Instructions for Making a Rope Horse Halter

Although making a rope horse halter is a straightforward process focusing on the over-hand and double over-hand knots, it takes some practice to get it down. Once you have made a few halters , you will find yourself completing the task in a matter of minutes. It is even possible to incorporate your own personal touches, such as horse hair tassels or varying rope colors, to make the halters beautiful and functional.

Things You'll Need

  • Length of string
  • Ruler or yardstick
  • 22 feet of 1/4- to 3/8-inch double nylon or polyester rope
  • Utility knife
  • Cigarette lighter or matches
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Instructions

    • 1

      To measure the horse's nose, wrap the string around your horse's nose just below the cheekbones. Measure the string with your ruler or yardstick. An average nose usually measures about 24 inches. Don't worry if your measurement varies, as every horse is different.

    • 2

      Cut your length of rope. For an average horse, you need approximately 22 feet of rope. The gauge of rope you choose is based on personal preference. This is also a good time to melt the ends of the rope with the lighter or matches, to prevent the rope from unraveling.

    • 3

      Tie over-hand knots loosely at four intervals, beginning about 32 inches from the end of the rope. The right ear knot should be 9 inches from the right nose knot, and the right nose knot should be 10 inches from the left nose knot. The left nose knot is at 33 inches from the throatlatch knot. Those measurements do not include the knots themselves.

    • 4

      Form a loop at 9 inches from the throatlatch knot and secure it with an over-hand knot. The loop should measure 2 to 4 inches; it is the loop through which you will fasten the finished halter.

    • 5

      Measure 10 inches from the loop and tie a double over-hand knot, or blood knot, into the left nose knot. The blood knot is the result of tying one over-hand knot into another over-hand knot.

    • 6

      Tie a second blood knot into the right nose knot. That provides the doubled thickness over the horse's nose in the finished halter. The length between the two knots should be identical. This takes a little practice, but it is better to do it right than to try to fix it later.

    • 7

      Measure 33 inches from the right nose knot and tie into the throatlatch knot using a blood knot. The rope lengths from each nose knot to the throatlatch must be identical for the finished halter to hang correctly.

    • 8

      Pull the rope from the throatlatch knot up to the right ear knot, being certain the distance is the same as on the opposite side, and tie a blood knot into the right ear knot.

    • 9

      Even off the ends of the remaining rope, removing as little as necessary. Burn the raw edges to prevent the cut ends from unraveling.

    • 10

      Create the chin loop---the loop for attaching a lead rope---by pulling together the two single ropes beneath the doubled nose band and tying an over-hand knot in the same manner that you tied the earlier loop. It should also be about 4 inches long.