# Stud Chains and Rope Halters



## Vloosa (Jul 11, 2018)

I have been told that rope halters are exactly like stud chains. Do you believe this?


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

No. I don't believe that they are, similar, but not the same.


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

Rope halters, used correctly, only apply as much pressure as the horse puts on himself. Their main advantage is that the horse can't lean into them the same way they can with a flat nylon or leather halter. And the pressure always goes wherever they're pulling, so it's intuitive. But they're not inherently harsh at all. I really like them for handling and groundwork. They help the horse pay attention and not bully the handler but they're in no way unkind.

Stud chains only apply pressure where they're placed, which isn't always logically related to the direction the horse is pulling, and are trickier to use in a way where they release well and quickly.

They both have their place though.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

SteadyOn said:


> Rope halters, used correctly, only apply as much pressure as the horse puts on himself. Their main advantage is that the horse can't lean into them the same way they can with a flat nylon or leather halter. And the pressure always goes wherever they're pulling, so it's intuitive. But they're not inherently harsh at all. I really like them for handling and groundwork. They help the horse pay attention and not bully the handler but they're in no way unkind.
> 
> Stud chains only apply pressure where they're placed, which isn't always logically related to the direction the horse is pulling, and are trickier to use in a way where they release well and quickly.
> 
> They both have their place though.


When used properly. (I wanted to edit your post to add that blurb - LOL)


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

​ 








​ 
I use a rope halter because it fits well under the bridle. My horses don't know what a flat halter is, nor a stud chain. But I guess I'd say there is nothing harsh about a rope halter.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Anything can be harsh. If you apply pressure with no relief, whether a rope halter, a stud chain, a lip chain or a bit and reins, you can be harsh and/or cruel. Used properly none of those things is harsh or cruel and they are all different.


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## Vloosa (Jul 11, 2018)

I am asking more in the context of where people think you should either never or only occasionally use rope halters because they think it is like a stud chain. People also think you should not ride or tie in the because they think it is like riding or tying with a stud chain.

I understand it is a tool, it is the hands, it all depends, etc..

Thank you for the answers.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Vloosa said:


> I am asking more in the context of where people think you should either never or only occasionally use rope halters because they think it is like a stud chain. People also think you should not ride or tie in the because they think it is like riding or tying with a stud chain.
> 
> I understand it is a tool, it is the hands, it all depends, etc..
> 
> Thank you for the answers.


My horses tie in rope halters, ride in the trailer in rope halters, cross tie in rope halters, do whatever we need to do in rope halters. The show horses also each have a flat nylon halter 'for show' but only use it when the need to be trotted in hand or something like that. The rope halter is our work beast.


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> My horses tie in rope halters, ride in the trailer in rope halters, cross tie in rope halters, do whatever we need to do in rope halters.


Ditto for me.


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## 15 hands (Apr 18, 2018)

I always use a rope halter. It's all I have. It's all I need. Funny how some people say rope halters shouldn't be used are the same ignorant people that turn their horse out 24/7 with a halter on. Then the horse gets caught in fence or something and injures itself or worse. Ooops.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I SOOO prefer a rope halter. so much easier (to me) to put on. I also ride in one, since my mount does not need a bit to ride in.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Vloosa said:


> I have been told that rope halters are exactly like stud chains. Do you believe this?


No...two totally different concepts.
To those that understand the principle behind each, the two pieces of equipment are not even used in the same sentence.
Each piece has a time and place for a skilled handler to educate and deliver a message, a lesson.
Each is humane or each is cruel depending upon the handlers ability and knowledge, same as any piece of tack/equipment is. 

I don't have rope halters, well actually I do but it collects dust in bucket bottom of my junk bucket.
There is also a difference to me, in a flat rope halter and one with knots across the noseband part...
I see many use a_ flat _rope halter under a bridle when riding.
I don't do that either...
So far I've never encountered anything where I could not slip my bridle off if my horse needed it and not have control of my horse {my reins are 10' long one piece with snap ends so a heck of a neck rope they make in a hurry}
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Vloosa said:


> I have been told that rope halters are exactly like stud chains. Do you believe this?


