Breeding-only Halter for a Stallion

[StarRidgeAcres]

I'm thinking it may be time to go to a halter that I only use when I'm bringing the stallion out to be bred. How many of you use this as a tool and do you think it works? If you do have a breeding-only halter, what makes it different from your barn halters? I'm looking for suggestions that I can use that are way different from any halter I'd use for exercise, showing, etc.

All opinions appreciated!

 

[icspots]

Not speaking from personal experience because my boys have to make do with an all occasion halter, but I have a friend with a full sized stallion that uses the different for breeding only halter and she swears by it. What she did was instead of a nylon, she got a leather that is used only for breeding. Her boy has a full understanding of the special halter and behaves accordingly!

 

[disneyhorse]

My friend has Andalusian stallions, and their breeding halters have the big fuzzy fleece halter covers on them so the horse knows the difference in an obvious way. I think they just velcro on to the noseband and cheeckpieces.

Andrea

 

[Sunny]

That worked brilliantly well for us with all our stallions. All we did was use the stallion's regular barn halter, but we put a chain on it (before we brought it to him) like you would a show halter. When they saw that combination coming, they knew it was time to breed a mare!

 

[targetsmom]

I use a halter with a snap at the the throatlatch and then use a chain over the nose. I also keep the halter in a different place than his "regular" halter. Maybe he doesn't know how to tell the halters apart, but of course I do! It might feel different... I think between seeing me get the halter from a different place, maybe the different feel, and then the chain over the nose, he sure seems to know what it means!!!

I also show him, so I will make sure to put his regular halter or a show halter on him every few days and practice in the "ring" (NOT where we breed). I will try to have someone else bring in a mare in heat, but no closer than she would be in a halter class. We also do performance with him, hence the practice with a "regular" halter. We once had a mare ahead of us in a halter obstacle class refuse the first obstacle and she had to exit the ring right by him!! He was fine.

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

We use just a regular nylon halter with a stud chain through it and when the chain is over their nose they know they get to breed a mare but once it goes under their chin they have to act properly. I think that helps to distinguish the chain of breeding and the chain for showing.

 

[Bess Kelly]

No special halter but, a special location

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Wow! As always, you guys are great! These are very good ideas. I was concerned about adding a chain because it might feel very similar to a show halter. If I put the chain over the nose, is there any rish of injuring the skin? It seems kind of tender in that area but maybe that's just my imagination.

 

[JWC sr.]

When handling any of our stallions we don't tolerate studdy behavior at any time. The guys are trained to the point that they remain calm anytime we put a halter on them. If not there are consequences that they face, (being put back into the pasture, stud chain used or several other methods Cindy and Jose use).

It for us anyway is a matter of conditioning and training for all the stallions. If there is anything I can't stand more than an obnoxious stallion, I don't know what it is.

Rio who of course is the Sr stallion on our farm has gotten to the point where all you have to do with him is go to his pasture, show him a halter and he puts his head into it and leads gently. Then if it is breeding time you walk him up to the mare and he waits till given the "okay go ahead verbal message" before mounting the mare. We also hate a stallion that bites, kicks or hurts the mare in anyway. But then again this is conditioning and is all about letting a stallion know what is acceptable or not.

Any kind of a prompt can be used as long as it used consistently as a conditioning signal to the stallion, be that a special halter, place or person that is handling him.

 

[Shaladar]

I do the same with the chain over the nose, but the chain is on a separate slender leather lead, and I have the rope lead hooked in the ring under the chin like usual. The chain is mainly there as a tool for him knowing that it is breeding time. Very seldom do I have to use it. Tone of voice and a loud "aaaaackkkk" keeps both my boys in control. But the chain is there if I need it.

I bring either one out of their stall with the usual halter/lead combo, all is calm and normal, but as soon as I go to where the chain lead is hanging and run the chain over the nose and hook it on the ring by the ear, they know !! They puff up and their feet get to dancin. LOL This is the only time I allow them to be stallions while on a lead , they get to dance and puff and talk.

Sue

 

[Minimor]

If I put the chain over the nose, is there any rish of injuring the skin?

Not so much the skin, but the cartilage--used too hard and/or in the wrong place, a chain over the nose can damage the cartilage and leave the horse with a permanent disfigurement.

I haven't needed a chain on any of the Minis but did used to show a couple of Morgan with a chain run around the nose--not just across the nose, but right around from under the chin, through the off halter ring, over the nose, through the near ring and back down to snap to itself under the chin. Used this way it gave a bit more control, but didn't have nearly the leverage you get if you snap the chain to the cheek ring on the off side. Anyway, I would always make one turn around the halter noseband with the chain--that would keep the chain right up by the noseband, so that it wouldn't drop down low on the nose if the chain went slack--much less risk to damaging the horse's nose this way.

As for a different halter--with our Morgan we had a good leather halter that we used for breeding, and otherwise his regular halter was nylon...and the show halter of course was nothing at all like the heavier breeding halter. He definitely knew the difference. For the Minis I haven't bought a leather halter; Ice Man's breeding halter is a heavy weight, triple ply nylon halter. His regular halter is much lighter--so just the difference in weight should be enough to tell him what the job of the moment is!

 

[mizbeth]

I agree with John on this. My stallions are well mannered, even the young ones. I can drive my Rowdy son in a cart past mares in heat and he does not act up. He has been very well trained.

I would not use a chain over the top of the nose either, (although I have used one on a colt once that had NO manners at all and was dangerous to be around - he got the message) but if you need to use a chain add one underneath. It should not be needed though, well maybe with Merlin if he is still acting up.

