# Buying halter for lesson horse - would you be offended?



## Opus (Jan 3, 2011)

I'm probably thinking too much about this, but I don't want to get on my trainer's bad side or offend her in any way because she's great. So, I'm hoping to maybe get a couple of opinions. (My trainer's also the BO.)

I ride at a small, laid back barn. I don't board there, I just take lessons. Anyway, one of the horses I ride doesn't have a halter and lead rope that's designated for them. So, the trainer just tells me to grab one from the barn. Which means taking one of the private boarders halters/ropes from the aisle.

This makes me _very_ uneasy. Kind of like if the horse owner walked in, and I had their halter, I'd feel like a thief, or that I'd been 'caught.' I've seen barn drama erupt over a missing curry comb, much less a halter. 

So, I went out and bought a halter and lead rope. It's nothing fancy at all. Just a simple halter with throat latch and nylon lead. But now I wonder if I'll be stepping on my trainer's toes if I come walking up with them in tow. I wouldn't want it just for me, but also for other people that use that lesson horse.

Would you be offended if a student did this?


----------



## Romantic Lyric (Dec 31, 2009)

I think that's very nice of you. If I were her that's what I'd think. If you're still nervous about her seeing it as charity or an insult or whatever, you could still call it "your" halter that you would like to use on the horse, like a favorite crop that you bought yourself or something.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## GreyRay (Jun 15, 2010)

You could ask her if she would mind you buying the horse a halter since he doesnt have one, and tell her you would really like to since you dont have a horse of your own to buy one for. She doesnt have to know you already have it 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Heavens no! If you were my student I would be impressed that you cared that much.


----------



## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I kind of don't think she'd care that much. If she said just go grab a random halter, then I don't think it would matter very much if you used your own every time. But it also doesn't hurt to ask!


----------



## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

I don't think that she would mind in the least. Having worked at a small lesson facility, I can tell you that its very time consuming, and hard, not to mention expensive to makes sure that you've got enough different sized saddles to fit any students you may get, and that will fit the horses, plus the bridles and bits for each horse, and halters that fit each horse, in addition to the helmets and boots needed for the students. So I think that she would be pleased that you took it upon yourself to get the horse his own halter instead of using whatever one you could grab and hope it was okay.


----------



## Opus (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks so much for the replies, y'all. 

I honestly didn't/don't think it would have been a problem, but it is a small barn and it's just her doing everything, so I didn't want her to think it was charity, or that I was being a snob. 

Anyway, I'll take it out there tomorrow and see what she says. Thanks again!


----------



## phoenix (Jun 7, 2010)

i think it's great that you did this for the horse you ride and if i don't think the BO will be offended. I used to work at a small lesson/training barn and we had a lot of older school horses and lots of students so we had to cater for a lot. sometimes our grooming supplies got old and it was the last thing on the list to replace; one of the students parents went out and bought us a bucket of different colour curry combs and everyone was thrilled with it. I bet the BO will be happy you're thinking of this horse enough to want it to have it's own things.


----------



## ChristineNJ (Jan 23, 2010)

I think that's a great idea!! I used to ride with a Barn Owner & Trainer from Germany. He was a retired Colonel and we used to have Horse Christmas where we would all buy presents for the horses we rode. I didn't own a horse but just took lessons & went on trail rides. Horse Christmas is a custom in Germany. He would also have spicy mulled wine for us all and it was a really nice time for all including the horses. I think she would be impressed that you were buying the horse you were riding a present!!


----------



## Opus (Jan 3, 2011)

Well, she was busy with a lesson when I came up, so I decided to just take the halter and lead out of my bag and go off and get her. As I was walking back up to the barn, my trainer had finished her lesson and came over to talk. She noticed it pretty quick and said the halter looked great and I just sort of mentioned how it fit her better than the others, where it comes down almost to her nostrils :lol: and that it was a cheaper one ... 

And that was pretty much it as it was a busy day. But I plan on telling her that other students are more than welcome to use it if they need it to fetch her or anyone else when I go back on Wednesday.

Thanks again everyone!


----------



## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_I have bought a halter for lesson horse, but have kept it in my own personal posession. It is not my job to supply a barn with halters. We do seem to have extra halters kicking around, but a lot of them seem to be a cob/pony size, so do not work on the horses that I ride._

_If you are going to leave it at the barn, be prepared for it to grow legs and walk away....which means you now won't have a halter to use once again._


----------



## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

Just a quick note: An easy way to personalize a halter without spending a fortune is puffy paint. They sell it at craft stores, it comes in all different colors, it is easy to use and it holds up. I have also found that things that have a horses name on them, or your own name, don't disappear as fast.


