# Halter Bred Horses



## TexasBlaze (Oct 4, 2010)

Generally horses whom are fitted for halter cannot move naturally due to all the muscle. It literally restricts movement and makes it hard for the horse to get around much less be ridden. Also having so much muscle on such thin bone from the day theyre born can cause a horse to break down physically very early on in their careers from the sheer weight theyre put under.


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## JustAwesome (Jun 22, 2011)

My boy is performance bred (halters and rides) and has stunning movement, he floats along the ground beautifully.

Depends on the horse!


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

I think you have to look at each horse individually.Many halter horses are fed up & legs are shot from the overfeeding & bulk,plus some farrier practices are questionable.If they weren't put through this in their young years & managed well I know MANY halter horses that are used for riding.Some halter lines are not going to be much for riders agreed but others you will see doing many other things than just halter {RH Mr Imprint,Barlink Macho Man...there are many just look at the leading sires list & see how many of them are on BOTH leading halter & performance lists.I own a 2X superior APHA halter mare,She is our go to horse for general riding. Most not going to be fancy movers that would excel in the WP/HUS type disciplines but for general trail,roping,ranch work is where you will see more. Don't go by all by stereotypes:-x,My mare is 13 yrs old has lots of bone good size feet & has never been lame a day in her life:wink:


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## countryryder (Jan 27, 2012)

It does depend on the horse. The ranch I used to work for has a stallion who is a major halter champion,many times over,but he's also a champion rope horse.


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## spurstop (Mar 22, 2012)

RH Mr Imprint has sired multiple horses that have shown under saddle.

The idea that a halter horse can't or shouldn't be ridden following a halter career is, frankly, idiotic. Plenty of horses get broke and go on to be ridden. Often they are not the fanciest movers, but it is not uncommon to see ex-halter geldings in particular go on to show at local levels.


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## BarrelRacingLvr (Feb 26, 2012)

All the halter bred horses I have seen are these HUGE horses on 000 feet....THAT scares me. So I stay away from them just because of their feet....really how good can all that weight be on such little hooves? 

And also halter horses wouldn't fit in my program....I am not a fan of their build or body structure.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Many of the typically conformed halter horses are not only uncomfortable to ride (those stick-straight legs and shoulders offer no shock absorption at all), but their conformation simply doesn't lend them a favorable chance of a long lasting riding career. Because their joints are so straight; straight hocks, straight shoulders, and very upright pasterns, it puts a lot of jarring wear and tear on their body which can lead to early onset arthritis, even if their joints _aren't_ ruined by overfeeding at a young age. Their leg bones are usually very light for their body size and, IMHO, the combination of the upright pasterns and super small feet seems to predispose them to Navicular issues.

Of course, this isn't true of every halter bred horse out there so you must judge each horse on his own conformation and then decide if he's something that you want.


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

You aren't talking about a halter horse - you are talking about his sire being a halter horse. Thus, much will depend upon the dam. Some halter horses, Impressive being the prime example, although themselves not performance horses, have sired great performance horses in lots of disciplines when the right mares were used. If the dam is herself heavily halter bred and conformed, you might have a problem...if not, you might have a great horse. In either case, judge the horse on its own merits rather than his sire and dam. Ancestry is very important when selecting breeding stock, but once a horse is on the ground it is what it is...


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## spurstop (Mar 22, 2012)

A good halter horse doesn't have a straight shoulder... just pointing that out.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Our mother/daughter (Intimadated Skip/Ultimate Fleet) halter bred pair are both very good on/off trail riding horses. They don't have tiny feet, are quick and sure footed through the woods, and can go all day. You do need some space between the trees to keep your knees intact, though. Intimadated Skip Paint


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I wouldn't discount a horse just because he has a halter bred parent. Evaluate him for what he is and determine if he is capable of doing what you want to do with him.


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## uflrh9y (Jun 29, 2012)

spurstop said:


> RH Mr Imprint has sired multiple horses that have shown under saddle.
> 
> The idea that a halter horse can't or shouldn't be ridden following a halter career is, frankly, idiotic. Plenty of horses get broke and go on to be ridden. Often they are not the fanciest movers, but it is not uncommon to see ex-halter geldings in particular go on to show at local levels.


As idiotic as it is, it is very true (or at least was back in the 90's). Since I did my studies in Florida, when I think of big halter farms I think of Classic Acres. Look at their past stallions, Kid Clu, Sockett Sensation, DreamFinder (who died after years of suffering laminitis, no surprise). Every one of them (and I have seen most of them close up) are muscle men with tiny tiny feet. 

Now if you go back even farther, halter classes were about finding the perfect standard that showed of form to function....emphasis on the function. That's what halter should be in my mind. Hopefully it has gone more towards that and less towards super emphasizing certain traits and giving up others. 

I agree with everyone, look at each horse individually. However, if someone says that a horses sire was bred FOR halter, I would be lying if I didn't say I would be a little concerned.


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## EthanQ (Sep 5, 2011)

Thank you everyone. Your help has cleared much of my confusion and I will put it to good use in my decision. Godbless


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