Is there any particular reason you keep asking for opinions on anything and everything? If you are during some sort of research maybe you should share that first. We might not want to take part in a research paper...


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Wondering about all the questions? Are you doing a research project? If so, please state that. If you're an Animal Rights person gathering data, please state that, too.


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## Vloosa (Jul 11, 2018)

AnitaAnne said:


> Is there any particular reason you keep asking for opinions on anything and everything? If you are during some sort of research maybe you should share that first. We might not want to take part in a research paper...





SilverMaple said:


> Wondering about all the questions? Are you doing a research project? If so, please state that. If you're an Animal Rights person gathering data, please state that, too.





Vloosa said:


> Hello,
> 
> I do agree that everything depends. I don't really like statements like "always" and "never."
> I was just wondering about what other people's opinions are. I'm not really looking are "right" or "wrong", per se. Though I would like to better myself with my horse(s), and I would like to know what the majority opinion is.
> ...


I am not writing a research paper. I am not an "Animal Rights Activist." I am not out to get anyone. This information is for me and my horse.

I use rope halters all the time. I tie my horse in them. I ride my horse in them.
I was wondering because I wouldn't want to tie/ride in a stud chain or anything "stud-chain-like" all the time on my horse. Yes, I know it's in the hands, it us just a tool, but you know what I mean.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

I just want to thank you all for sharing your experience with rope halters here. I had been taught to fear tying in them and felt like I was taking a big risk doing so (said something to that effect in another thread). It's helpful to hear that it's more common than I was taught. I do have one mare who has pulled back and wouldn't use one tying her, but this has definitely helped me reconsider something I learned was a "rule." Have had great success with using them in other contexts though.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

I've found that quite a few people raised riding English have a very poor opinion of rope halters, having been taught that it's better to tie in something that 'will break if it needs to because it's better to break a halter than the horse'. Western riders tend to have been raised in the 'make sure anything you tie with will NEVER break' for the horse's safety. It can be conflicting. Add in the old-fashioned rope halters made of cheap nylon that would burn the horse's face, burn the handler's hands, and were nearly impossible to untie if the horse sat back, and you can see where some of the misunderstandings come from.

Having been around horses for a long time and see what happens if a horse's halter breaks vs. what happens if one doesn't, I now prefer to tie with a sturdy rope halter and tied-on leadrope that will NOT BREAK. Generally, if a horse sits back on a rope halter, he'll soon come back forward again and be fine. If he happens to slip or throw himself down, the rope and halter, if tied short as they should be, will hold his head up so he can't thrash around and hurt himself-- cut him loose and he may be sore for a day or two, but likely not hurt seriously. If a horse happens to set back and something breaks, now you have a horse who is loose and scared and running, or one that flips over backward and slams his head into the ground, and he may or may not ever get up again. Most confirmed halter pullers will change their tune if you tie consistently with a good rope halter and lead so he can't break it. 

A rope halter properly adjusted will not slip off if he pulls, and if you tie it correctly, it won't snug down or jam tight. It's fast to cut with a sharp knife if you need to, and with no metal hardware to break, a good one will hold up to the shenanigans a rank horse will throw at it. You can ride a broke horse or a colt in one, they fit nicely under a bridle if you need a halter and lead for a trail ride, and they're light, inexpensive, and last forever. Anyone working around horses needs to have access to a sharp knife, whether you ride English in a dressage barn or western on a ranch. Carry one in your pocket, on your belt, or at least have a couple in easy-to-reach spots around the barn no matter what type of halter you decide to use. 

I don't turn horses out in halters ever, so tying on the lead rope works for me. I think some people misunderstand them and assume they're like a stud chain because some of the popular trainers talk about using one to get a horse's attention and because it applies pressure on pressure points. A horse who lugs on his halter of flat nylon may well change his tune if he tries it with a rope halter because the smaller cord makes it more uncomfortable for him. It's easier to get a horse's attention with one. But it's a far cry from a stud chain, and works very differently.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

horselovinguy said:


> No...two totally different concepts.
> To those that understand the principle behind each, the two pieces of equipment are not even used in the same sentence.
> Each piece has a time and place for a skilled handler to educate and deliver a message, a lesson.
> Each is humane or each is cruel depending upon the handlers ability and knowledge, same as any piece of tack/equipment is.



