Am I the only one bothered by Extraordinaire's lead shank?

[halt]

@luvmyhackney

I use a leather halter and leather lead with a chain daily, but I don’t loop it. Never had an issue when I worked with 30+ horses a day. I do on the other hand despise a rope halter. Its too much for the sensitive types.

Off topic but in regards to this response… I find sensitive horses do really well in them. 9/10 out of ten, I prefer rope halters to chain. Sensitive horses tend to be sensitive to correction, so it is crucial you have perfect timing and release… which the rope halter is very good with. Especially useful if you have a sensitive horse that has learned to become a bully and is quite defensive with the chain.

If you don’t manhandle with the rope halter, the horse hardly knows it is a rope halter anyway. It is lighter than a leather halter and “at rest” is hardly more than a hat to the horse. If you are worried about the ‘bite’ of the rope across the nose, just put vet-wrap or fleece or sheepskin over it.

With all of my rope handling I only ever had one horse test the end of the rope and he did it once and not again. Rope halters give much more control than a chain does, just my experience, as I’ve been inclined to lunge horses that have a history of running away with the handler in them. My black rope halter has stopped a runaway train on more than one occasion in a way I am not confident the chain would have.

Rope halters definitely have much more control and dexterity than a leather halter w/ chain - and, the best part is that it is immediately slack once you release pressure as there is no leverage or shanking action - release the pressure and the nose is immediately loose again. Chains do not immediately release, as they by design constrict around the nose by being pulled taut through the metal eyes of a halter - the metal eyes actually prevent immediate release, and with pressure applied the chain is often too heavy to revert to previous “loose” form.

I find chains do very little to teach a horse to respect their handler, as it lacks the immediate release and timing that is so critical for rewarding or encouraging good behavior. You can get the corrective measure right, but the release is slow and the horse doesn’t learn much from having the end of its nose bitten off with no release in sight…

For that reason I never put a chain across any of my horses - kind of an empty statement since none of my horses ever need chains in the first place. The chain in our barn is reserved for only one thing and that’s twitching for medical reasons. Other than that it is dusty from lack of use and in the same spot it’s been in all year.

Rope halters are great for teaching respect in young horses that have never had to respect a handler before. Great for big bargy horses too, that have been dulled or don’t react much to pressure or shanking otherwise. The thing about the rope is that it is extraordinarily malleable: you can shape the correction however you want. With a chain, the correction is pretty much the same strength or bite, no matter what… which can be a problem for sensitive horses that only need a light correction, or dull ones that might need a huge one.

The other thing that is of benefit is that in the case of emergency the rope halter is easily cut with the dullest of pocket knives - chain and leather are much harder to cut through.

What I dislike about the rope halter is that some are not break-away, and people hard tie in it. That is an accident waiting to happen. I would only tie to twine in a rope halter.

[Abbie.S]

@mmeqcenter

I can’t stand rope halters, myself. Hate the look, hate the way you have to tie them up, and have never found they give any more control than a leather or nylon halter.

To each their own, yes, but if you haven’t found they are more effective then, respectfully, you’ve either A) had horses who already had excellent ground manners or B) don’t know how to properly use one on a horse that needs some mannering in hand.

There is for sure a thing with folks about “the look”, especially amongst dressage and other English discipline riders - which is fine, again to each their own. The one thing I will never use rope halters for is turnout, but then again I don’t turn horses out in halters unless absolutely necessary anyway.

[halt]

@Abbie.S

To each their own, yes, but if you haven’t found they are more effective then, respectfully, you’ve either A) had horses who already had excellent ground manners or B) don’t know how to properly use one on a horse that needs some mannering in hand.

There is for sure a thing with folks about “the look”, especially amongst dressage and other English discipline riders - which is fine, again to each their own. The one thing I will never use rope halters for is turnout, but then again I don’t turn horses out in halters unless absolutely necessary anyway.

I think there’s very little need for them if your horse has great ground manners, for sure.

And definitely would never use them for turnout. Some barns here do and it is just very scary.

[mmeqcenter]

@Abbie.S

To each their own, yes, but if you haven’t found they are more effective then, respectfully, you’ve either A) had horses who already had excellent ground manners or B) don’t know how to properly use one on a horse that needs some mannering in hand.

Fair enough - I do always do my best to teach my personal horses to have good, if not excellent, ground manners (and haven’t had any trouble teaching them with a nylon or leather halter), and my limited use with them on other people’s horses hasn’t been on any terrible-mannered horses.

[Mondo]

As a general rule, I hate rope halters. You have to tie them on? What a PITA. However, as an alternative to a chain? Yes, they have their merits there.

[Edre]

@halt

Off topic but in regards to this response… I find sensitive horses do really well in them. 9/10 out of ten, I prefer rope halters to chain. Sensitive horses tend to be sensitive to correction, so it is crucial you have perfect timing and release… which the rope halter is very good with. Especially useful if you have a sensitive horse that has learned to become a bully and is quite defensive with the chain.

