# Properly fitting a rope halter.



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Maybe someone can answer this for me. In recent months and years, I have begun to see more and more people using rope halters. That, in itself, isn't the question because I use them as well. However, I see more and more people handling horses with the halters tied on like this.

















And I am not picking on Parelli in particular, it's just that he and his students are where I most often see it.









This picture is from his website










My question is this: Why? Why do they have the halter hanging halfway off the horse's face? Is there some special purpose that none of the rest of us are privy to? That, to me, is an improperly tied and fitted halter.

IMHO, a properly tied rope halter should look like this


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I agree with you: it should be up farther. Abby's slips down once in a while (I only use it when lunging because her neoprene lined one makes her face sweat and get itchy) because it's older and stretched out. One day I was leaving the arena after it had slipped. This older lady stopped me and yanked it up and goes "Don't want this down this far or it'll cut off her airway." It was down about where those last two pictures (not including Rafe) are.


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## Dressage10135 (Feb 11, 2009)

Thank you for bringing this up Jen. It seems there are more people with rope halters because they think they are "trainers" or its "what so and so uses". The problem is that when they aren't tied properly it can get super dangerous. I honestly have no idea why people wouldn't realize that a super loose or too big halter is ok. 

To me, the horses that have them on the correct way look more comfortable. Could just be me seeing things though :lol:


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I always have mine about where Rafe's is. Sometimes it slides down a little lower because I haven't tightened it enough but then I always fix it so it's back up.
I think it may be because with a traditional halter the chin strap thingy should be about mid-cheek, so maybe people are trying for that with rope halters too?
Those first pictures seem highly dangerous to me, what happens if the horse is tied and pulls back enough to get out of the noseband part (since it's down so low) and it's only haltered by the poll strap? :shock:


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

It's one thing if it loosens up a bit while you are working them. I think pretty much everyone has that problem at least occasionally. It's just when they put them on so loose to begin with that it makes me wonder what they could possibly be thinking.

Not only do they run the risk of having the noseband end up completely off (or in the horse's mouth) if they pull a bit, but also a well timed head shake or a light rub could result in a loose horse.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Great thread! I agree, I see the noseband of those halters go too low too often.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The throatlatch should fit in the throatlatch area and the noseband about two fingers below the jaw bone. When a nose band gets too low the cartilage can be broken if the horse should struggle against the halter. When a knotted halter is put on too low it is not functioning how it was designed.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Oh, Liz, did I mention that I am halfway to your barn to pick Peanut up? I expect him to be caught and ready to load when I get there :wink:.


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

I agree with the thread *and* you will have to fight me for peanut. What a handsome hunka flesh he is!


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Jen, this should be stickied. 
If you're up for it, could you please post something about the correct way to tie a rope halter? I don't have a rope halter myself but have used them lots in the past - one of my (many - ha!) pet peeves is improperly tied rope halters. An employee of mine was notorious for tying them wrong... one day a horse flipped out, set back and the knot slipped so the noseband was suffocating him - had I not had a knife to cut the leadrope, I have no doubt the situation could have ended very badly. 
Regarding your original post - I also hate seeing horses turned out (even supervised) with rope halters so poorly adjusted. That's just asking for the horse to step through it and have a wreck.

PS - back off ladies, I laid claim to Peanut long before any of you!!!!

PPS - that picture should be the poster for this thread "properly fitted halter = happy poneh!"


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

I have a rope halter that i bought and for the life of me i cannot figure out how to tighten the part you attach the lead rope to, can anyone walk me through it or direct me to a website that might be able to help?


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Following what Rachel said, if someone would care to explain how to resize a rope halter, that would be lovely. I can't remember if someone has mentioned it before. Abby's fits her head for the most part, but the nose band could stand to be a bit smaller, as it has stretched out from use, as demonstrated from this picture. It's wayyy off to the side. 









PS - The horrified face is how she feels about the pictures posted in the OP. :lol:


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I want to reply later, but Poseidon, that nose is too large and it's tied incorrectly  I will post a pic later if Jen doesn't.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I know. I went to the left through the loop instead of the right.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Allie, I wish I had thought about that this afternoon. I had Denny up making a little instruction video and it would have been so easy to do another about adjusting and tying one correctly. That may be a good job for tomorrow, I'm sure he doesn't mind the alfalfa pellets he gets as payment for being my model LOL.

