them off when they're in their stalls as well. 

There are currently 13 horses at my barn and when I'm bringing them all in to feed them, I just take one halter and catch whoever is closest, then take it off when they're in the stall and use the same halter for every horse. Either that or I use one of those quick halter things. Those are really handy.


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## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

My horse would never be loose and unattended with a halter on. We have huge pastures with TONS of horses where I'm at now and ever with the hard to catch ones (i worked there, believe me some of these horses are horrible) halters are never left on. I'd never board at a place where they had to be left on either.


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## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

not all halters are horrible.. i have six horses and they do run with halters. i can take them off if i want to but there is nothing in the field that they can get hung up on.i agree though if you don't have to run your horses with halters then it is best to run them without halters.


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## CrazyChester (May 5, 2008)

I turn my guys out without halters. I don't see the point of leaving halters on, if your horse is too hard to catch then thats something you would have to work on. I have seen alot of horses with halters kept on, why? Who knows. Halters should only be on if you are working with your horses.


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## zurmdahl (Feb 25, 2009)

Halters are left on at my barn, I don't really know why but unless you ask they are left on. All of the horses are good to catch so there is really no reason. They all have break aways though. My mare gets hers taken off.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Chester I totally agree, halters should only be on you horse if you are working with them.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I have an arab gelding with a wide blaze that goes right down his nose. He developed chronic dermatitis on the white part of his nose a few years ago. It took months, and lots of vet visits and tons of ointments being slathered on his nose to get it to a point where it isn't painful for him anymore. To keep it thaqt way, he is haltered 24/7 with a cotton noseflap attatched to his halter. I can't buy breakaway halters where I live, in fact I had never even seen one until I went to America, so he had a full nylon halter. In the years he has had it on, there has never been an issue. My other horses aren't haltered.




> _If you can't catch your horse without a halter, work on it. Constantly. One day you may *need* to catch your horse, you don't want to have to fuss around if something bad's happening._







> It's not all the hard to teach them to become easy to catch.


 
I invite anyone who says it is easy to make a horse easy to catch to come and have a go with my best friends horse Pepper. He paddocks with my horses. 80% of the time, he is perfect. He has no fear issues, no other issues, but 20% of the time, he is just a little sh**. And it isn't just evasion, it is full blown galloping away. When he is in those moods, you can only catch him by cornering with more than one person. We don't leave him haltered, except for when we are going to a comp in the mornig and need a fast catch. 

Just a thought, I have never heard of a horse being injured/killed as a result of having a halter on while turned out. Maybe it is more prevalent in the US?


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

I once kept my horse at this place where the owner, among other equally as paranoid and insane things, insisted that every horse on the property wear its halter 24/7, whether it was in the stall, "turned out" (in the riding arena, the only turnout they had), or wherever. The reason: she was somewhat (again, among other things) pathologically paranoid about barn fires and swore that you'd never be able to rescue a horse if it didn't have a halter on ALL THE TIME. In her mind this was a far greater risk than a horse getting caught on its freakin' halter.


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## ShannonSevenfold (Oct 11, 2008)

Ack!! Went out to see my horse tonight that is boarded at a friend's house.. And his halter was on. He had his fly mask on when I left yesterday. When I came back tonight, the poor thing had all kinds of flies in his eyes and was dripping blood in a couple spots. AND (frosting on the cake) he had his halter on! ughh. I took it off and put it back in the shed. I hope they figure out that when I say I don't want it on him, I mean it.


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## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

Unfortunately the barn Carolina is at, they keep halters on 24/7. It drives me insane. I go in and take it off her yet then I'll go back and it'll be back on.
I hate it!!!


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## myQHpaul (Jun 25, 2009)

i don't put anything on paul when he's in the field. i don't know what he gets into but he finds the worst parts of the field to play in. left his fly mask on the other day. when i went to the barn the next day, it was absolutely filty, caked with mud. just something else he won't wear when he's turned out.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

myQHpaul said:


> i don't put anything on paul when he's in the field. i don't know what he gets into but he finds the worst parts of the field to play in. left his fly mask on the other day. when i went to the barn the next day, it was absolutely filty, caked with mud. just something else he won't wear when he's turned out.


