So in full disclosure I have received a free halter in exchange for this review. However, I will not lie and had I not liked I would have let them know and asked if they still wanted me to post.
These halters are made of biothane- a product I have never heard of so I had to research it. From the Two Horse website:
Beta BioThane® is a web coated nylon that is quite simply the best material available in the equine marketplace. It is stronger and more durable than nylon or leather. It is also easy to clean and completely hassle free. It is soft, supple & extremely pliable. A must have for any equestrian as it has a better feel than leather or nylon. It is more comfortable for not only the rider but the horse as well.Apparently it's used in harness and endurance tack. It also comes in all sorts of fun colour. When I was choosing my halter I was sorely tempted by the purple one but since I still wasn't sure I chickened out and ordered the black in 'horse' size (it comes in mini to draft sizes and they will even make a custom one). Based on the website you can get a halter/lead combo so it all matches.
To be honest I thought that once they saw that I lived in Canada that they would decide it was too expensive to ship. But I was wrong and the halter arrived the other day. I was immediately impressed with the quality of the halter. It took a second look to determine that it was not leather. The halter was soft, pliable and not at all plastic looking. The hardware was solid and nice too.
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| at first glance this looks like quality leather. I like stainless steel hardware and it seems to be of nice quality |
The next step was to try it on. Coincidentally my ring was pretty clear of snow so I decided to work Carmen in the new halter. One of my 'issues' with lunging in a halter is how loose the nose band is. I think that the flapping around and/or tugging with the line is not comfortable. However, with the buckle on the nose I could adjust it to where I liked it. Also, given Carmen's head shape it was nice to be able to fit the crown and nose separately.
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| I totally could have pulled off the purple one but you would need to get a different coloured lunge line! |
You can see that she needed the crown let out a bit and the nose brought in. I might even try another hole tighter on the nose to see what she thinks. If I ever get to the point of attaching a lead to the halter to ride this would be perfect.
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| I do like the black one on her but can we take a minute to appreciate how mature she looks? |
- It looks well made and high quality
- I love the softness of the material and it's ease of cleaning.
- the price seems reasonable to me: $35 for the 'base model'
- So many options:
- all sizes and multiple widths- you can even get it custom made.
- so many colours
- you can swap out the stainless steel hardware for brass if you like ($3 more)
- there is an option for a black or brown leather crown piece for $5.
- matching lead lines or lunge lines (cut to the length you want)
I tried it on Irish and it didn't fit him as well as it did Carmen. It wasn't a terrible fit but not as good as I would like. If you have a horse with a TB type head I would recommend going up in size. The material is stated to be very strong. Because of this I will probably replace the crown piece with a leather one. I am fine to use it for lunging and things but I prefer that there is something that will break if the horse is trapped or panicked.
For me the final question is 'would I pay money for this product?' And the answer to that is 'yes' - I would definitely buy it!
Too funny, they contacted me too and I'm getting a buckle nose halter in turquoise to review! 😉
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you liked it though!
ha! I thought of you when I saw all the colours.....Turquoise will look great on both your mares!
DeleteHaha I'm a little worried mine will be too big (I went with warmblood size after reading some reviews about the sizing being tricky) so hopefully it works out! I guess I can always trim it to make it shorter, but I can't make it any bigger.
DeleteYeah I couldn't resist the turquoise. I did manage to forgo the bling this time around tho 😋
I wish some company would request a product review on my blog. I know my blog is not publicly searchable, so I cannot expect it. But I still wish it, I'm so sad that no one sends me products for free. But I'm trying to keep my blog as private as possible. So that won't work for advertising.
ReplyDeleteI love how you made Carmen aware of the color clash. Yikes!
You weren't familiar with biothane? In Germany I often have to describe it to non-endurance/racing people. "I can put it in the dishwasher and it comes out clean."
The beta biothane is the nice stuff. Like you said, leather-like.
So tell me your color choices when you decide. My horse is also grey.
Well I liked the black but I think that Mags would look great in the red or dark blue. Of course he could pull of any colour. :)
Deleteoooh i'm getting one too! am particularly excited bc my halter needs to hang out on the fence line in all weather, so the beta biothane should be perfect for that!
ReplyDeleteSo the owners must have found a bunch of us. What colour did you pick?
DeleteI was thinking the same thing you were, I would want something breakable! My Gen is a trouble maker and I need to make sure the equipment breaks, not him!
ReplyDeleteYes- exactly!
DeleteIt does look nice on Carmen and she can totally pull off purple or any color being gray. She does look very mature in the picture. Gorgeous girl. I like a breakaway piece too. Good idea to change the piece.
ReplyDeleteThank you. She's maturing very nicely.
DeleteHaving spent the better part of my working life racing Standardbred pacers, I'd say I'm familiar. It's a great product, easy to clean (best part when you work on a limestone track & have 6 or 7 complete rigs to do every single day).
ReplyDeleteThat would make perfect sense. I wonder if they would make saddles out of it?
DeleteI love their products. I have been using a bridle on Cole for a few years, now, and it still looks new. I also have a halter, stirrup leathers and a collar for my dog. My sister has bought a bunch of things, too. This is my favorite company.
ReplyDeleteThat is good to know
DeleteGreat timing, I've been contemplating getting buckle noses for the Minions. The buckle nose will simplify things a lot with their bridles. Two Horse Tack is where I'd been contemplating ordering from. Red for Merlin, not sure about Pippins. Wish they'd ask ne to do a review lol
ReplyDeleteYou should get a bright colour for Pippen! Maybe you could email them and offer!
DeleteI love biothane tack. Throw it in the dishwasher and you are all set. I've heard mixed reviews about this specific company and it's good to hear a good experience.
ReplyDeletetack cleaning by the dishwasher- that I could get behind!
DeleteNice halter, but I need to say I'm distracted by how amazing Carmen is looking! Gorgeous mare!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHow can you talk about halters when there is a PUPPY around? PUPPY! PUPPY! PUPPY!! (I believe in subtle hints)
ReplyDeletehmm, it seems that you are hinting at something. Let me see if I can figure it out and write about it! ;-)
DeleteFree horse tack in exchange for a review? Awesome. I took my email off my site because I got tired of being solicited to do romance novel reviews. That's my least favorite genre, yet somehow I got put on a list. I am very interested in the beta biothane material.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that since endurance riders use it it would hold up to the desert climate but it would be interesting to find out!
DeleteAs an endurance rider (and who worked in harness racing before that), I boggle at people who aren't familiar with biothane tack. I swear, once you go to it (especially for trail riding) you never go back! I am so terrible at tack maintenance and having something I can just spray with a hose is AWESOME. You need the purple, I think.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your work and very amazing and important information about the saddle pads< which have share in this blog.
ReplyDeletesaddle pads