A halter is a head-collar whose nose-band forms a running loop with the rope or chain to which it is attached. Halters are generally made of webbing. (Fig. 43).

Fig. 40. Anti-slipping Head-collar.

The simplest way to improvise an ordinary halter is to take a rope about half-an-inch in diameter, and about 9 yards long; make it double for about 3 ft. 6 in., and put a knot on the doubled part, so as to form a large loop, in which make a small loop for the loose end of the rope to pass through. The second knot should divide the large loop, so that the headpiece may be about twice as long as the nose-band. This halter will now be ready to put on (Fig. 44). The noseband should be made sufficiently long to prevent it from hurting the horse's nose or jaws, when the free end of the rope is drawn tight. Or a knot may be made with that part of the rope which serves as a leading-rein, at the ring through which it passes, so that the nose-band may not squeeze the horse's jaws together (Fig. 45).

Fig. 41. Anti-slipping Head-collar.

Another method, which Mr. Tom Mitchell showed me, is to take a rope of convenient length and thickness, make a small loop at one of its ends and another small loop about 4 in. away from it (Fig. 47), pass the end of the rope through the first loop and then through the second loop (Fig. 48). This halter will then (Figs. 46 and 50) fit any horse; but it will require to be kept constantly tight in order for it to retain its position, which difficulty we may get over by making a knot at each of the small loops (Fig. 49).