Rope halters definitely have much more control and dexterity than a leather halter w/ chain - and, the best part is that it is immediately slack once you release pressure as there is no leverage or shanking action - release the pressure and the nose is immediately loose again. Chains do not immediately release, as they by design constrict around the nose by being pulled taut through the metal eyes of a halter - the metal eyes actually prevent immediate release, and with pressure applied the chain is often too heavy to revert to previous “loose” form.

I love rope halters for the quotes above, which was fabulously put. Mine saw me through six months of hand walking/stall rest without having any form of incident in hand. Horse loathed chains-someone had used one poorly once-lack of release taught him that the best escape/evasion was going straight up. No issues with the rope halter.

The other thing I see with chains (and I imagine this would be less relevant at a big show barn, but a concern for a more run of the mill boarding situation) is that people just don’t know how to use them. How should they be done up safely? How do you release pressure? Given that stable hands are often girls working off lessons/board and can be transient, or a fellow boarder might step in to give an assist last minute who might not have exposure to handling with a chain, it’s a concern of mine that people may just flat out not realise what they’re doing is unsafe practice.

[Belowthesalt]

@Abbie.S

IME, it’s not uncommon to see these high end barns with horses of this caliber handling every horse with a leather lead with a chain and never have the horse actually need the chain as it’s meant to be used. It’s a normality I wish would die.

As much as I love the idea of rich leather halters…I find them useless. No communicatory abilities whatsoever. There’s a reason rope halters were invented.

I really love my newish (about 6 months) “hybrid” halter. Leather crown and cheek pieces, knotted rope noseband and throatlatch. They make nylon ones, too, with a leather crownpiece for safety. About $98 for the leather, $78 for the nylon with leather crownpiece. When I use an all leather halter or nylon halter, yes, chain over nose, never looped. All my leads are flat-braided cotton.

[findeight]

Eh…we can get lazy sometimes. It’s a lovely horse, sure the owners are proud of it and the write up in COTH, whoever stood it up for the picture didn’t give it a thought…and it’s not a How To story for novices. And this horse in this specific situation with a ton of professional handling where misbehavior us simply not tolerated? Good chance every lead on the hooks have chains that are almost never needed and all the halters are fancy leather. It is a show barn and they do like to show off in a picture of a show horse YMMV.

Not to say its the best way, it’s certainly not. It clanks when it’s like this and sh*t happens but…might go a little easier and just point out it’s not the best choice in other situations.
.

[Texarkana]

On the rope halter tangent: as an admitted leather snob, I have come to appreciate rope halters. They are a great alternative if you need control, especially if want/need a different type of control than chain shank offers. I love that I can use the same rope halter on every single one of the equines in my herd and it fits well enough to provide control with no adjustment other than how tightly you tie the crown piece.

But it scares the bejeezus out of me to see horses tied or even worse, turned out in them. Those suckers don’t break easily and the thin diameter makes the potential for scalping too high for my liking. Even a nylon web halter is more likely to give out somewhere if the horse gets in a real panic situation.

[Where_sMyWhite]

I never turned my horses out with halters of any kind.

I used rope halters and I was able to get it tied as fast or faster than messing with the buckle on a nylon or leather halter.

[atr]

Yeah, those pictures make my teeth itch. Either use the chain over the nose where it’s meant to be or use a regular lead rope (and I’m picky about those. Cotton only, not too long. Big fat knot in the end. NO nylon lead ropes.)

I have one (big, pushy, very intelligent ex-stud, better manners now than he had when he came to me, sometimes regresses because neither of us is perfect) horse, who occasionally needs a chain over his nose as a little reminder of my little presence in public. So when he’s out in public he gets a chain over his nose just in case, which he feels, understands, and therefore doesn’t push his luck. At home, he has a rope halter.

[Draftmare]

@SonnysMom

One of my bigger pet peeves. If the horse needs a chain put it over the nose. If he doesn’t need a chain then use a lead line. Letting the full chain hang down or worse yet doubling it up drives me nuts. I hate when I am handed a horse that has a chain shank but the chain is hanging down and not over the nose. Great let me have minimal control because the horse has leverage on me if I hold the rope or risk ripping my hand up holding the chain. Hmmm… there is a lovely choice.

These are my thoughts exactly. There are a few boarders at the barn with chains on their leadropes that have never used the chain for anything. Might as well have a regular lead rope at that point. Less chance of having an accident, and you can comfortably hold the lead rope closer to the chin.

Many years ago I knew of a girl who was hand grazing her horse with a chain looped. Horse stepped into the chain, and when he went to lift his head was caught on his own foot. He panicked, and before anybody could react, he had broken his neck. I will never ever use a chain now, if I need more control in a situation I go for the rope halter.

[vxf111]

It only takes a second to twist up a chain so it’s not an open loop. I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t do that?

[TMares]

I enjoy the behind the scenes articles. Some people just can’t be pleased. Either we hear that the owners/riders/trainers treat them like tools and cast them aside when the horse is not longer useful, but when they share what they love about a horse and the horse’s quirks and preferences and then we hear that horse is misunderstood and in pain!! Why would anyone open themselves up for the needling?

