There really is a 'right' way to tie them!
Rope Halters
Rope Halters have no buckles, no snaps, and no stitching. They are one continuous piece of strong rope. The rope ends up being doubled when complete, which
makes it very strong. With no snaps or buckles to break, the rope halter is a great resource for tying a horse securely. The worst thing that can happen, is for a horse to pull and the halter, snap or buckle breaksand the horse gets loose. Not only can the horse get scared and hurt, but worse is the horse just learned that it can get free, it just learned that it can break halters, it just learned that it does not have to accept being tied. Bad lessons when you are teaching a horse to tie. You don't want the horse knowing it can get loose if it pulls.
Lots of people don't like rope halters since they have to be tied with a correct knot. It is easier to hook a buckle than learn to tie a proper knot. Tying a rope halter is simple and I have a few pictures to show it tied properly.
Notice that the finished tie will always have the end of the rope facing away from the eye. Some people tuck the extra hanging end of the rope halter or tie under the chin part of the halter. The pictures below show what the knot looks like when tied correctly.
Untying the Halter: It is important to tie the halter right so when under load it will hold and not slip. It is also important so you can untie the halter after a 1300 pound horse sits on the knot. I see some people using nails, screwdrivers or pliers to try and untie a rope halter. Don't do this. It tears the rope fibers and weakens your halter. It is also not needed. It the halter is tied corrected as in all my pictures, it will untie no matter how much weight is put on it. However you have to know the proper technique, which is really simple. To untie, just bend the top of the loop backwards and it will untie with ease. The loop I am referring to it the same loop that you put the lose end of the rope in, when you tie it. So bend the loop back onto itself and the knot will come lose. Remember, the knot has to be tied correctly for this to work. Notice on the photo on the left that the excess of the rope is tucked under the chin to keep it from flopping around and possibly hitting the horse in the eye or causing a spook.
Notice in the photos above the excess rope used to tie the halter is always pointing towards the back of the horse, away from the eye. This is quick check of making sure the halter is tied correctly. Also notice the excess rope is tucked into the throat latch area to keep it from flapping and hitting the horse.
BAD TIE: This is just one of the many WRONG ways to tie a rope halter. Once you learn the right way it is very easy to see if a halter is tied properly. So study the right way, you will see many examples of the wrong way if you look. An easy way to remember the right way is the tie, if right, is always below the loop and never on top, as in these knots, the tie is above the loop, incorrect. BOTH PHOTOS BELOW ARE INCORRECT "Wrong" TIE
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