Po, I never have had a whole lot of luck adjusting a halter that had been used. Sometimes, you can weave some of the nose band length back through the fiador knot (just above the lead rope loop). That makes the lead rope loop slightly bigger and the nose slightly smaller. Normally if it's been used, though, the knots are too tight to re-adjust. You may have better luck searching out a new one.

Rachel, do you mean the fiador knot that connects the nose, throat latch, and lead rope loop? How do you mean tighten it?

Here is a decent diagram on how to properly tie one.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

That's what I figured. I doubt I'll be using it during the summer at all. I have no idea how old that one is. Her previous owner gave it to me because that's what she rode Abby in and didn't use it otherwise. 

And fail on my part, like I mentioned. I was in a hurry and when I threw the rope halter on her and tied it backwards. It didn't stay on long, just enough to saddle her, so she didn't get whacked in the face with the ends or anything.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Ah, don't worry about it Po, it happens .


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## Dressage10135 (Feb 11, 2009)

Woah, woah, woah!! If any of you think you are stealing mr nuthead you are all sadly mistaken!! :lol: 

Glad to know he's got some admirers though :wink: 

In my little experience with the rope halters, I have found that for some reason they seem to stay on better on the larger headed horses. Is that just me?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I've not really noticed that much, but I do find it hard to keep them correct on horses that have small jowls or an exceptionally small nose.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Yep, this is how I tie mine. Ignore the knot on the wrong side; it was the first I'd made and I made it backwards :lol:. I don't like it lower on the nose; it has a different place for pressure and the possibility of the noseband slipping below the nose, or a hoof getting caught, is just too great when it's loose like that.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Huzzah! While at the barn today, I followed the way the rope was tied and messed with the fiador knot and got the noseband much smaller so it fits so much better. The loop at the bottom is decently bigger, but certainly not huge.


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

smrobs said:


> Rachel, do you mean the fiador knot that connects the nose, throat latch, and lead rope loop? How do you mean tighten it?


The halter i have fits around her head well but the nose is huge, I tried the smaller size was too small around her head. I was trying to make the nose smaller which would make the loop to attach the lead rope to larger. Ive used hers a few times but not enough that the knots are too tight to adjust. I also bought a rope halter/bitless bridal combo for my appy and while I have not tried it on him yet I can tell it is going to be pretty big in the nose area.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Rachel, it seems like it would make the loop huge, but it doesn't actually make it that big. Just follow where the noseband goes into the fiador knot and pull it through until it makes the leadrope loop bigger. Takes about 4 seconds.

This is her halter now. You can just barely see the loop because her ugly brown halter blends in with the stall door, but it's straight down from the knot, obviously.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

how i make sure to have it tight is the knot at the throatlatch, i make sure it's AT the throatlatch, it puts the noseband in the sweet spot every time. wrongly fitting rope halter is a pet peeve of mine and i am constantly fitting my sister's when she leads her horse up to saddle her.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Po, that looks infinitely better .


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## munschk (Mar 11, 2008)

I think a huge problem is how different every horse's head shape is and how many (but not all) manufacturers have set sizes you can order in. I believe ALL rope halter should come with directions on tying correctly, correct placement and how to adjust the size.

I found my mare very difficult to fit and had to resort to learning how to tie one myself to custom make one for herself.

Though that can also be a problem as anyone can make on, the instructions are all over the web, but I don't think everyone goes past the mere instructions and looks into how it should fit, what's the best type of rope to use etc.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AllHorseStuff (Jun 17, 2011)

Saddlebag said:


> The throatlatch should fit in the throatlatch area and the noseband about two fingers below the jaw bone. When a nose band gets too low the cartilage can be broken if the horse should struggle against the halter. When a knotted halter is put on too low it is not functioning how it was designed.


I was wondering why the throatlatch portion of the halter should not be so low, thanks for explaining that.


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