Good luck. I used to do everything by the book too when I first got my horses, but as my herd grew my methods were adapted for change that better suited my operations at the time. At one point we ran the stallions with the mares for breeding and did not hand breed at all. That is one of the best methods to use for breeding in my opinon as the stallion will cover the mare usually only one time and then leave her alone. Higher conception rate I noticed too. JMO.

Beth

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

Wow! As always, you guys are great! These are very good ideas. I was concerned about adding a chain because it might feel very similar to a show halter. If I put the chain over the nose, is there any rish of injuring the skin? It seems kind of tender in that area but maybe that's just my imagination.

I have never had a stallion get a sore from the chain there, and yes I have had to use it with one. Use a larger chain, not a really skinny one and it will be less harsh.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

In the past I followed a specific routine with my stallion, I would tie him to a particular post in his pen, (with the chain clipped to the bottom ring of his halter, but not tied with the chain), and I would bring the mare in, tie her to the gate and go back to the stallion and put the chain over his nose. I didn't use the chain for behaviour correction, but as the cue for breeding time. I wrapped the chain around the nose band so it doesn't come in direct contact with their skin and was safer that way for both of us, but if he did get a bit rough, I had a little more leverage with the chain if needed.

I have a new Junior stallion who I will be using for breeding soon, and I do like the idea of a heavy leather halter. I do hope he is as easy to train as my first boy!

Edited to add, this is my routine when hand breeding by myself. When doing it with two people I would handle the stallion, but stand at the same post waiting for the other person to bring the mare in.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I never use a chain under the nose with a stallion unless specifically told to by the owner. It encourages them to lift their front end, which is something we want to avoid at all costs with stallions.

I use a chain through the mouth, then under the chin to the diagonal poll ring. The chain being through the mouth is their que that they are allowed to be stallions and allowed to be bred. If I'm just teasing or handling them normally the chain is over their nose.

 

[Whitewave]

When I worked for Debbie Shafner-Stephens I use to be in charge of the "Breeding" , when I came to a stallions stall to take him to his Mare I always carried "blue boot" when these were put on their feet they Knew it was time to breed... Funny thing was while at a Grand Prix show we decided to breed a mare and boy did all the Boys go crazy when they saw me walking down the Isle with those Blue Boots....

As for my Mini stallion I use a "Dully Halter" for breeding.. It is the Same Halter "john Lyons" uses but in miniature size....It is a black nylon halter with two short ropes with rings at each end can go over the nose or under.. Works great for the rowdy young 'uns ...

Jennifer

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I agree with John on this entirely.

I do not tolerate anything other than "normal" behaviour form my stallions and never use a chain either.

Many years ago I had an incident with an Arab who had a chain on and got his foot over the line as he mounted, line went taught, pulled the stud chain and things went downhill fast.

This was also a young horse, so, after that, no more chains for me, not even in the ring, well, especially in the ring!!

The day my stallion breeds a mare in the middle of a show ring is the day he can start expecting to do just that and since that will never happen he can behave himself and keep his comments to himself.

I do have a specific place to breed the mares, though, and the stallions know if they are brought to a mare in this place they can reasonably expect to breed her, if she is willing.

I have another place where we do the "teasing" and if the mare is then willing I move her.

It is all just down to routine.

If the mare is out in the big yard, chances are his luck is not in and he has to tease her to find out, gently!!

If she is in the small yard he is on a promise!!

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

well maybe with Merlin if he is still acting up.

Beth, Actually Merlin has settled in quite nicely!

I know, shocked me too.

When I just had Corona things were so uncomplicated!

But now having 3 mature breeding stallions I'm feeling the need for routine, routine, routine! And with my experimenting with AI (which requires the stallion to breed in a location other than the farm where he's comfortable) I'm hoping that use of a specific halter with eventually work as my queue to them that now is the time. My vet (who is doing the collecting) is strongly encouraging me to come up with a halter (or some queue) that I'm comfortable with and can be used at their facility also. I think I'm liking the idea of a heavy, maybe leather) halter with a fuzzy noseband. That seems to me like it would make a very different presentation and also feel for the stallion and it would be very obvious now is the time.

Thanks for all the great responses!

 

[Baydreamfarms]

My trainer growing up had and still has a AQHA stallion. She would use a leather halter to breed and a nylon halter for all other purposes. The smell was different and he knew the difference before it was ever put on him. If you brought out his leather halter and went to put it on him he would puff up his chest and hold his head really proud like "I'm the man" but I know from one time that I had to jump on him bareback and in a halter to help with a lesson when a fire started that in the nylon halter he acted like any other gleding. The group lesson had 2 mares in heat and that were VERY interested in him and he never even sniffed or dropped. He knew better!

She had worked with him since he was 3 when she bought him and has been very diligent to make sure no one ever knew he was a stud unless you looked or saw him at work breeding mares. I def have seen the two different halters work. But I think a leather one and a nylon one works very well because they do have a different scent to them as well as feel.

 

[Sun Runner Stables]

We use a nylon halter with a few bells on it-

He knows when he hears Those bells, that it means it's go time. My stallion was a Bad teenager with his previous owners, and still wants to be a bit of a nipper. I do Not let him breed till he is polite and well behaved, and is respectful to the mare. Also I don't ever let him bite at me, her, or ever prance/scream going anywhere.

I wouldn't say that he's the best stallion I have ever owned- (Nancy G has him- Her Rambo is the Sweetest stallion Ever! I loved him, he babysat my weanlings, and I could throw him into a trailer full of mares and babies and know he wouldn't do Anything wrong!)

However, Topper is more of a "I am bad because I can be" and as I don't believe in beating it out of him, we do lots of respect work. (aka backing up!)