Learn to Make a Rope Halter
- Encourage head down rather than head up and back to enable your horse to relax and be obedient.
- Check your rope halter for fit after your horse has worn in a few times. Both knots and rope can relax, leaving your halter a bit bigger than expected.
Where to Find Instructions to Make Rope Halters
Rope halters are not difficult to make. They are a great gift and can be customized to coordinate with other tacks. You'll want to use a size chart and specific measurements to make sure you get a good fit. Pony Club Victoria has instructions and nice illustrations of the knots required to make a rope halter. Once you decide your material, pick anything that is braided or plaited. This could be a good way of using up old baler twine.
Probably, the most confusing part of making the halter is tying the fiador knot that goes under the chin. Find a good resource for instructions for tying fiador knots. Horse Knotting has a series of diagrams that demonstrate how to tie a fiador knot. If you're still stumped after reading and looking through the pictures, ask some horse owning friends or try going to a marina and getting a hands-on knotting demonstration from an experienced sailor. Online videos are also a helpful resource for a visual learner.
