Sizing and Fitting Your Smart Halter

 

What size smart halter should you order for your horse?

Today, the NIGHTWATCH subscription includes the crown portion of the smart halter - with all of the sensor technology you need to monitor your horse's distress and wellbeing embedded into the premium English bridle leather crown. If your horse already has a leather halter that fits well (double-buckle, 1" leather straps), you can use that with the smart crown to complete your smart halter!

If you do not, you can purchase one from us during checkout - but what size does your horse need? A good starting point is considering what size halter and bridle your horse already wears.

NIGHTWATCH is offered in Cob, Standard, and Oversize sizes. In general,

• Cob fits well on smaller breeds like Arabians, smaller Quarter Horses, and large ponies
• Standard fits most larger Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and small Warmbloods
• Oversize suits larger Warmbloods and smaller draft horses.

At this time, we're not able to offer draft sizing or yearling/foal/miniature sizes in our headstalls. 

If you're still not sure about size for your horse, check out our Sizing Guide for details of the two measurements you can take to find out their best fit! 

Fit

Your horse's smart halter should fit comfortably, but not so loose that it is easily removed. The noseband should sit about 1" below the bony protrusion of the cheekbone (you can check this distance approximately using the width of 2 fingers), but not so low that it sits on the delicate structure of the nasal bone - see illustration below to check out the underlying structure of the equine skull!

The noseband should be loose enough to allow your horse to comfortably graze and chew their grain and hay. The buckles and hardware should sit well away from their eye.

Adjustable Chin

For some horses, an adjustable-chin noseband offers a better fit. Our adjustable-chin noseband headstall provides an additional 1.5" in either direction to better accommodate refined and short but wide facial structures.

Care

We recommend treating your new halter with 100% neatsfoot oil before first use. Using a sponge or brush, apply a thin layer of warm oil to all sides of the leather. Do not use hot oil. Allow 10-12 hours for the oil to be soaked in by the leather, and then wipe any excess off with a soft cloth. For longevity of the leather, we recommend regular cleaning and conditioning of your smart halter with appropriate leather care products to keep it in strong and supple condition. Treat it as you would your show tack.