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Expert
Posts: 1477
        Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Halter? I got a new horse that the previous owners was running in a hackamore. I'm a little heavier handed and the hackamore seems like a lot fore and him because he is very touchy. I always end up unintentally touching him and making him mess up. So I thought about running in a halter anyone ever done this or know if it will work? |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
        
| Years ago a girl down here had a horse she ran in a halter. Scared the crap out of us because that horse had a screw loose, but she won on him. Eventually she went back to a hackamore and did just as well. But she and that horse had a special connection. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
         Location: North Dakota | Could you try something gentle like a side pull? |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
       Location: Bandera, TX | I ran a few in a halter. They were all very broke but didn't like a heavy hack or a bit at the time. They developed and were running in bits as they matured. There's a video of me running a little 4 yr old mare about 5-6 years ago in a halter in the bareback barrel race at Booger Barters Waco finals. Also had several gals qualify to the NFR that ran in halters.
Terri Kaye Kirkland was able to run her horse in a halter. 1995-1997 NFR time period. I think she ran in a hack at the finals...
Edited by uno-dos-tres! 2015-06-25 8:54 PM
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
       Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | Had one I ran in a rope nose side pull for a long time. She was very light in the face. |
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Member
Posts: 38

| A friend of mine has a now gelding (but was a stallion in until a year ago) that she only runs in a halter. I'm not sure he's ever even had a bridle on his head to be honest. I remember a few years ago she hopped on him bareback in a halter and ran a 17 flat on him. |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
   Location: Texas | If you are confident you can stop him, I say go for it! |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
     
| Yup! My good horse loved a halter. Runs free and is faster. Local club told me I had to have bridle for insurance. So I put reins on halter and called it hackamore. |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
        Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | outrundaizy - 2015-06-26 12:51 AM
If you are confident you can stop him, I say go for it!
That's my only issue. I think he will. He did at home today but I know a show can be differant. He's 14 and knows his job and just want to be left alone to work and I always mess him up. I've spoken with a trainer and she suggested I try and S hack but if I still feel that's too much then she was all for me trying a halter. I would defiantly do it with a closed gate the first time just incase because he will not run into a gate. |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
        Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | I've heard of side pulls but I don't know what they are. Can someone post a pic? I might know it when I see it |
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  A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
    Location: NC | A little s is one step up from a halter. At least thats what I was told when I asked Curt from Carolina Bit what was a step down from one. Lol. They're very light hacks. I run my gelding in one. He's very much the 'leave me alone and let me work' type. On the pattern. Off the pattern you need more refinement or he will be all over the place. He's way too smart for his own good. Horse is BROKE to death but loves to play games. Cow ponies man. Lol.
I will try to post a pic of a side pull but not sure it will post from my phone
ETA: you can get different nosebands on the Little S to try also. If the rope is too much, try wrapping it with vet wrap or even padding it a little, then wrapping it. Or try the flat leather noseband version. That might help 'dull' your cues more and give you that extra split second to remind yourself to leave him alone. (That's why I stepped down to the hack with my guy. He had ran 9 years in an oring)
Edited by hlynn 2015-06-26 4:08 AM
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
        Location: MD | I have run in a halter before. I think there are so many other options out there though instead of running in that. I'd try a side pull or a little s or a beetle hack first. I like knowing i have real brakes if I need them |
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Regular
Posts: 71
  Location: Some where | I ran a mare in a halter for a while, she did really good except for stopping. It took a really long alley to stop her from an open run. Then I tried a old fashion hackamore and I didn't like the way she performed in it , she is touchy also and I would mess her up with it. I tried a Reinsman SS hackamore, it is smaller and shorter, I was able to control her really good on stopping and we don't mess up near as bad as before. But to each his own . |
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 Veteran
Posts: 133
 
