Can I leave my horse's halter on in a paddock or turn out over night?

Question

I was just wondering. Of course, I would make it loose on his head and make sure it was comfortable and not scratchy. But evan if i did that, could I still leave it on over night? If I do would it be bad for my horse or anything?

Answer 1

I don't think it's ever a good idea to turn your horse out with a halter. Especially when you can't be there to make sure nothing goes wrong. Leaving a halter on over night is dangerous. If the halter gets caught on something and your horse panics they can really tear themselves up. I wouldn't do it.

Answer 2

Don't do it unless it's a breakaway halter(which you can buy at any tack shop!)

Answer 3

i wouldnt leave it on overnight not even if its loose and if you leave or horse outside overnight it can give them a better looking coat

Answer 4

It wouldn't be the best idea to do that because if the horse got caught on something then panicked......well it wouldn't be that good! I've left the halter on my horse lot's of times over night and when when he's in the pasture but i think i have been lucky!

Answer 5

you can, it's alright as long as it is loose. People do that a lot when overnighting with their horse. I wouldn't recomend you do it unless necessary, though, because it's better to be safe, and there have been some stories of leaving it on overnight being bad.

Either way, it is safe and OK as long as you are careful.

Answer 6

i personally woundn't use the halter at night unless your supervising. it can be pretty dangerous... an animal could come by and spook the horse and the horse could be caught on some hting and cut/tear his/her skin. it makes the horse feel good too when you take it off.. they think "IM FREE" and are ready to put it back on the next morning... theres a lot of things the can happen so just be cautious

Answer 7

It depends on the type of halter. Any halter that isn't a breakaway halter (with a leather crownpiece) is not safe to leave on your horse without you there. The leather crownpiece will break if your horse gets his/her halter stuck on anything. A nylon or rope halter should never be left on your horse without a person being with them, they will not break if the halter gets caught.

http://www.horse.com/Farm-Ranch-Supplies...

http://www.doversaddlery.com/safety-halt...

^ Break-Away Halters

You can find a breakaway halter at any tack shop, and even most feed shops. They are usually around $25, but pricing depends on location and other factors.

Answer 8

You shouldn't keep it on all night because it could rub the skin raw and could leave a nasty scar.

Answer 9

You should always have a halter on the horse. For safety.  Also you can get a soft bushy one so it doesn't rub.

Answer 10

If it is a leather halter, then yes, you can.  If your horse gets hung up on something and struggles, the leather halter will break.  You don't want to it be too tight or too loose.  If it is too loose, your horse could actually step into the halter while eating or scratching...I know it sounds impossible, but believe me, it can happen.

You can get breakaway halters that are made of nylon if you prefer nylon.  HOWEVER, NEVER NEVER NEVER leave a nylon halter on an unattended horse.  They do not break very easily at all and will cause major damage to your horse if he gets it caught on something.

Make sure the halter fits properly every time you see your horse.  There have been cases where neglectful people have left the halter on only to have it grow into the horses head (or the horses' head grows over it).

I would suggest taking the halter off when you turn your horse out.  It's just safer.

Answer 11

I would never do that its safer to just turn him out without it because the horse can get hung up and hang itself :( . I knew a girl who got a halter on her filly for the first time and instead of taking it off and trying again in the morning she left it on and during the night the filly was rubbing her face on a fence and the halter got caught up and she pulled back and she fell and started to twist... she sadly was dead by morning when the lady went to go check on her... Nylon halters are espesually dangerous since nylon is stronger and harder to rip / break, usually the metal breaks before the nylon does.

Answer 12

you never know if it might catch something so I wouldn't    its like girls not sleeping with a bra.. same comfort

Answer 13

Turning horses out in a paddock or pasture with a halter on is DANGEROUS, I don't care what anyone else says about it. If the horse gets the halter caught on a fence post, a tree, the gate, or if he gets a foot caught in it while trying to scratch himself, HE CAN DIE !!! I once knew a horse that did exactly this- and he strangled himself. The owner had no idea what had happened until the next day, when she walked out to feed and found the horse lying dead next to the fence where he'd been caught. Do yourself and your horse a big favor- and don't make the same tragic mistake this horse's owner did. She was very heartbroken for months afterwards- and she has NEVER MADE THAT MISTAKE again.

There are some halters which are made with breakaway pieces at the poll- but unless these are leather, even they are not safe to use in a situation like this. Besides, even with a breakaway halter, the horse can still get his foot caught if he tries to scratch himself behind the ear- and if this happens, he could break a leg or a hip, and have to be destroyed. Our horses live out 24/7- they only come in to work or to eat- and we NEVER leave a halter on any of them. It's JUST NOT WORTH THE RISK.

I hope this helps you.

Answer 14

i personally wouldnt do it... but i had to when i got my first horse. We had it on loose, but not to loose. It helped us to catch her as she was hard to catch because of her previous owner. Good luck

Answer 15

nope not unless its a break away halter

Answer 16

To do that you really want a fieldsafe headcollar ( they break easily if they get caught up)

http://www.tds-saddlers.com/ProductDetai...

However you may still find that it will rub so I wouldn't want to be leaving it on full-time. I have also heard stories of horses who got caught up and managed to get injured before the headcollar broke. I do know someone who used one for years without trouble but I wouldn't risk it myself.

Answer 17

No, it is not recommended to leave a horse's halter on in the pasture or paddock while unattended. The only exception would really be if he's being supervised or is a very hard to catch horse.

He could get it caught on a fence nail, tree branch, I have seen many horses get their leg caught in their halter and they may injure themselves and fall down trying to get out.