field safety halters

[sophie]

My sister has a new mare that is hard to catch in the pasture. I ordered this halter for her to wear until this issue is resolved.

Does anyone have experience with this type of halters?

When I had to leave a halter on my horse I’ve always just used the regular leather/nylon safety halters (with leather breakaway crown or fuse) but she is scared of any metal hooks or rings - she has a friend whose horse died in a halter/pasture accident.

I don’t know how the VELCRO parts will resist to rolling etc (this mare lives outside)…

[Another_Poster]

I haven’t used that halter. Has she considered leaving a collar on with short catch rope? I have a hard to catch pony that wears leather neck collar. It’s actually a dog collar bc he’s pretty small.

[Texarkana]

A lot of the grazing muzzles use velcro breakaways on their halters. They tend to be pretty sturdy. Although all the muzzle’s I have used have designed their breakaways slightly differently than the halter pictured. They have a V shaped attachment so that the velcro is connected on 2 sides (check out the link because my explanation sucks):

https://www.amazon.com/Tough-Breathe…-2-spons&psc=1

With that said, no issues with that style in the field. No one has popped the velcro; no one has gotten hurt, either. I did have one halter that got so dirty that the velcro was separating, I put a thin piece of tape around the ends to hold it down, with the hope that the tape would break in an emergency.

Personally, I just use leather… although I will say most of my leather ends up breaking at some point, while the velcro has never released. I don’t know what that means. It could mean the velcro isn’t releasing when it needs to, or it could mean that the leather is breaking with too little force. Who knows. But no accidents (touch wood).

[clanter]

rather the manufacturer saying

• The halter’s quick-release breakaway system ensures your horse can escape if the halter becomes snagged on something in the field

they should have statement regarding the force needed to break the velcro's hold. Sure would have been an easy test to run in a lab.

[Guilherme]

Velcro is interesting. We used to have a LOT of it on harnesses and survival gear (flotation vests, gear bags, etc.)

The thing about Velcro, however, is that it is designed to open easily with one force in direction and resist opening with force in any other direction. Given the many and varied ways horses find to injure themselves I’d be reluctant to trust it. Not that it’s not a good product; it is. It is just a product with a certain way of functioning.

If someone needs a “breakaway” halter for any reason a leather crown piece is likely a better idea. Leather will certainly break more easily in one way than another but unless you’re talking about sole bends you can adjust the breaking point by selection of weight and grade of leather and could even “score” it to make it break more easily.

I’d not rush into a device like this without more information.

G.

[paintedpony]

When I need to leave a halter on, I use the least expensive halter I can find. The metal in those $5 halters, snaps so easily I have no fear of anything being trapped.

[clint]

When I need a breakaway halter I use either a flimsy leather halter, this especially for yearlings, weanlings, or a halter with a leather crown. I don’t trust that velcro would give under all circumstances, and I also prefer a halter with a ring to attach a leadline. Sometimes grabbing a halter with your hand can cause the horse to pull away from me.

[CanteringCarrot]

I use a halter like that. The noseband has no velcro, just the throat piece. It will give way, but usually stands up to rolling. I use it on a horse that is rubbed by everything else. This so so lightweight it doesn’t rub him. He’s also easy to handle so he doesn’t need something sturdy to be led with.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹

So I quite like them and haven’t had an issue. If he plays rough, then sometimes I have to replace them. They cost around or under 10 Euro so it doesn’t bother me so much.

[sophie]

@CanteringCarrot

I use a halter like that. The noseband has no velcro, just the throat piece. It will give way, but usually stands up to rolling. I use it on a horse that is rubbed by everything else. This so so lightweight it doesn’t rub him. He’s also easy to handle so he doesn’t need something sturdy to be led with.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹

So I quite like them and haven’t had an issue. If he plays rough, then sometimes I have to replace them. They cost around or under 10 Euro so it doesn’t bother me so much.

Thank you!
You’re in Europe? I wanted to get her one of the leather breakaway halters that I use for my horse - here in the US you can find them for $15-20 but in Europe they seem to be MUCH more expensive and she didn’t want any metal parts anyway.
So good to know these velcro halters seem to fit the bill! It’s only temporary until she fixes the hard-to-catch issue.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments!!!

[CanteringCarrot]

@sophie

Thank you!
You’re in Europe? I wanted to get her one of the leather breakaway halters that I use for my horse - here in the US you can find them for $15-20 but in Europe they seem to be MUCH more expensive and she didn’t want any metal parts anyway.
So good to know these velcro halters seem to fit the bill! It’s only temporary until she fixes the hard-to-catch issue.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments!!!

Yes, I live Germany, quite close to the French border at the moment. This is what I use on my horse that is at a boarding facility that prefers to have halters on the horses during turnout: https://www.waldhausen.com/default/weidehalfter.html

He will break them now and again, but they’re inexpensive and a good non-metal solution that will give way, but isn’t entirely flimsy as I’ve gotten some good life out of them from time to time. I usually buy a few at once just to have on hand.

I was happy to discover these as they are so light, and don’t rub. Literally everything else rubs this horse of mine. :rolleyes: