# How to take off a halter under the bridle!!



## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Why don't you teach your horse to be bridled with the halter or lead around his neck instead?


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

^^That's what we do. Undo the pole strap, let the halter fall off the muzzle, and bring it back to the neck and redo the pole strap. This can be done in seconds before the horse moves away. If that fails, loop a lead rope around their neck before taking the halter off.
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## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

My horse has problems with his ears due to him being abused at an earlier time in his life. I was taught to put the halter around the horse's neck but it's almost impossible to get the bridle on without one..it does bother me when people leave the halter on without a reason..it really is quite easy when you don't have a horse that swings its head.
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## iloverains (Apr 1, 2011)

Not a problem, was a little tricky to understand 

and mom2pride and usandpets - I would agree, but I have had some 'trouble' horses, ones that don't want the bit in and ones afraid of their ears being touched. Leaving the halter on just gives you a little more control. 

Especially when it's a 'know it all' young stallion that thinks his hot stuff and wants the mares over in the back paddock that does not want the bit in


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## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

LOL! I know the type.. I feel bad for him because it's mostly a fear but now I'm just so fed up with it..he gets me worked up haha
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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

On those type of horses, ones with problems/lack of training, wouldn't it be better to leave it on? Wouldn't you have the same problem taking the bridle off and putting the halter back on?
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## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

It's not something I will do everytime but it is definitely something helpful for when I do shows or ride with other people..I am doing a photoshoot type thing so it will be helpful then 

And as for getting it back on, my horse is better with that because I don't have to touch his ears to do so.
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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

WesternBella said:


> My horse has problems with his ears due to him being abused at an earlier time in his life. I was taught to put the halter around the horse's neck but it's almost impossible to get the bridle on without one..it does bother me when people leave the halter on without a reason..it really is quite easy when you don't have a horse that swings its head.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Why not desensitize his ears to being touched and teach him to lower and give you his head to be bridled? 

Just sounds like a way to work around their problems than fixing them.
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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

that link does not work for me.

I have seen people take off rope halters AFTER the bridle is totally on (except for the noseband tightend)

Like this:

put rope halter on normal way.
put bridle on right over it, even putting bit into horse's mouth.
undo rope halter from the top , as normal. 
let it drop down. The bit will prevent you from being able to take it off.
take the nose portion down below the nose/lips and lift it up INTO the horse's mouth and up and over the bit, which is also inside the mouth. It will come out the other side, the side of the mouth which is part of the lower jaw. Hores will kind of spit it out. 
Now you can pull the whole thing away from his head
Voila!

This is one of the Parelli excersizes. I think it's a lot of bother, but it does teach the horse to accept you putting your hands and all kinds of things into his mouth.


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## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

Yes, that is how you do it tinyliny ) sorry about the link though.

usandpets- it's just something that will never be fixed with him. although I have been doing some desensitizing with getting close to his ears/touching his forelock and he really is getting better!
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## iloverains (Apr 1, 2011)

Tinyliny, that's what I mean  hahah, yours is just a detailed explanation 

and usandpets - he was happy to spit the bit out! and yeah, working on them not being scared or fearful is no.1 but when they are 20 years old set in their ways and Arabian... it takes a while....


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I have retrained many horses who have ear and head shy issues...it may take longer to get completely past the head tossing, but it's not impossible; it is more dependent on your patience and knowledge. 

My current mare was both ear and head shy when I got her, and she also hated the sound of the chin strap on the bit...it still startles her some days, but I can bridle her without issues, without a halter or lead rope on if I wanted...somedays we have to go back and re-desensitize, but it takes but a few moments compared to when I first restarted her.


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## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

Unless the horse is head shy, which should then be "fixed" with lots of time and patience and rewards, then I really just prefer to take the halter off completely and have them lower their heads to be bridled. I taught Indie that when her bridle goes on, good things happen. So she's more than happy to stand quietly and even lower her nose into her hack  Same sort of method I used to get her to let me touch all over her ears (she was unhandled when I first got her), I worked slowly, every time my hand went higher towards her ears, she'd get some sort of food treat, and when I did get to touch her ears I found a good itchy spot and rubbed it for her then stopped for the day. Did it every day, and still do whenever I go outside to see her. Eventually I traded the food treats for just scratching those itchy spots around her ears as rewards, this method really worked well and made bridling a complete ease.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

If I am out and about when my horse is potentially distracted (trail, show, etc) or riding a green horse, I will toss the reins over the near side of my horses neck and then slip the halter off and the bridle on.


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## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

The main reason I use the halter is to have control over his head..if anyone wants to know my technique for getting the bridle on..I can explain it lolol
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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

When I take a stallion to a show and I don't have a stall to tack up in, I will bridle over a halter. I will never trust a stallion enough to just have the halter around the neck.

I have a special halter that is made for this. It has a noseband that also unbuckles so that it can be removed from under the bridle.

better safe than sorry, IMO.


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## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

that's awesome..a good idea actually 
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## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

Here's the best way to put a bridle on a ear-shy horse:

-First, I use a tie down to keep him from flinging his head too much.
-Get the bit in his mouth
-Quickly get the left ear through
-If I can, I will quickly grab and put his right ear through, sometimes it's not that easy so I will resort to having his left side completely against a wall so he can't move
-Do up the throat latch 
-Remove the tie-down 
-Remove the halter )

I know it's mean to have his head against the wall..but sometimes there's no other way. (Lately, he's been pretty good about it )
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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

WesternBella said:


> Here's the best way to put a bridle on a ear-shy horse:
> 
> -First, I use a tie down to keep him from flinging his head too much.
> -Get the bit in his mouth
> ...


No offense, but you are bridling this horse in a such a dangerous manner, it's amazing you have not been injured yet. You pin him against a wall, and you 'hold' his head down, as well as rushing to pull his ears through the bridle? This is all clausterphobic for a horse, and he is a saint for allowing you to do this to him. I have witnessed people get their heads whacked really hard because the horse panicked by doing just ONE of these things to their horses let alone all three. It's not mean to be doing this it's just not smart. Just one time of him panicking, and you can land in the hospital with a concussion, or smashed in nose or worse. 

Just because he is an older horse doesn't mean he can't relearn to trust you to pull a bridle on properly onto his head...OR simply unfasten his bridle so you can put it on like a halter...it's a pain, but MUCH safer than what you are doing currently. Or invest in a halter-bridle combo, so all you have to do is slip the bit in his mouth and snap the bit in place, rather than fussing with the bridle.


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