Specifically where do you get halters to fit these huge heads?! My friend took in a Belgian former PMU foal so I don’t know if she is “pure” or not but she certainly looks it. She is very large (not so much tall, probably 16 to 16.1 hands, but STOUT). Her head is enormous. She had a breakaway halter on her and she turned her head in the cross ties and it just popped off! As in the crown piece broke. Now she found an old halter that is about as large as a regular one can get but it just BARELY goes on her. I don’t like having halters on horses that are so uh, form fitted! I looked at halters today and one place had them rated to 1500 lbs and one was 1600 lbs. and they didn’t look all that big to me! I would think she weighs all of 1500 lbs. if not 1700. Do these “large” sized halters really fit drafters or do you need to order an actual Draft sized halter.
my daughter worked with Clydesdales… I believe they had their halters made by Quillin Leather & Tack The shop is in Paris Kentucky
Jeffers sells draft halters, but they don’t have as much of a selection as they do for “normal” sized horses. It looks like they changed suppliers since I bought my last one, but mine fits my Percheron, it’s way too big for any of the Belgians. You may just have to shop around to find something that fits, or have somebody custom make you one.
You’ll have to buy an actual “draft” halter, and there is a lot of variation in size among them.
Bought mine at Jeffers as well.
Try Draft Horse Tack, and My Draft Horse online.
Quillens makes beautiful halters that fit drafts.
Also google My Draft Horse Super Store too…what breed of draft do you think the rescue may be?
I have a Thornhill draft sized halter that seems to be holding up well. It is too big for my half draft, everything is on the last hole and I have to clip the throat latch to the actual buckle or she pops it right off…but horse sized is too small for her. Since it is so large on my mare who is a half draft, I imagine the brand would work well for a full draft.
Having owned multiple drafts/draftx horses, when you find a halter that fits, buy 2-3 extras. Drafts seem to break halters often and if you don’t have a backup, you’re in trouble since nothing else in the barn will fit them.
[QUOTE=Gainer;8592149]
Having owned multiple drafts/draftx horses, when you find a halter that fits, buy 2-3 extras. Drafts seem to break halters often and if you don’t have a backup, you’re in trouble since nothing else in the barn will fit them.[/QUOTE]
Yup. There’s one Clyde who boards with me, and he is hell on halters. His owner buys cheapo breakaways in lots of 5 at a time. Doesn’t help that he’s king of the gelding gang who like to pass the afternoons with halter tag.
Thank you SO much for the help. Yes, I see how easily they break halters. Oh MY! She is a Belgian, she may be a cross but she kind of looks pure Belgian so if she is a cross it is probably draft cross stallion to Belgian mare or similar. Her HEAD is certainly pure Belgian at least. LOL I’ll try to get a picture posted, I can’t seem to remember to bring the camera with me when I go!
[QUOTE=summerhorse;8592315]
Thank you SO much for the help. Yes, I see how easily they break halters. Oh MY! She is a Belgian, she may be a cross but she kind of looks pure Belgian so if she is a cross it is probably draft cross stallion to Belgian mare or similar. Her HEAD is certainly pure Belgian at least. LOL I’ll try to get a picture posted, I can’t seem to remember to bring the camera with me when I go![/QUOTE]
No smartphone with camera?
(If not, then welcome fellow Luddite!)
Amazon has a good selection of draft horse halters. I normally order enough to for free shipping. I like to keep one halter for each of them in the truck, trailer and next to their turnout.
LOL nope, just a dumb phone that will take a picture but they are all dark and blurry!
[QUOTE=yaya;8592409]
No smartphone with camera?
(If not, then welcome fellow Luddite!)[/QUOTE]
LOL nope, just a dumb phone that will take a picture but they are all dark and blurry!
Big Black Horse bigblackhorse.com
and
Meaders https://meadersupply.com/
Both specialize in draft tack.
[QUOTE=AKB;8592049]
Quillens makes beautiful halters that fit drafts.[/QUOTE]
yeah and dog collars too… traditional Kentucky leather work, beautifully hand made
nylon ones,
gatsby makes in true draft. I pushed and got more colors, and we sell them on the booth for 10-15 each.
Thanks! Can anyone tell me how much draft horses weigh? Everything is in lbs. I don’t know what a (probably smallish/average) Belgian weighs. then on the drafter sites they don’t have weights at all, just average, large, XL.
You may have to try a few and just see what fits best. I have three drafts right now and their heads are all different size/shape wise.
I would guess from your description that you would need an XL, but sizing can vary between manufacturers.
My smaller Clydesdale (16’1-16’2 and stalky) is about 1600-1700 lbs
