Neglect issue

The halter: Not part of the horse.

posted in Blog, Issues, Neglect, Stewardship | Monday, April 12th, 2010

Rescued foal with halter imprint on face

Have you ever been anxious to pull those boots off, or take out those earrings, or get free of that underwire bra? Ever had a ring on too tight and then your finger swelled around it? Ever been outraged when a puppy outgrows its collar and the owners don’t adjust it? Maybe you’ve had somebody strap a belt around your head and under your jaw, pull it snug, buckle it, and leave you in a cage. No? Well, it’d be okay. You have hands.

This horse’s halter (just removed) was left on for weeks, skin-tight, long enough for the winter hair to grow in around it. The hair was rubbing off her nose. It was only a matter of time until the skin would follow. Eight weeks later the halter’s imprint was still very discernable on the mare’s face. She was only uncomfortable. This was a mild case of halter neglect. We saw a more severe case recently in a field, miles from anywhere, hence the rant.
The halter is not part of the horse. It sounds so obvious, but apparently, it’s not. Too many horses are left for weeks, even months, with their halters on, ignored while skin wears away under the halter, or grows around it, and sores develop. This is a form of neglect. They can carry the scars for years.
The idea that leaving the halter on a horse makes the horse easier to catch is a myth. If a horse doesn’t want someone to catch him, he can simply remain out of reach, halter or no halter. The right way to make a horse easier to catch is to teach him that being caught is a good thing. A tame, gentle horse does not need to be kept haltered all the time. But if it is deemed necessary to leave a horse haltered for any reason, the following steps should be followed:

1. Make sure the halter fits properly. You should be able to fit two or three fingers under the noseband, chin and throatlatch. But if it’s too loose, something could get caught in it, like a branch or fence post, resulting in injury.
2. Check the fit of the halter every day on a growing foal, and check horses daily for halter rubs, especially on the front of the nose and behind the ears.
3. If used during turnout, consider a breakaway halter for safety.
4. Consider training the horse to be easily haltered, or training the handler to be deft at haltering. Horses can be taught to drop their heads for haltering.