This is the part I agree with. Two totally different pieces of equipment with two totally different uses, so I don't really understand the comparison. 


Comparing types of haters (rope, nylon, leather) OR comparing types of leads (chain end, flat nylon, cotton rope, etc, but not with each other...why would anyone compare a halter to a lead?? 


A stud chain is a type of lead, also called a chain-end lead. Usually nylon or leather end. Used sometimes over the nose (stud chain), sometimes under the chin, sometimes in the mouth (thoroughbred lead).


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

AnitaAnne said:


> T
> Comparing types of haters (rope, nylon, leather) OR comparing types of leads (chain end, flat nylon, cotton rope, etc, but not with each other...why would anyone compare a halter to a lead??
> 
> 
> A stud chain is a type of lead, also called a chain-end lead. Usually nylon or leather end. Used sometimes over the nose (stud chain), sometimes under the chin, sometimes in the mouth (thoroughbred lead).


Exactly.

As a Brit I've never owned a rope halter, they do seem to have drifted over there now with the influence of western based Natural Horsemanship.
We used to have webbing halters but unless you were showing welsh cobs they were seen as something that people who couldn't afford leather or nylon headcollars used!!

A nylon halter won't break unless its got a breakaway poll piece and unless you've got a cheap leather one they don't break too easily either.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

jaydee said:


> Exactly.
> 
> As a Brit I've never owned a rope halter, they do seem to have drifted over there now with the influence of western based Natural Horsemanship.
> We used to have webbing halters but unless you were showing welsh cobs they were seen as something that people who couldn't afford leather or nylon headcollars used!!
> ...


I wonder how much having a single horse vs multiple horses goes into the leather vs nylon or webbing halter goes into it too? Most leather halters worth having cost close to $100 or more, I can get a very nice Hamilton web halter for around $30. Since I have between 10-20 horses at any one time, and people leave the halters hanging just any old where, I prefer to actually even use the rope ones for every day. I can buy a good rope one for about $15-20, save the pretty web ones for shows and save the fancy leather & silver ones for showing in hand. My foal halter alone cost me $500. 










Add a 1" leather lead with 30" chain (required for showing) at $60 and you're looking at a pretty good investment, not for every day use. 










Here's one of the Hamiltons that I use, around $35.










And the rope halters I use, $20 plus a lead rope for about $30. Knotty Girlz Yacht Braid 9/16" diameter Polyester Lead Ropes


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

I usually get the Double Diamond #100 series halter.


















I like the ones _*without*_ the extra knots on the nose. 

I think I've bought 4 in the last 18 years ... I just bought Pi a new one.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I keep leather halters/headcollars for 'best' - they need to be cleaned regularly if they're going to stay good and that's just extra work.
In the UK you can buy a cheap nylon one for between £3 to £10 (so an average of $10). A Rambo breakaway nylon costs £24 ($30)
The crazy thing is that because they're more of a 'speciality item' over there you'd pay more for a rope halter - £19.00 including shipping for a knotted hand tied one


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I keep leather halters/headcollars for 'best' - they need to be cleaned regularly if they're going to stay good and that's just extra work.
In the UK you can buy a cheap nylon one for between £3 to £10 (so an average of $10). A Rambo breakaway nylon costs £24 ($30)
The crazy thing is that because they're more of a 'speciality item' over there you'd pay more for a rope halter - £19.00 including shipping for a knotted hand tied one


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Possibly you could compare a stud chain run over the nose with a heavily-knotted, stiff rope halter. They are both designed to control an unruly horse. 

In the western part of the US, soft rope halters are just "halters". It's what most people use for all general purposes.

I do have a leather stable halter I use for trailering, because my horse is a fool in the trailer and it would be just like her to tangle herself up somehow in her own halter. It did not cost me any $100 or even close and if it had I sure wouldn't use it for trailering!


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I used a rope halter before they became cool and the clinicians sold them for $50+ a pop because that's all we had..lol.

