Halter Bridle Combos

[guest@endurance.net]

K S SWIGART   katswig@earthlink.net

Jennifer said:

> I've decided to switch to a halter/bridle combo...
> ...
> I've seen quite a few different ones from different vendors.  I'm pretty
> sure I want to go with biothane or leather, rather than nylon.
>
> I've seen some that serve a dual purpose, but the bit stays in (no bit
> hangers) and then the kind that totally convert to a halter, with the
> use of bit hangers.
>
> Any recommendations re: style, material, or vendor would be appreciated.

Go out and buy yourself a rawhide leather shoe lace (any vendor will do).
Cut off a piece that is about 6 inches long.
Take the throatlatch off your bridle so it is just a headstall and a brow
band.
Call that a bit hanger.
Put it on over your halter.
At your horse's poll, use the lace to tie the halter and (what is now) the
bit
hanger together.

Voila.

A halter/bridle combo.

Me?  I like leather.  So I have a leather halter and a leather bridle...oh
yeah, and
I don't bother to take the throatlatch off the bit hanger.  Works just
fine.  I
have always had leather bridles, but have only recently gotten leather
halters
for all my horses.  Before then, the nylon halters made perfectly adequate
pieces of a halter/bridle combo.

Or you can get one of those over the ear headstalls (which has no
throatlatch or
browband), and call it a bit hanger. You can get them as fancy or as plain
as suits
your taste. :)  And can color coordinate them too if you want.

kat

p.s.  Personally, I do not care for the halter/bridle combos that have a
bit
hanger that snaps onto the cheek pieces of the halter, not only because it
can be difficult to get the bit into the horse's mouth (because you have
to
bring it in from the side rather than the front), but also because it does
not hang the bit properly in the horse's mouth.