The fly mask should be worn in turnout to protect him from the flies. My horses have multiple masks. I throw them in the washing machine with the horse towels when they get dirty.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

mls said:


> The fly mask should be worn in turnout to protect him from the flies. My horses have multiple masks. I throw them in the washing machine with the horse towels when they get dirty.


It's a must have here, the flies have been awful this summer. We just rinse it as needed when we take it off in the evening and it's ready to go the next morning.


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## Endless Journey Girl (Jun 10, 2009)

The barn I took lessons at didn't have halters on their schoolies. With the exception of two of the horses who we both hard to catch at times. One wore a breakaway halter, the other a leather halter. I remember one day we were trying to catch this one horse WITH a halter on and she literally cantered to the other side of the paddock away from us. We tried to bribe her with food and it still didn't work. We ended up having to take the other 3 horses out of the paddock so we could coax her into coming. The other horse will try to bite you or rear and run off when trying to put the halter on. So I think if it's possible to catch your horse with out trouble then obviously you should keep the halter off. But there are always exceptions.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

I don't leave halters -- breakaway or otherwise -- on any of my horses in the main pasture, primarily because it is 98% woodlands, a little because all of my horses, with the occasional exception of Ruby, walk right up to me when they see me and then follow me back down to the house without a lead rope anyway; so I don't need to catch them in the pasture anyway. There have been times, however, when I've left a halter on them in the pasture. The most recent was when a big storm tore down most of our fences, and we were working three days straight to fix them all. Dante insisted on finding every hole in the fences, walking through it, and then forgetting how to get back into the pasture and panicking because the other horses had left. Most of my neighbors aren't very horse savvy and likely would've tied a piece of baling twine around his neck and dragged him back to the pasture, and most of them are men -- Dante has this fear of men (I have no idea where it's from, though I do have my suspicions) and usually gets pretty wild if a guy tries to lead him... I left a halter on him because I would rather someone catch him and tie that baling twine to a halter than around his neck. Also, the halter wasn't breakaway -- the only breakaways we can find that would fit him properly cost nearly three times his usual halters, and we wouldn't be able to get them for almost two weeks. So I took some elastic and tied one end on the chin snap and the other on the ring that the snap clipped to. If he got caught, either the elastic would slip, snap, or stretch. When we'd gotten the fences back up again, he hadn't lost his halter even once. 
I've also left a halter on when I leave a horse or two in the paddock or round pen -- but in that case, the horse is usually only there for a few hours while I'm waiting for the vet or farrier, or overnight when we're heading to a show at six in the morning and I don't want to spend three hours looking for horses in the pasture. I've checked the paddock and round pen over for things they could get caught on, and only once have I had a horse get caught -- someone parked a tractor by the fence and 2-Pak decided to reach across the fence while I was standing there and scratch his face on the bucket. He caught the crownpiece of his halter on a hook welded onto the bucket, stopped to stare at me, and then just slipped the halter right over his ears and off his head. That halter wasn't even loose on him. DX


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

mls said:


> The fly mask should be worn in turnout to protect him from the flies. My horses have multiple masks. I throw them in the washing machine with the horse towels when they get dirty.


None of the horses in my pasture can wear the, but the other pastures do. A fly mask lasts *literally* 5 minutes before it's ripped off and used as the toy of the day. There's a reason these 8 horses are together:roll:


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I had one family walk into my tack shop the other day. The little girl comes up to me a few minutes later asking which of the 3 rope halters would fit a small Welsh pony the best. I suggested one, and she said "great, I want one that fits because he's going to be wearing it 24/7."
I immediately drained of color (I'm sure) and spent a good few minutes lecturing this poor little girl on why it's unsafe to turnout in a halter period, much less a rope halter (gives me the willies just thinking about it!)
I suggested one type of halter that we carry that has a very thin leather crown so it's super breakaway. 
The father came up behind the little girl and said "no way. We are getting a thick nylon one, if the little **** gets hung up, tough luck."


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## 7Ponies (May 21, 2009)

I find that leather halters break easily as well and a lot of folks around me turn out with a leather halter.

Mine go naked  When I bring them in all I do is throw a rope over their necks and lead them in.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

For the record, I don't turn out in halters, ever.


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