Breaking in new halters

I just bought a bundle of new halters from Sullivan's and I'm trying to figure out if there's an easy way to tighten them up so they don't slip off the animals when halter breaking. It seems like these new nylon halters just don't tighten up as good as those old rope halters used to. Does anyone have any methods of breaking in new halters?

The last bundle we bought had a funny twist to them so they didn't want to lay right no matter what we did... anyone ever have that problem?

kanshow said:

The last bundle we bought had a funny twist to them so they didn't want to lay right no matter what we did... anyone ever have that problem?

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ALL the time!  I absolutely hate it when they get twisted, it seems like they are about junk if they start out twisted, or at least it takes a long while to get them working right.

I usually take them apart and rebuild them.  The twisted ones are about worthless to use on cattle.  Sometimes You can start on the other end and make the halter on the lead end and use the halter part for the lead.  We used to make all of our own halters and it got to the point you could buy halters cheaper than you could buy the rope to make them with, if you could find rope that was good enough to make halters out of.

I usually throw my new rope halters in the mud and let them soak up a puddle for an hour or so then clean them off with the hose and let them dry out and they are broke in.

if you can get the material, you can make the halters by yourself. i tried it once and it's not too hard. i can't remember off hand but i know you start with the nose piece and all you have to do is just twist them and you will make all the loops. it kind of lets you customize them. kind of keeps this problem from happening.

First thing I do is wash them about 3 times in the washer - warm water, and dry the heck out of them, I also use downy, this makes them very pliable and soft,
works every time- sounds weird but works

Thanks for the suggestions. We typically let the heifers drag the halters for a few days and get them good and muddy, but it's hard to keep these new ones on without them being tightened up. Is there any risk of the nylon melting if you throw it in the wash with warm water? Just want to make sure the wife doesn't try to string me up with one of them

klintdog said:

Thanks for the suggestions. We typically let the heifers drag the halters for a few days and get them good and muddy, but it's hard to keep these new ones on without them being tightened up. Is there any risk of the nylon melting if you throw it in the wash with warm water? Just want to make sure the wife doesn't try to string me up with one of them

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I think that you'd be fine washing them, but if she DOES string you up with one of them, maybe then it will be good and broke in and then someone else can use it on a calf  (lol)

Yep I just wash them in warm water.

Every one in showmanship gets one at our county fair and I was told to wet it down, stretch, and set in sun to dry.