| TessBelle - 2015-06-25 4:54 PM Halter? I got a new horse that the previous owners was running in a hackamore. I'm a little heavier handed and the hackamore seems like a lot fore and him because he is very touchy. I always end up unintentally touching him and making him mess up. So I thought about running in a halter anyone ever done this or know if it will work?
I run a hot mare in a halter basically -- it's not a halter it's more like a bitless bridle minus the poll straps. I've had some custom made with the braiding. She listens tho and there is no doubt that she stops when you need her to, even mid pattern. She is more on the muscle going in than coming out. I've run more than one this way, but I would say that you must trust and know that horse before you do that. I've noticed that the more force you use the more they lean against you. So I really have just learned that they respond better the less you tug on them. She stops better by voice than she does by pulling. But I do have a mare I'm bringing along that there is no way I would ride her with light headgear. Maybe some day in the future, but I can't guarantee it. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
              Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I agree with the others about trying a sidepull, a halter is not to safe if you need the control in a hurry or running out the arena into a group of horses. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 883
       Location: Southern Indiana | hlynn - 2015-06-26 4:04 AM
A little s is one step up from a halter. At least thats what I was told when I asked Curt from Carolina Bit what was a step down from one. Lol. They're very light hacks. I run my gelding in one. He's very much the 'leave me alone and let me work' type. On the pattern. Off the pattern you need more refinement or he will be all over the place. He's way too smart for his own good. Horse is BROKE to death but loves to play games. Cow ponies man. Lol.
I will try to post a pic of a side pull but not sure it will post from my phone
ETA: you can get different nosebands on the Little S to try also. If the rope is too much, try wrapping it with vet wrap or even padding it a little, then wrapping it. Or try the flat leather noseband version. That might help 'dull' your cues more and give you that extra split second to remind yourself to leave him alone. (That's why I stepped down to the hack with my guy. He had ran 9 years in an oring)
They make leather nose side pulls. They aren't too expensive. You could probably get a nice one for $50. I would choose this over a halter. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 212
 
| I would maybe try a little s and a string or leather curb that might make it even lighter.. And in my experience the lower on nose the harsher a hack so maybe just put it high and loose.. THe thing I dont like about a halter is the side reining mechanism would be odd with where the reins would clip... like awkward kind of. Or maybe have one of those leather nose ones custom made with a short shank like a little s?? |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
              Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I love sidepulls on my young horses that I had, I have 3 sidepull's and one with a snaffle bit, they are really handy to have around. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 320
   Location: Dubuque,IA | They have a lot of bitless bridles available now and they have a system to give pressure like a chin strap but no bit. You shouldcheck them out |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 966
       Location: Loco,Ok | I make several some short short shank works real well. Clampitt Ranch on FB |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
       Location: Lost in the swamps | Side pull with vet wrap. I ride in one from time to time. |
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
    Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | I had a neat mare that was super light and needed very little riding during a run...the less you did the better she ran. Basically just needed a tiny tip on the backside of her barrels to keep her tight. I had an old side pull that was suffering from some dry rot in the leather headstall, so I dismantled it down to just the rawhide noseband. Put a pretty headstall on it, a soft leather chinstrap, and reins. It freed her up a lot, but she was never one that I worried about stopping. She eventually graduated to a ring snaffle as she began running harder and faster, but I had to keep my hands very quiet (which is very natural for me).
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 Porta Potty Pants
Posts: 2600
  
| Theres a girl around her that runs her horse in a halter .. runs in the 2d at local races. Horse does not miss a step and makes the same run every time. Works for her … I'd be to afraid to try it myself. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
       Location: Kansas | My old bay horse can run in a halter. I wouldn't do it if you were running to an open gate just for safety reasons. I haven't run him in a halter for a number of years but he's one of those that works the same every time and really all I have to do with him is help him find the first barrel, then kick & push the whole way.
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
        Location: Alberta | I'd suggest a nice fitting thinner bosal..... |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
        Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | I borrowed a S hack from a friend yesterday and going to take him and run him today in it and see how I like it. |
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