In my opinion trying a horse at the appropriate length and height is more pertinent to safety than the type of halter you are using.(comparing nylon web to rope)

I have some nylon halters for spares but the rope halters get used first and the most and the cheapo leather halters get used before the nylon.

I halter break colts in a rope halter, no issues.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I use rope halters because they fit under my bridles nicely for trail riding. I tie with them too. I don't want my horses to break loose when tied. 

My very first horse was a halter puller. Rope halters weren't common at the time so he was busting out of my nylon halters (breaking the hardware on the lead rope usually). I started tying him in a "Be-Nice" halter and he would set back and learned to come forward again. He actually got better over time. It wasn't until years later that I learned you weren't supposed to tie with them! 

I just got tired of him breaking halters and setting back and thrashing like an idiot. I wanted to stop that behavior if I could. And it worked for the most part. But once a halter puller, I don't think you can ever trust them 100% again. There will always be a chance something could trigger them to set back.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

jaydee said:


> Exactly.
> 
> As a Brit I've never owned a rope halter, they do seem to have drifted over there now with the influence of western based Natural Horsemanship.
> We used to have webbing halters but unless you were showing welsh cobs they were seen as something that people who couldn't afford leather or nylon headcollars used!!
> ...


Yeah the yard I am at LOADS of people use rope halters. The other yards were your typical English places but the one I'm at? Loads of natural horsemanship going on compared. I thought it was pretty cool. One lady often swaps between english and western riding depending on her fancy including a full swap of tack. Our very english YM only uses rope halters and loves them more. I personally have no need really but am not against either.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

egrogan said:


> I just want to thank you all for sharing your experience with rope halters here. I had been taught to fear tying in them and felt like I was taking a big risk doing so


I too hard tie (most of - 2 newest I wouldn't yet) my horses in rope halters. BUT...

It is a too 'big risk' IMO to hard tie a horse in _anything_ by their head/neck if they haven't first been taught well to come off pressure/be 'tied' safely. And it's a bigger risk when using something that's thin across their easily damaged poll, & strong enough that it's not likely to break.

Therefore I would not hard tie a horse in a rope halter especially, until they're well trained & reliable about 'tying' in safe ways, such as using a long rope looped around a rail, horizontal branch or such, or using a 'tie ring', so that if/when they do pull back, they don't come up against unyielding pressure that can just make them panic & pull harder, if they're not ready for it.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

I was a very, very slow convert to rope halters. Being used to the traditional look of nylon or leather halters, rope halters looked sloppy to me, and I disliked having to tie and untie a knot instead of just using a clip or buckle. 

Just in the last few months I have finally decided rope halters are OK. 

I've seen horses pull back very badly in nylon halters and rope halters. My two cents is that I want hardware on any type of halter. I wouldn't tie a horse with a thick lead rope (difficult to cut through) to a rope halter that had no hardware on it. I'm fine with hard tying any trained horse with a rope halter or nylon halter, as long as there is a metal piece or clip somewhere. Or if the lead rope is thin enough to cut through easily, that might work out. But I've seen horses just destroying themselves a couple of times hard tied (at group events or shows) and if there is a 1,000 lb horse thrashing you may not be able to get close to the lead in order to release a slip knot, even if you tie one that doesn't cinch down a bit under that force. 

Both rope halters and nylon halters will rip through skin and damage bones on the face if a horse is pulling back hard enough. I was taught like @egrogan that rope halters were more dangerous. The thin rope can cut into the face but the sides of flat nylon also tend to do that. Metal hardware will break if a horse is in that much of a panic. I believe it's more likely the metal will break before enough force is used where the horse is harming bones, damaging facial nerves, or damaging neck cartilage. 

People have to decide whether they would rather have a horse get loose or risk injury in a bad pull back. My opinion is that it is possible for a horse to get loose when being led, or ridden (losing the rider), so I already take that risk. I've seen so many horses that pulled back badly, got loose and then rolled back or sat stunned, and they were easily caught before getting away. I'd rather have this than have a horse slicing his legs up on the metal of a trailer while remaining firmly attached to it. 

