Halter Tips

As a judge and past halter exhibitor, I can offer a few tips for exhibiting in showmanship and halter classes. • A silver halter like this one looks nice and shows off a horse’s head, but it’s not required. A plain, high- quality leather halter is acceptable, too. Miss Jim 45 was one of the greatest Quarter Horse halter mares, and she was shown in a plain leather halter. Whether silver or plain leather, be sure that your halter is clean. • Holding the shank in a loose loop around your left hand gives a tidy appearance. But never loop it tightly around your arm or hand in case your horse spooks and jerks on the shank. • It doesn’t matter how beautiful your horse looks in his perfectly fitted halter if he lacks ground manners. Work with him at home to stand up and respect you as a handler before taking him to a show for halter or showmanship classes.