[Color_of_Light]

Missing Horse Handling Safety 101 is apparently more common than you’d think. Some of these pics below really make me cringe and hold my breath. Fingers or hands could easily get caught in that chain loop, besides a hoof. Or the chain loop is so huge it could go up and over upper lip or even over nose.

Le Conte (head down grazing with a chain loop)
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/…-with-le-conte

Chela LS (no caveson, chain hooked to bit ring, the horse pulls back and both bit and the chain get pulled through it’s mouth?)
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/…-with-chela-ls

RF Demeter
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/…oor-rf-demeter

Rothchild
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/…door-rothchild

Ohlala
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/…ll-door-ohlala

Probably more. Got tired of looking and cringing.

[Color_of_Light]

@TMares

I enjoy the behind the scenes articles. Some people just can’t be pleased. Either we hear that the owners/riders/trainers treat them like tools and cast them aside when the horse is not longer useful, but when they share what they love about a horse and the horse’s quirks and preferences and then we hear that horse is misunderstood and in pain!! Why would anyone open themselves up for the needling?

If you saw a rider riding without a helmet in those articles and photos, would you feel differently if people complained? Most likely. If readers noticed and called out helmet-less riders, would you still say “some people just can’t be pleased”? Probably not. We’d all be discussing that rider with no helmet. Why is ok to put so much emphasis on human safety but not on horse handling safety? Horses need to be kept safe too, as do their handlers.

[sascha]

@SonnysMom

One of my bigger pet peeves. If the horse needs a chain put it over the nose. If he doesn’t need a chain then use a lead line. Letting the full chain hang down or worse yet doubling it up drives me nuts. I hate when I am handed a horse that has a chain shank but the chain is hanging down and not over the nose. Great let me have minimal control because the horse has leverage on me if I hold the rope or risk ripping my hand up holding the chain. Hmmm… there is a lovely choice.

I’m scratching my head. Why would having your hand any closer to the horse’s face than the length of the chain give you more control? If you need to be that close (to use your body weight as a tool? for your own security?) then hold the halter. I prefer using shanks with chains all the time because although they’re mostly not needed, I can quick pop it over a nose if necessary and I never have to go back to the barn to get one if I think I may need one.

[oldernewbie]

I have to confess that after 10 years of 4H and many years of horse ownership, I had never even heard the warning about chain leads until this round of horse-owning since 2009. Just like with helmets - which didn’t even exist when I was a kid - shared experience causes behavior change! What I used to do routinely - I do not do any more. I either snap directly to the halter, over the nose, or clip the way my trainer showed me under the chin.

Live and learn!

(Now, I wish all of you who use household stools as mounting blocks would give those up. Let me tell you what a rodeo ride you can get out of that if your horse gets his leg tangled up in it!)

[SonnysMom]

@sascha

I’m scratching my head. Why would having your hand any closer to the horse’s face than the length of the chain give you more control? If you need to be that close (to use your body weight as a tool? for your own security?) then hold the halter. I prefer using shanks with chains all the time because although they’re mostly not needed, I can quick pop it over a nose if necessary and I never have to go back to the barn to get one if I think I may need one.

Holding the halter has its own risks. It is too easy to get your hand trapped between their head and the halter if you grab the halter. When I was a teenager I saw a girl picked up off her feet by her horse while she held it for the vet by the halter, she couldn’t let go because her hand was trapped and he was starting to rear.

It may not be too bad to hold a chain shank on the rope/lead part if it is one of those useless short chains but if it is a longer chain I find it too easy for them to turn their head away from me and get leverage or get too far ahead of me. If they need the chain or might need the chain it goes over the nose. If they are starting to act up I sure as heck don’t want to be unclipping it to put it over their nose while they are misbehaving or starting to snort and blow.

[TMares]

@Color of Light

If you saw a rider riding without a helmet in those articles and photos, would you feel differently if people complained? Most likely. If readers noticed and called out helmet-less riders, would you still say “some people just can’t be pleased”? Probably not. We’d all be discussing that rider with no helmet. Why is ok to put so much emphasis on human safety but not on horse handling safety? Horses need to be kept safe too, as do their handlers.

It’s one thing to say eek. It’s another to put yourself out there as the be all end all and now, pull a list of alllllll the horrid things you saw in the BTSD series before you grew weak with exhaustion . I mean, come on, already. Do you get the vapors at a horse show and go tell them straight away how dangerous XYZ is? If someone’s filling up their tank at a gas station and talking on their phone, do you zip right over to remind them that could be a bad idea? It’s jussssst a little much. There are scads of perfectly safe photos in the BTSD series, but there was no interest finding the good. Imagine you’re one of the people associated with one of these horses; they are getting kindly worded, loving messages of concern if they visit this thread. They would be getting ‘their DA’s don’t even know how to lead a horse!!!’

As for helmets, I gotta tell ya, those comments are tiresome, too. Did you see the cute video of the pony in the snow with a cat riding on the pony’s butt, behind the little girl? Adorable. I can leave it at that - adorable.

JMO, no one has to agree with it.