How to Fit a Horse Halter

The halter is a basic piece of horse equipment that all trained horses wear. It is made of nylon, leather, or rope and worn on the horse's head so that the person working with the horse has something to hold on to. It has metal clasps to clip a lead rope on; this rope is used to walk the horse.

It's important to make sure a horse's halter fits properly. Poorly fitted halters can rub and cause pain, which may result in behavior problems from the horse. A halter may be too big, too small, or is broken or worn in some way. Here is how to find the right sized halter for your horse.

Common Sizes

Generally, horse halters come in standard sizes and you may see sizes such as these:

• Mini - made to fit ​miniature horses or tiny foals.
• Foal - may also fit a pony.
• Weanling or Pony
• Yearling - may also fit a pony.
• Small - may also fit an Arabian.
• Arab - Will have a smaller noseband than halters made for average or medium sized horses.
• Cob or Small Horse - may also fit an Arabian, but the noseband may be too large because Arabs tend to have smaller noses than other breeds.
• Horse/Average/Medium--intended to fit the average riding horse.
• Large Horse--which may be a warmblood, draft cross or other larger breed.
• Warmblood
• Draft/Large/Extra Large--for draft or workhorses, or some draft crosses depending on the size of their heads.

Measure to Be Sure