I'm starting to like using rope halters, and am getting used to the look. I've seen horses break the metal clips on lead ropes many times when tied without injury, no harm done, so that's the method I use just in case. Also I tie with a safety knot.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I think this is a picture from when Bandit was being taught to stand still while tied. Either that, or his owner just liked having a quick release knot on the halter:








​ 
Find it hard to believe the rope halter is all that more likely to cause a problem. They are close to universal where I live.

Mia hated being tied up. We built a hitching post with 8" thick wood when we first got her. My wife had the idea of trying Mia up when I wasn't home. With a rope halter. Mia broke one of the posts, raced around briefly dragging it behind her, then stopped and waited for my wife to make things better. However, that pull didn't injure Mia. No cuts or any sign of extra sensitivity behind the ears. Maybe one of the beams was just bad and broke. That was the last time Mia was tied until we hired a trainer a few years later.

The trainer used a long lead rope and stood there, increasing and releasing pressure, until Mia was convinced it was OK to just stand. Used a rope halter doing it. We didn't have any trees tall enough and strong enough to tie a horse at the height people say. Teaching a horse to stand while tied is one of the things I've never tried. I watched it but didn't try it myself. We do our grooming and saddling with the horse untied. The three we have now know about standing while tied. Ranch horses tend to learn that early on.

Found this on the Internet. It describes how Mia was taught to stand still tied. Like this guy, the trainer we hired (a wonderful woman who did so much to help us) believed you taught a horse to get its own release incrementally. Done this way, I don't see how rope or flat halter would make much difference - although this guy and the trainer we hired both used rope halters:

http://ianleightonhorsemanship.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Tying-Up.pdf


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

IMO something breakable/releasable should be used in a trailer. I use thin nylon halters, lead rope with small (weak) snap and a quick release knot. Usually the hardware is the first to break, so I don't like to use rope halters in the trailer, as there is typically no hardware on them. 


I had a mare that could sit back and break the strongest triple nylon halter without injuring herself. The hardware is always what broke; didn't matter how strong it was, she broke it easily. Three halters later, I invested in a couple of bungee ties and she never broke another halter and no more panic. 


In the old days, horses were trained not to pull back by tying then to a rubber inner tube from tires.


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

loosie said:


> It is a too 'big risk' IMO to hard tie a horse in _anything_ by their head/neck if they haven't first been taught well to come off pressure/be 'tied' safely. And it's a bigger risk when using something that's thin across their easily damaged poll, & strong enough that it's not likely to break.
> 
> Therefore I would not hard tie a horse in a rope halter especially, until they're well trained & reliable about 'tying' in safe ways, such as using a long rope looped around a rail, horizontal branch or such, or using a 'tie ring', so that if/when they do pull back, they don't come up against unyielding pressure that can just make them panic & pull harder, if they're not ready for it.


It seems like something that does not need to be said, but because of that it DOES need to be said.  And repeatedly. I think most of us who tie in the trailer and hard tie with a rope halter agrees that the horse must be taught FIRST to tie safely. You just don't instantly tie off in a rope halter. 

IME, a horse (once taught to tie safely) may set back in a rope halter (as they can in any halter), but I have never had them set back more than once. 

Rope halters, like many tools, are a preference. It's OK to use them. It's OK NOT to use them. It's OK not to like them. It OK to like them. Don't really make no never mind what type of halter you choose to use.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I am really enjoying how everyone is so respectful of others opinions/ideas! 

No heated arguments starting :thumbsup:


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Vloosa said:


> I have been told that rope halters are exactly like stud chains. Do you believe this?



Rope halters are NOT like stud chains.


I always use rope halters on my horses.
I've never once used a stud chain.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

No, but I prefer rope halters over nylon halters. They are great for groundwork & they can add pressure.

Nothing like a stud chain IMO.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

AnitaAnne said:


> I am really enjoying how everyone is so respectful of others opinions/ideas!
> 
> No heated arguments starting :thumbsup:


I agree. It really is a risk/benefit assessment and people will decide for themselves what the greater risk is. It can greatly depend on what type of horse you have. For instance, a level headed QH or Mustang may get very panicked but still have enough brain to decide suicide is not the answer. A certain type of Arab in a panic might not think at all, and do things like collapse or attempt neck-twisting somersaults to writhe free. 

