Best foal halter - recommendations?

[aiken4horses]

Seven weeks to go, time to start looking at baby "clothes". What foal halter do you prefer? Where to order?

Do you leave the halter on all the time? Catch lead attached?

[VirginiaBred]

We use figure eight halters, or tiny leather halters that are hard as heck to find for us as we do ponies and they have teeny heads.
http://quillin.com/jshop/product.php?xProd=1010

Only leather. No exceptions.

We halter immediately (within 24 hours) and take them off every day in the stall and put it back on, to get them familiar.

[pintopiaffe]

Part of it is up to what breed/type the foal is. I can't use the 'grow with me' halters because the wide cheeks seem to rub on my foals. (more than one, so I think it's a head-shape thing.) The cheeks on the Quillins are curved, which might make a difference. I like the figure 8's with buckle on top of nose from Nat'l Bridle Shop. Everything slides except at one point, seems to grow and adjust a little better, IMO.

I like buckle on top of nose better than any other type.

Typically I 'try the halter on' on day one... wrap big soft cotton lead all over body, neck etc, but mine don't usually FIT into a halter at all until a week or two.

Arab X's. VERY tiny, chiselled heads. :yes:

I too use only leather. Though I don't think foals are strong enough to break even leather. But I've had very soft, lovely feeling nylon rub. :no:

I will put them on for supervised turnout. Off for unsupervised turnout. Off in the stall. I love a grab strap, though the don't last terribly long. ;)

[Hillside H Ranch]

For at home I use soft, padded type nylon that I get here locally. I put it on starting day one for a few moments. The babies only wear their halters while supervised and in their stalls. I don't leave halters on them while turned out. For showing or inspections, I use halters from Quillin.

[Astraled]

I use the Quillin's figure eight, too. I guess I need to buy another as I hope to have two foals next year (a first for me):D. Fit both my 3/4 arab and my purebred Arab colts.


Duds modeling it (http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/astraled/Dudley/?action=view&current=dudley-9.jpg). It was his first trip outside and he was supervised, so please don't write me letters all outraged and stuff. Also, ignore his dam's feet; that was the awesome trim job she arrived with, since corrected.

[europa]

OMG how adorable is that!!

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

I'm glad you posted this. I was flipping through my new smartpak catalog last night and had seen this foal halter was going to search for recommendations too! http://www.smartpakequine.com/images/product/GrowWithMeHalter_0805.jpg

[Fairview Horse Center]

I use regular suckling halters, not the fig 8 type, but I don't leave them on. The best one I ever had was a normal shaped leather halter, but the bottom ring was on the end of a loop of leather that was under the chin, and fed thru another ring from both sides. Then when a rope was added for leading, the leather loop slid down thru the brass ring, snugging up the leather on the chin. The halter wouldn't shift at all then.

[aiken4horses]

Definitely leather, always leather, on everyone! Given a choice - would rather break a halter than a neck!
Sizing for WB baby?

[BBowen]

I'm another Quillin fan. Very well-made and they are not hard on the pocket book. My filly is in her 3rd halter now.

[aiken4horses]

I'm glad you posted this. I was flipping through my new smartpak catalog last night and had seen this foal halter was going to search for recommendations too! http://www.smartpakequine.com/images/product/GrowWithMeHalter_0805.jpg

It doesn't look like it has much adjustment left and the foal is still very young. I'd rather not have to buy replacements every month! Is there another buckle we can't see?

[quicksilverponies]

I use the soft Gatsby leather halters for my babies (all ponies) and for turn-out with my grown ponies. I order them from www.shanestack.com. They come in suckling, weanling, yearling, cob, and horse sizes for about $14 to $17 depending on size. They break easily, but adjust well to most size heads. I like that they have nice sized rings on the sides and under the chin for teaching leading and tying.

[Iron Horse Farm]

I'm another Quillin fan. Very well-made and they are not hard on the pocket book. My filly is in her 3rd halter now.

Another vote for Quillin!!!

[shakeytails]

Always leather, usually the cheap Gatsby ones from Equiteric. While most of my adult horses wear (leather) halters 24/7, babies only wear them while being handled. I don't do the catch rope thing unless I have to, and usually not until they're being bratty yearlings that are all of a sudden "afraid" of being caught.

As for other clothes, I don't believe that foals need any in most cases. I'll only blanket a weanling if it's getting prepped for a show. If the weather is nasty enough to have to worry about the foal's health, mama and baby stay in a stall.