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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
  
| I am looking into buying some mule tape halters. We have had numerous situations where a nylon bronc halter has broken, and prevented an accident. One horse was tied to a hitching post and reared up, slipped in the mud, and flipped over, his halter broke, if it was a heavy duty mule tape halter, he wouldave been hanging by his head. Another situation was where a horse spooked, and flipped over backwards at the trailer, if it was a mule tape, I don't even know what would'ave happened. So which is safer? | |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-21 10:49 AM
I am looking into buying some mule tape halters. We have had numerous situations where a nylon bronc halter has broken, and prevented an accident. One horse was tied to a hitching post and reared up, slipped in the mud, and flipped over, his halter broke, if it was a heavy duty mule tape halter, he wouldave been hanging by his head. Another situation was where a horse spooked, and flipped over backwards at the trailer, if it was a mule tape, I don't even know what would'ave happened. So which is safer?
A lot of people are buying the mule tape bc it's the thing to have. Not thinking about the fact that it doesn't break. I'd much rather my halter break before my horse hurt himself in a panic. That being said my husband makes them and uses them- on his horses. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| dashnlotti - 2015-06-21 12:05 PM
IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-21 10:49 AM
I am looking into buying some mule tape halters. We have had numerous situations where a nylon bronc halter has broken, and prevented an accident. One horse was tied to a hitching post and reared up, slipped in the mud, and flipped over, his halter broke, if it was a heavy duty mule tape halter, he wouldave been hanging by his head. Another situation was where a horse spooked, and flipped over backwards at the trailer, if it was a mule tape, I don't even know what would'ave happened. So which is safer?
A lot of people are buying the mule tape bc it's the thing to have. Not thinking about the fact that it doesn't break. I'd much rather my halter break before my horse hurt himself in a panic. That being said my husband makes them and uses them- on his horses.
Do you think rope halters would break in a bad situation? I rarely use them. | |
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 Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Tennessee | IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-21 12:16 PM
dashnlotti - 2015-06-21 12:05 PM
IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-21 10:49 AM
I am looking into buying some mule tape halters. We have had numerous situations where a nylon bronc halter has broken, and prevented an accident. One horse was tied to a hitching post and reared up, slipped in the mud, and flipped over, his halter broke, if it was a heavy duty mule tape halter, he wouldave been hanging by his head. Another situation was where a horse spooked, and flipped over backwards at the trailer, if it was a mule tape, I don't even know what would'ave happened. So which is safer?
A lot of people are buying the mule tape bc it's the thing to have. Not thinking about the fact that it doesn't break. I'd much rather my halter break before my horse hurt himself in a panic. That being said my husband makes them and uses them- on his horses.
Do you think rope halters would break in a bad situation? I rarely use them.
Not unless they are of extremely poor quality, even then I wouldn't think so. With a rope halter, if you had a lead with a clip, the clip would break before the halter. I've had that happen before. What you could do is when you tie, tie a peice of twine to the halter & then connect the lead to that, that way if something bad happens it will break. | |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I've seen more injuries from the halter breaking and the horse flipping than from equipment not breaking. I use rope halters with tied on lead ropes. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | Three 4 Luck - 2015-06-21 2:44 PM
I've seen more injuries from the halter breaking and the horse flipping than from equipment not breaking. I use rope halters with tied on lead ropes.
Agreed and if I need to cut a rope I always have a sharp knife on me | |
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Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Tennessee | redmansmyman11 - 2015-06-21 3:55 PM
Three 4 Luck - 2015-06-21 2:44 PM
I've seen more injuries from the halter breaking and the horse flipping than from equipment not breaking. I use rope halters with tied on lead ropes.
Agreed and if I need to cut a rope I always have a sharp knife on me
Luckily I've never had a horse get hurt being tied & I've had the lead break & not break before. I use rope halters with tied on lead ropes 99% of the time. I tie with a slipnot, so if I had to I could just pull the rope loose. I NEVER tie without a slipnot for that reason, it's still solid & they're not going anywhere unless you pull it. | |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| I had a horse that was bad to the bone. I learned a lot from that idiot. I only tie to something they cannot break with something they cannot break. Needless to say, I buy the toughest halter I can find and the toughest lead rope. After they realize the halter isn't going to break, mine quit pulling. I have had good results with rope halters and good results with nylon halters.
Many years ago I had a trainer friend who tied one with a logging chain and she used a heavy nylon halter. We just don't put up with pulling back. | |
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Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Tennessee | streakysox - 2015-06-21 8:48 PM
I had a horse that was bad to the bone. I learned a lot from that idiot. I only tie to something they cannot break with something they cannot break. Needless to say, I buy the toughest halter I can find and the toughest lead rope. After they realize the halter isn't going to break, mine quit pulling. I have had good results with rope halters and good results with nylon halters.