----------



## Opus (Jan 3, 2011)

Ah, good point. I don't think it'll walk away on its own since there's only about 6 boarders and about as many lesson horses, but I'll keep that in mind. I have a coworker who does embroidery (she has an industrial machine) so I may go that option. 

Thanks for the advice!


----------



## cher40 (Nov 19, 2010)

That was really sweet of you. Every horse should have its own well fitting halter. If I were to go to my barn and find my halter missing because the BO told someone to go grab one I'd be somewhat irked..lol Good for you.


----------



## CelticAngel (Jan 2, 2011)

I agree with the others that it was a very nice thing for you to do. Horses deserve to have their own things sometimes. =-) I also understand your uneasiness about using other boarder's things so I think you did the right thing because now you've solved your problem and at the same time, did something very nice for a horse you care about. 

-CA


----------



## LindseyHunterx24 (Nov 1, 2010)

I'm glad that she didnt mind I dont own a horse But I do lease one right now but before I even leased a horse I bought a halter. And then after christmas I got a shipping halter,saddle, saddle pad, girth, everything you need to groom a horse, tack box, leather halter, weaver halter, and a lead rope plus more. So you could always buy your own stuff if you plan on staying at that barn for a long time


----------



## masatisan (Jan 12, 2009)

It kind of bothers me that a barn owner would allow other people to take the private things of boarders, even halters. I think that if a person is going to run a barn with their own horses and boarders horses they should have enough supplies that belong to them that they don't have to borrow privately owned items, unless they are using them on the horse they belong to.


----------



## Opus (Jan 3, 2011)

LindseyHunterx24 said:


> So you could always buy your own stuff if you plan on staying at that barn for a long time


Outside of the halter and lead rope and boots/chaps/helmet, I've bought a (used) plain flap saddle since I didn't like all the knee padding and blocks on her lesson saddles, leathers and irons, and I'll be ordering a saddle pad in the next few weeks. 

I will probably also end up with my own grooming kit eventually and some other minor things. She's already invited me to invest in a tack trunk (or rubbermaid box) to keep things in at the barn, even though I'm just a student. 

I figure I'll eventually have to cave in and buy or lease a horse to justify everything I'll be buying. :lol:


----------



## LindseyHunterx24 (Nov 1, 2010)

Opus said:


> Outside of the halter and lead rope and boots/chaps/helmet, I've bought a (used) plain flap saddle since I didn't like all the knee padding and blocks on her lesson saddles, leathers and irons, and I'll be ordering a saddle pad in the next few weeks.
> 
> I will probably also end up with my own grooming kit eventually and some other minor things. She's already invited me to invest in a tack trunk (or rubbermaid box) to keep things in at the barn, even though I'm just a student.
> 
> I figure I'll eventually have to cave in and buy or lease a horse to justify everything I'll be buying. :lol:


Oh good! I would make sure that you get a tack trunk that has a lock on it since you dont want people going around and using your stuff here is a tack trunk that everyone uses at our barn! It can hold everything you need! 
Stanley Consumer Storage 037025H 50 Gallon Mobile Chest - Stores and Prices

it says its like 130 or something but really you can just go to home depot and get it for $50 its a great deal!


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Hey, I won't be offended, you can buy one for me! :mrgreen: 

But on serious note I had my own halter, lead rope, western saddle, bridle, and brushes when I didn't have a horse. Still I used all those on horses I rode.


----------



## EventersBabe (Oct 1, 2009)

Nope. I actually perfer my own halter/leadrope


----------



## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

Opus said:


> I will probably also end up with my own grooming kit eventually and some other minor things. She's already invited me to invest in a tack trunk (or rubbermaid box) to keep things in at the barn, even though I'm just a student.


_I love my rubbermaid tote! _

_Also invest in a black marker that wont rub off so that you can write your name on all your brushes. Or find a sticker company like Kids labels | Baby labels | Clothing labels | Mabel's and order stickers for all of your gear. One of the Mom's at the barn I ride at did this, and they are super cute._


----------



## phoenix heartbeat (Feb 9, 2011)

As a barn owner and trainer I cringe at the thought of using someone else's tack on another horse let alot letting a student do it. But it was a very nice gesture! I'm glad your trainer wasnt offended or anything!


----------



## miney18 (Feb 12, 2011)

that is really nice of you


----------



## JustPaint (Sep 27, 2010)

Op that was very nice of you, I did the same thing when I was leasing a horse though it was a different situation. The BO's daughter locked the tack room and was the only one who knew the combination. Needless to say I just went to local tack shop and brought my own halter, grooming supplies, training etc.


----------

