Horse broke her halter is it worth fixing

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8794182]
OP, if she can’t be tied you really should not be bringing her to shows.[/QUOTE]

???
There are lots of horses at shows that do not tie.

Unless there is a class that requires tying I am not sure how the OP’s horse not being able to tie should keep it from a show.

More accurately the OP has to take into account this horse’s inability to tie and make sure they do not put it in a situation where there is going to be an issue. That means making sure they have a friend who can hold the horse while it is being fly sprayed, etc.

[RedHorses]

$30-45 is quite a reasonable price given the repairs required.

The halter bolt is missing.

The strap that connects throat strap to the ring under the horse’s chin must be replaced. It is triple stitched.

The strap under the horse’s nose could possibly be sewn together if it’s long enough, or it will have to be replaced. Hopefully the buckle is okay, but there is a fixed leather keeper which adds extra difficulty. I once had a brass buckle stretch under load; it looked all right, but the buckle tongue could slip through with little pressure.

It may sound simple, but it takes some skill and specialized tools to do a good repair job. I got out of it because people don’t want to pay for it. I had a minimum charge of $10 even if it took me five minutes.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;8794198]
???
There are lots of horses at shows that do not tie.

Unless there is a class that requires tying I am not sure how the OP’s horse not being able to tie should keep it from a show.

More accurately the OP has to take into account this horse’s inability to tie and make sure they do not put it in a situation where there is going to be an issue. That means making sure they have a friend who can hold the horse while it is being fly sprayed, etc.[/QUOTE]
Each to his own. I don’t think a horse that panics any time there is pressure on their head should be at a venue where it getting loose puts everyone else at risk. OP has said horse pulls back and breaks when tied and now, said horse gets loose in cross ties. Unless the OP has someone there 24/7 with a horse to help them, it’s really unrealstic and at some point the horse needs to be alone. Unless she has a stall she can put the horse in, it needs to tie. OP says horse cross-ties but then says she’s gotten loose on the cross ties, so I’m really guessing this horse lacks a basic understanding of accepting pressure which is a training issue. You don’t put the cart before the horse.

I’ve had many horses that “don’t tie”. Teach them to tie or ground-tie and problem solved – you can go where ever you want!

[macmtn]

Ok…so you bought this nice padded leather halter and the NEXT DAY it broke-in 2 places? If that was me…I would ask for my money back.

[IPEsq]

Buy a new halter or two. Keep the crown piece from this one.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=macmtn;8794374]
Ok…so you bought this nice padded leather halter and the NEXT DAY it broke-in 2 places? If that was me…I would ask for my money back.[/QUOTE]

why? it wasn’t defective… a 1200lb animal destroyed it.

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=macmtn;8794374]
Ok…so you bought this nice padded leather halter and the NEXT DAY it broke-in 2 places? If that was me…I would ask for my money back.[/QUOTE]

@beowulf;8794385

why? it wasn’t defective… a 1200lb animal destroyed it.

I am with Beowulf on this one. Not the suppliers fault in the slightest. I can not imagine asking for a refund on something like this. Totally unethical.

[SendenHorse]

I’d be thankful that the halter broke and not the horses’ neck. Never understood the all nylon style that is so popular.

[Nootka]

yep… buy a new one. Use it for only important non tying things.

Keep old one for extra pieces … just incase.

[Sancudo]

[QUOTE=SendenHorse;8794433]
I’d be thankful that the halter broke and not the horses’ neck. Never understood the all nylon style that is so popular.[/QUOTE]

Me neither. Sure, the horse learns that it can’t break the halter when it pulls back. Or, in then case of a friend’s horse, suffers a bunch of facial nerve damage.

[SendenHorse]

[QUOTE=Sancudo;8794763]
Me neither. Sure, the horse learns that it can’t break the halter when it pulls back. Or, in then case of a friend’s horse, suffers a bunch of facial nerve damage.[/QUOTE]

yeah, or a broken neck. it happens.

No thanks. I have breakway everything- trailer tie, halters, side reins.
Never needed them since my horse ties great. thats not the point.

Anyways, I found after MUCH fussing around that the best leather to use can be found at Michael’s craft store- its the $14 “belt leather” for making your own belts. I can easily cut this to make a tab. I rigged up a system so I don’t have to cut that little tab off and destroy the halters (some of mine are very expensive). I can use a normal leather punch or tap to make the holes. they have black or brown, and you can get a LOT of tabs for this price. They are strong enough to be used for normal daily use- turnout, trailering, etc. Never had one break that wasn’t caught.

Blue lock tite /lock tight will help keep the chicago screw in. 100 pack for 5.00 on ebay.

I spent a lot of time working out this system so I hope this info will help someone.

[Flirtation]

If I wait then I won’t be able to show her at all as I plan on retiring her from showing in a couple years or so (she’s 13 years old) and it will probably take that long to get her to stop pulling back. Well I guess I might as well just breed her then. I think that her first couple owners and the person who trained her did something to cause her to start doing it and I tried doing it with someone holding her she kept half rearing the entire time.

