Experienced horse owners will be the first to admit that halters left on horses in the pasture is an accident waiting to happen. Halters can get caught on anything from a fence post, to a hay feeder, to even the horse’s hoof. Ideally, the best practice is to never turn your horse out wearing a halter.
However, if it is absolutely necessary, you can use a breakaway halter for increased safety in the pasture. Read on to learn more about breakaway halters.
What is a Breakaway Halter?
A breakaway halter has a leather crown strap or a leather tab connecting the crown strap.
The crown strap comes across the top of the horse’s head. When a horse pulls back or panics, this leather strap (or the tab connecting it) is designed to break, releasing the horse from the halter.
How are Breakaway Halters Made?
Most halters on the market are made entirely of nylon. Nylon has 3x the tensile strength of leather. When a horse pulls back, most of the pressure is put on the crown strap of the halter. If this strap is made of nylon, it will not break, unless extremely worn out.
Breakaway halters replace the crown strap with a leather strap. This strap is not as thick as the straps found on all-leather halters. Another design has the crown strap attached by a leather tab called a breakaway fuse. This fuse is attached by Chicago screws and is designed to break. Depending on the thickness, the tensile strength of this strap is approximately 500 to 600 pounds.
How to Fit a Breakaway Horse Halter
Like all halters, breakaway halters should fit snug. The nose piece should lay two fingers width below the tip of the cheekbone.
The nosepiece needs to be snug but not too snug. The horse needs to be able to eat and drink. Use the same two-finger rule you use on a dog’s collar. The crown strap should fit behind the ear area and not slide down on the horse’s neck. The strap that comes under the throat should be snug but still, allow the horse to bend his head without choking.
Pros of Breakaway Horse Halters
Breakaway halters can provide added protection to horses in the pasture. A horse in the pasture will rub up against a fence post to get rid of a pesky itch. The post gets between the horse’s skin and the halter trapping the horse. Panic sets in, and the horse pulls back fighting.
In a traditional halter, the horse can do damage that varies from cuts and bruises to death. A breakaway halter is designed to “break,” allowing the horses to get loose.
Breakaway halters can be beneficial in trailers. If there is an accident, it can be easier for the horse to get loose. However, a loose horse is not always the best situation.
Cons of Breakaway Horse Halters
The training and background of a horse can have an effect on the preference of using a breakaway halter. Here are some examples of situations that a breakaway might not be the best choice.
Teaching to tie:
Horses need to learn to stand patiently for various reasons, like grooming, farrier work, saddling, etc.
If a horse is learning to tie and pulls back, and the halter “breaks,” they just learned that they don’t have to stand there. If they are successful at this a few times, it can be tough to teach them that pulling back is not a good idea.
Halter Breaks away when the lead rope is stepped on – If you are leading or lunging your horse and it either steps on the lead or pulls, putting tension on the rope, the halter can break away, resulting in a loose horse.
Final Thoughts on Breakaway Horse Halters
Using breakaway halters while training can teach bad habits. However, breakaway horse halters can increase safety when it is necessary for a horse to wear a halter in the pasture. However, it is advisable to never have a halter on a horse during turn out.
The Best Choice for Breakaway Horse Halters (With Leather Poll Strap)
Weaver Leather Breakaway Original Adjustable Chin and Throat Snap Halter (Leather Poll Strap)
The Weaver name is known for excellence in the halter industry. They have taken their top-quality nylon halter and replaced the crown strap with a burgundy leather breakaway strap.
The halter’s stress points are box stitched for added strength, and the hardware is heavy-duty brass. The nose piece is adjustable. The rolled throat provides additional comfort and is attached with a snap for quick release.
These snaps are looped-on for easy replacement. It is the excellence and workmanship expected from a Weaver Halter.
Available in multiple colors and sizes.
The manufacturer suggested weight – size chart. However, please note that not all horses are created equal.
- Weanling/Pony – 200-300 lbs.
- Yearling – 300-500 lbs.
- Arabian/Cob – 500-800 lbs.
- Small horse – 500-800 lbs.
- Average horse – 800-1100 lbs.
- Large horse – 1100-1600 lbs.
The Best Choice for Breakaway Horse Halters (With Breakaway Fuse)
Weaver Leather Padded Breakaway Adjustable Chin & Throat Snap Halter (with breakaway fuse)
Once again, Weaver is at the top of the list for excellence in horse halters’ quality. The adjustable noseband and crown are lined with soft PVC-coated foam rubber padding for additional comfort. The throat on this halter is flat instead of rolled. There is a quick release snap on the throat strap. Chicago screws attach the breakaway fuses. You can order additional fuses from Weaver if necessary. This halter comes in a variety of colors and sizes.
The manufacturer suggested weight – size chart. However, please note that not all horses are created equal.
- Weanling/Pony – 200-300 lbs.
- Yearling – 300-500 lbs.
- Arabian/Cob – 500-800 lbs.
- Small horse – 500-800 lbs.
- Average horse – 800-1100 lbs.
- Large horse – 1100-1600 lbs.
Nice read, I just passed this onto a friend who was doing a little research on that. And he actually bought me lunch as I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!