Product Review: Hybrid Halter

About a year ago, for our one year anniversary, I picked up a Leather Hybrid Halter for Spicy.

Hybrid Halters are created by The Horse Education Company. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner and creator at LRK3DE when I went in 2019, and I really liked the product.

The patented HYBRID Halter® is a direct combination of the traditional flat halter and the natural horseman's rope halter, with the addition of a signature 180° sliding ring and noseband knots to allow for the precise application of pressure and leverage - resulting in unbeatable lightness in the halter without the use of a stud chain. It eliminates head torquing, poll injury, knot hassles and stripped buckle holes while being safe for trailering, crosstying and even riding.

 -- The Horse Education Company

I always have a rope halter in  my kit, but to be honest I really hated using it. I don't feel comfortable trailering with it, it annoyed me on the cross ties and I couldn't ride with it. I also hated how it torqued when I was trying to lunge. If Spicy started to pull or bow out on the lunge circle, it almost always twisted too close to his eye for my comfort. Plus I can never remember how to do the knot correctly...

Measuring Spicy, I found the size chart to be exactly accurate. The sizing is more important than your standard halter, because if it's too loose it's not going to work like a traditional rope halter would.

True to the description, I use this for everything. I don't cross-tie anymore but I love having the option. I've clipped reins on and ridden in it and I've even trailered in it (and broken it, because my dumbass forgot to untie him when I put the butt bar down. Please never be me I am a horrible horse owner. But uh, getting the replacement crown piece was easy peasy?)

I post a ton of pictures of Spicy wearing it and people always ask me about it. Even The Cowboy liked it! It has all the things I like about a rope halter with the convenience (and safety) of a regular breakaway halter. I love lunging in it because I don't have to switch anything when I change directions.

A good friend and experienced horse trainer did ask if the sliding ring would eliminate the sensitivity you'd get from a rope halter, her thinking being that the sliding ring would muddy signals from the lead rope to the face. I haven't found this to be the case at all. The horse can definitely feel the ring sliding moving and I've been able to train Spicy to respond to the slightest wiggle of it. It probably takes some more careful training and discipline on the trainer's part to instill that respect but it can (and should!) be done.

One slight warning though: a lot of people ask me about the halter and usually the conversation goes "Oh! My horse bullies/pushes/is difficult to lead and this looks amazing! Will it fix all my problems?"

To be honest, no. Neither would a rope halter. This halter will not magically make your horse lead like an angel. What it will do is make it magically easier to teach your horse to lead like a civilized being. It will allow you to train a lightness that you wouldn't be able to in a flat halter.

I always start with ground work,
so he wears it every ride under his bridle

As far as the quality, the leather halter I have is one of the most gorgeous strap goods I've ever bought. I got a name plate which is beautiful and well engraved. Even with the engraving I think it only took a week or two for the halter to get to me. It's held up great to daily use, although it doesn't sit out in the rain. I assume even if it did it would still hold up fine. It's triple stitched and treated. The owner is always coming out with new color combos and even has a beta version!

The Good:

• Literally everything. I have nothing bad to say about this product.

The Bad:

• Might feel pricy for a halter, and a rope halter will always be more affordable. However, she has an economy version that just has rope over the nose at a very affordable price point so you can still get the benefit if you're looking for something in the ~$30 range. It's worth upgrading to even the full nylon version though, in my opinion.

 Over all, I'm extremely happy with the halter and I am truly grateful it exists. All my horses going forward are going to get their own!