My mare loves going to shows, she does a half rear with the farrier as well that we have (HAVE been working on correcting so she stops doing it) Its the reason why I love leather halters and really anything leather that I have to put on my horse as I would rather have a horse that’s alright then one that’s injured. Anything that breaks under my mare’s pressure I buy as it means that my best friend is still around to spend time with and compete on especially since I have my sights set on making it to Dressage Nationals next year with her and some jumping competitions as she loves to compete its in her blood. She learns what is alright and what isn’t fast getting her ready for the show Wednesday she didn’t try anything and she’s just really curious and such. I think I will be tacking her up in her stall for the rest of the time that we are together though.

I turn her out alone she has a fit for a little while and then calms down when she realizes I’m not going to help her and she has to deal with being on her own, and I have been able to work with her in the cross ties no problem (there is one stall she won’t go in as it was the one place she panicked the first time) she gets very impatient if she stands in the cross ties too long.

Well I guess I might as well just breed her then! As that is the only thing she’s going to be used for after I finish competing on her anyway. Other then some trail rides and possible lessons at some point.

[Quelah]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8794182]
OP, if she can’t be tied you really should not be bringing her to shows.[/QUOTE]

LOL! Truly. Sorry but if horses that didn’t tie couldn’t go to shows, well it might not make such a difference to the western crowd but the “English” shows would see a serious drop in numbers. In the years I managed h/j and dressage barns, I never once straight and hard tied a horse. Winning at big A show horses and FEI dressage horses that won plenty of prizes. Didn’t tie them, never crossed my mind to do so.

It actually looks like there’s two pieces broken, so the charge for repair doesn’t seem outlandish but I’d probably just buy a new on.

FYI, I met my best friend (now of 25+ years) when my then young and foolish Irish mare broke her new leather halter the day I bought it. I met my friend because she did leather repair. it was an expensive halter, the friendship is priceless

[Scribbler]

OP, have you got any help on hand from a western horsemanship person?

[Flirtation]

She’s wonderful my mare and loves to win and do well when it comes to showing and when I got her she wouldn’t stand in the mounting block as I believe she was mounted with the rider getting a leg up into the saddle. She now stands still and is wonderful at shows behavior wise as she knows what she’s doing.

yea my uncle and his wife stopped and got two new halters for her and I’m planning on getting another 10 or so as its bound to happen again. Plus I plan on breeding her so I will have some extras for the foals she has as well when they are old enough. One of the boarders at the barn if my next halter breaks then I have a friend at the barn who can take it to a her leather repair person instead. At my barn we don’t have many Warmbloods like my mare, just got another one a few days ago, they are mainly Arabians.

Not really the trainers at the barn I’m at I wouldn’t let anywhere near my horse as they would ruin her more then she already is. She was Clint Anderson trained (well by his methods anyway) on her ground training, which I think would explain why she really dislikes whips of any kind around her. Plus she doesn’t need one as she’s so sensitive has made for some interesting rides though. She sees a whip and she pulls back, so I think she may have been abused a little bit while training when she was younger. She has the sitting trot of a goddess and a canter that is also amazing though. And she has a moment I just say its the Thoroughbred in her coming out, as her Dam is Thoroughbred Tory’s Miss Angel and her Sire is a Dutch Warmblood Formatt. and then we work on getting her over it. Also if anyone she’s not use to gets on her she tenses up as she will only let me and my friend who was there when I bought her do anything with her really.

[Scribbler]

OK, so bad ground work, which is worse than no ground work at all

[Flirtation]

Yes, I have been working on correcting it. When she’s with other horse’s she’s ok, but as soon as the horse leaves and she’s alone she wants to follow. When I was getting her use to be being in the cross ties again after she pulled back the first three times she would try and follow, but she’s back to her normal self of not pulling in the cross ties now. I have something I can tie her to that will make it so she can pull free without breaking the halter I just forgot to pull it out as it was late for the show on Wednesday. She also hasn’t seen grass in awhile so that actually helped, until I tried spraying her with fly spray that’s when she pulled back.

I have a good team behind me and my mare-when I go to shows we are Team Flirt (mare’s name is Flirtation) I have someone looking at halters for Flirt back in NJ.

[CFFarm]

Get a nylon halter with a leather crown piece. Have someone hold her at shows when not in a stall. Put a hay bag in front of her when tied for short periods of time or when standing for the farrier. Get a tie ring (google how ray hunt taught horses to tie-30 ft rope) and work with desensitizing to fly spray at home.

[Dee-Vee]

I had one that used to do this. Every horse is different and I think mine just did not like the cross ties. So, I would just tack her up in her stall. Some people would say this is dangerous, but my horse is fine for and prefers it. Plus, we have a small barn and often the aisles are way to busy for another horse. you just gotta know your horse.

Also my horse stands like a trooper in the aisle without cross ties. Put her in her place and she does not move. Does not need to be cross-tied for the farrier, vet, etc. just hold the rope.

Thing is, by not pushing the cross tie issue, over time my horse forgot about it and it is no longer a problem. I now put her on the cross ties from time to time to remind. She just gives me the hairy eyeball.

OP…if you can just work on “fading” the behavior like we did, the small fortune that you can save on halters, can be put toward halters for her multitudinous foals, shows, and getting to the Nationals. In sum, a better investment of time and money.

best of luck

[Flirtation]

Yes that is what I am working on doing and my mare is so curious that I can’t leave her for very long or she tries to go exploring. She’s fine at home when I use fly spray I think it was a mix of it and the wind. I tried the hay bag didnt’ work as she likes to look around and loses interest in it.

Thanks she’s wonderful I couldn’t ask for a better friend.