horse halters There have only been a handful of times I have ever thrown a leg over a horse and they were all in my childhood but I do have one distinct memory of just how important horse halters can be. From what I remember learning, from a family friend and neighbor growing up, the simplest form of control a rider has comes from a horse halter. Almost like a dog muzzle, they allow a rider to pull the horse one way or another.

As a kid the moment I felt like the horse had full control instead of me, I never really liked riding. Not that I had many opportunities to but it is a weird feeling when an animal has complete control instead of the other way around. Obviously, they listen when you know how to ride. But this first time I got on a horse, I didn’t know what I was doing. Without horse halters I probably would have ended up in the mud. The horse started trotting away from my friend’s mom leaving me in command. I froze up and finally yanked on the reigns and the horse slow before the mom caught up. I was freaked but quickly learned how important horse halters are. Falling off a horse is not a joke. It  is a long way down. I wonder how I would do in the saddle today? It would take another lesson in handling horse halters.