I've met some tricky horses that learned they could pull back and get loose, and had to be trained not to do it with unbreakable hard tying. They were not afraid, there was no danger about them feeling trapped. It was a trick they learned.

One of my Arabs never related breaking a halter to getting loose from being tied, because she was trained to tie and accepted it. It was only a way to get out of feeling trapped when terribly frightened, so for her it was not a problem to allow her to get loose if she ever got badly spooked. Some horses are like this, and for them it is better to give them the option to get free.

Agree with @bsms that the method he posted is a good way to teach horses to tie, and I use a similar method of gradual sensitization. What you have on the horse's head really only matters in a worst case scenario type of situation. Worst case scenarios are not something we have to plan for, but some of us feel better about doing so. Your horse is hanging by his neck twisted up in unbreakable materials, you can't get in to free him. My mind likes to imagine the bull snap on a lead rope breaking apart as I've seen in similar but not quite as extreme situations.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

my gelding odie can be VERY pushy and is a ADD child at heart. he will sometimes lean or just pull away slightly but for the entire time i'm holding him. he dose this in a rope halter. now he would just WALK AWAY with me attached in a flat halter so its an improvement. but to save my arms when he wants to play these games i put him in his leather halter with stud chain. he will pull a couple times and quit because the chain dose its job. a rope halter dose demand respect from the horse a lot better than a flat halter and i honestly prefer them but they are not as harsh as a stud chain. the chain is definitely a step up in that regard. i have used both and as i said, i dont always need the chain with odie as a rope halter is normally enough but there are times that i will use the chain to remind him that IM in charge and if he dose not like it he can talk to the chain.


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## thecolorcoal (Jan 28, 2015)

i am just starting to leave the english AA circuit and go back to natural horsemanship/western despite being an english rider, and i will be buying myself a new rope halter for the transition and leaving my leather halter home for shows. When I first got my horse I knew nothing about rope halters and used a stud chain as was customary, and that was how i was taught. My horse came with a pink rope halter and I found it extremely ineffective, but so was the stud chain.

The only rope halter I have used that has sent a strong message was the CA-style with double knots. Tyra HATES that halter and so did my friend's four year old. She used to tremble when I brought it over to her. No lie. It was too strong for her. These days she needs nothing around her nose though moving to the new barn we will need something to remind her the rules are still the same.

I find the double knots extremely effective but it can be very harsh for a horse that is sensitive. However I found the plain rope halters about as useful as a nylon. So I am not sure where the jury lies for me? I tend to use a rope halter when we have serious ground manner issues, like for youngsters. My horse is pretty seasoned now but back in the day boy did that rope halter save my butt!


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

^ I hate the ones with the extra knots of the nose. Those tend to lie directly over the facial nerves, and can be extremely unpleasant for the horse. If you need one for a particularly pushy horse, fine, but once he's working better 20 minutes later, use a regular rope halter with the smooth nose.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I started using rope halters because the metal buckle on the regular nylon halters annoyed my mare. She is so touchy. I would not tie her with one if she were not already trained to stand tied. 

I originally bought a few of them because they were on sale for $5 each.


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## Rnaturalhorsemanship (Jul 19, 2018)

i Personally love rope halters. My horses respond better to rope halters than they do regular halters. I've never once used a stud chain on my horses, I have trained another persons horse with a stud chain upon their request. Although I wouldn't encourage it, unless your horse needs more pressure, i would still go with a rope halter. 

xxx
Rachel


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## thecolorcoal (Jan 28, 2015)

@SilverMaple, i agree. i don't like them either. especially for my horse, but i will *admit *they work... regrettably. but it's the equivalent of punching someone in the face for doing a minor infraction.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

It is all in the hands on the lead or the action of the horse. Just like with a stud chain if it is on correctly they correct themselves before you need to correct them. If they proceed to go beyond their self inflicted correction then the reprimand should be instantaneous and fit the infraction. Just having it on should not cause discomfort or pain.


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