How to Make a Simple Rope Halter

One of the advantages of using a rope halter on your horse is that it gives you full control over your animal. A simple rope halter is comfortable and light when the horse is behaved, but the rope's thinness gives it some bite when your horse pulls on it. Most riders prefer to use rope halters instead of leather halters since they are stronger. If you want to start using a rope halter, you can simply make one at home by tying a few knots.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • ¼ inch of double-braided nylon rope
  • Sharp knife
  • Lighter
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the size of your horse to determine the size of the rope halter that you will make. Use your measuring tape to measure around your horse's nose, right below its cheekbone. A small halter usually requires 18 feet of rope. For larger halters, you need to add an additional 2 feet of rope.

    • 2

      Cut the end of the rope using a sharp knife. Cauterize or burn the newly cut end with a lighter to prevent the strands of the rope from unraveling.

    • 3

      Take one side of your rope and make an overhand knot to serve as the right ear knot. If you are using a small horse, the knot should be at least 28 inches away from the end of the rope. For medium-sized horses, the distance should be at least 30 inches, and 32 inches for large horses.

    • 4

      Tie another overhand knot right after the right ear knot. This is the right nose knot. The space between the two knots should measure about 7 to 16 inches, depending on the size of your horse.

    • 5

      Create a new overhand knot for the left nose knot right next to your right nose knot. This should measure about 8 to 11 inches, depending on the size of your horse.

    • 6

      Tie another overhand knot after your left nose knot. This will be your throat latch knot and should measure about 29 to 37 inches from the last knot, depending on the size of your horse.

    • 7

      Create the tie loop for your rope halter by holding the rope in a loop and creating an overhand knot. There should be a 4-inch loop after the knot.

    • 8

      Grab the loose end of your rope to start tying the halter. Start by tying the tie loop into the left nose knot with a double overhand knot to secure it in place. Repeat this step to tie the left nose knot to the right nose knot, the throat latch knot to the right nose knot, and the right ear knot to the throat latch.

    • 9

      Create a loop with your lead in order to attach the throat latch knot to the left and right nose knots. Hold all the rope sections together and tie another overhand knot at the bottom. You should come up with two loops, each 4 to 5 inches in length.

    • 10

      Cut off any excess rope with a sharp knife and cauterize the end with your lighter.