Many years ago I had a trainer friend who tied one with a logging chain and she used a heavy nylon halter. We just don't put up with pulling back.
The mare in my profile pic is a hassle to tie. I too have to tie her to something solid & I can't tie her loose cause that's when problems happen. If she's tied to a lone wood post, I can only leave a lil over a foot slack cause she'll walk around it til she can't move then she FREAKS. Oh the hassles lol | |
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
| For me, I use rope halters and tied on leads. Ones that will not break, I don't want a horse learning that pulling back and escaping is the answer to relief from him freaking out. I do usually tie a knot that can easily get untied in case of emergency but I tie to something pretty safe and solid.
Now if I have a horse with a problem, then its different. I use a Blocker tie ring. And work up from that, to tying solid. When I tie to my trailer I tie the lead ropes to hay string that I have tied in a loop on the tie ring. Because I don't want my trailer screwed up lol!
I own one muletape halter and honestly I rarely use it. I also own nylon halters and I do use them ocassionally. They are nice for when the vet works on them, softer, more comfortable, and easier to take on/off. | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I understand wrecks can happen
However, I don't tolerate halter pulling, they either get over it or find a new home. Halter pulling is unsafe for the horse and bystanders.
This is where ground work comes into play, if you can teach your horse to lead by the foot, rope their heels, etc the horse will not panic when they are in a bind.
I also have seen wrecks from halters breaking or not breaking. A good quality nylon halter won't break either
To the op, if you want a mule tape halter, go for it, if you are wanting it to break free, have the individual making it put a cheap snap on the shank that you can replace each time your horse breaks it.
I personally like the mule tape and rope halters cause in a pinch one size will fit all, instead of the precision nylon halters
I also keep a bananna knife in my trailer for just in cases as I don't want to wait for a halter to break, I want to limit the injuries my horse incurs | |
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | That's good advice to rope and hobble break them. I was ponying my mare in the woods last week, she got her leg caught in a vine and couldn't get it out. She calmly tried to remove it and when she couldn't, she waited for me to rescue her. That also came in handy when she got her foot hung in the bucket handle while tied to the trailer. And when she got her shoe hung on the hay net while tied to the trailer. (notice a pattern here? LOL) | |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Three 4 Luck - 2015-06-21 2:44 PM I've seen more injuries from the halter breaking and the horse flipping than from equipment not breaking. I use rope halters with tied on lead ropes.
I agree with this as well. I don't leave my house withouth a knife. I have had to cut horses free before. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| I have never had an issue with halter pulling, just freak accidents. The one incident the horse was popping up, and slipped in the mud, all four feet came out from under him and he landed on his back, and the other time is an unsolved mystery. Bombproof horse, stands tied to the trailer all day, My mom had tied him long enough so he could reach the tall grass, but not long enough to get caught. I turned my back on him for 2 min, and came back to find the trailer window shattered, his halter broke, and him flipping over backwards, if I had a rope halter on, he probably wouldn't have been on the ground, but still don't know what happened. | |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Three 4 Luck - 2015-06-22 1:59 PM
That's good advice to rope and hobble break them. I was ponying my mare in the woods last week, she got her leg caught in a vine and couldn't get it out. She calmly tried to remove it and when she couldn't, she waited for me to rescue her. That also came in handy when she got her foot hung in the bucket handle while tied to the trailer. And when she got her shoe hung on the hay net while tied to the trailer. (notice a pattern here? LOL)
We've been on trail rides on the side of a mountain, horses in front of and behind us, and our horse get a leg tangled in vines or downed limbs. So thankful they stood there til someone could dismount and get them undone. It was almost like "help here, please". Sometimes our friends' horses weren't so well behaved. | |
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 Veteran
Posts: 133
| IowaCanChaser - 2015-06-22 1:23 PM I have never had an issue with halter pulling, just freak accidents. The one incident the horse was popping up, and slipped in the mud, all four feet came out from under him and he landed on his back, and the other time is an unsolved mystery. Bombproof horse, stands tied to the trailer all day, My mom had tied him long enough so he could reach the tall grass, but not long enough to get caught. I turned my back on him for 2 min, and came back to find the trailer window shattered, his halter broke, and him flipping over backwards, if I had a rope halter on, he probably wouldn't have been on the ground, but still don't know what happened.
one of my horses broke a window on my trailer by grabbing the round knob thing that you use to push the slide windows open and shut. It instantly shattered the window. That might be what happened with your horse, depending on what side of the trailer it was on. | |
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Mule tape halter or Nylon Halter