bridle with browband - halter no browband

Question

bridle and halter   hi ma'am, a doubt arised in my mind. a general english bridle has got a browband to keep the bridle in place. thats fine. but, a halter doesnt has a browband. halter is only meant for starting out green horses.

so my question is:
may i know why doesn't a halter has a browband?

Answer
Hello,

The browband serves to keep the bridle more stable. It prevents the headstall,( which usually has a bit attached),from slipping back into an incorrect posiiton. This would cause miscommunication between horse and rider, probbaly resulting in the bit being pulled back.

Some of our American western bridles do not have browbands. This USUALLY is all right, but I have seen them those their correct posiiton.

Halters, if not properly fitted, DO often slip back. Unless they are fitted fairly tight, (and you do not want a halter too tight), you will see them too far back behind the ears. But of course this does not matter as much, as "control" of the animal in riding is not involved.

When I lunge a horse from the halter, or ride in a halter, I need to be especially careful of the fit. A halter should not be too loose...a horse could catch it on something. Generally people do not leave halters on horses when they are not actively working with them.  

Mitzi Summers
www.MitziSummers.com