Halter

"[1] One halter design was patented in the United States by Henry Wagner of Toledo, Iowa February 13, 1894.

In most cases, it is not safe to ride in an ordinary stable halter because it fits loosely and provides no leverage to the rider should a horse panic or bolt.

In some cases, mecate-style reins may be added to a rope halter, creating a modified form of hackamore, and equipment called a "sidepull" has a heavier noseband and two reins added on cheek rings placed each side to provide control.

[8] Show halters may be flat or round, but are generally made of leather or a similar synthetic and are designed to enhance the attractiveness of an animal's head as well as to exert precise control.

In some cases, a bridle or hackamore may be used when handling an equine on the ground in order to exert more precision and control.

One common halter design is made of either flat nylon webbing or flat leather, has a noseband that passes around the muzzle with one ring under the jaw, usually used to attach a lead rope, and two rings on either side of the head.

The noseband is usually adjusted to lie about halfway between the end of the cheekbones and the corners of the mouth, crossing over the strong, bony part of the face.

The throatlatch goes under the throat, and sometimes has a snap or clip that allows the halter to be removed in a manner similar to the bridle.

The halter design made of rope also has the same basic sections, but usually is joined by knots instead of sewn into rings.

[11] On horses, a lighter version of a headcollar or headstall is also used to attach a fly veil of waxed cotton strands or light leather strips onto a browband.

Some fly masks are also made in a similar pattern to a headcollar and are often fastened with velcro tabs.

For tying, it is disputed if a halter should be made strong enough not to break under stress, or if it should give way when tension reaches a certain point in order to prevent injury to the animal.

Those who believe that escape is the greater danger, either due to concerns about escape or creating a recurring bad habit in an animal that learns to break loose that could become unable to be kept tied at all, recommend sturdy designs that will not break unless the handler deliberately releases a slipknot or cuts the lead rope.