Product Review: "Better Than Leather" Turnout Halter by Two Horse Tack

Earlier this year I was contacted by Two Horse Tack to try out the Better Than Leather Turnout Halter and looked forward to the opportunity to review another one of their products. I had this review drafted months ago, but it is being posted rather delayed due to my daughter deciding to arrive several weeks earlier than we had anticipated. Before everything descended into chaos, I did manage to jot down my first impressions and get out to the barn to take some photos. 

The Better Than Leather turnout halter is made with 3/4" 580 Beta Biothane in brown with stainless steel hardware and the adjustable crownpiece and adjustable chin. According to the website, this was the "horse" size. Quest has more petite Arab-sized features so being able to adjust the size in more than one way using both the crown and chin pieces is a huge plus. 

I'm very familiar with biothane/beta biothane material as I pretty much exclusively only use synthetic tack when I ride or do anything with my horse. This is my first ever experience with the "Better Than Leather" material. I was quite surprised by how much it actually looks like real leather. The material is thinner and more pliable than regular beta biothane. It has a matte finish to it that gives it the appearance of traditional leather while still being easy to clean and maintain. As usual with all THT products, the halter is customizable and is made to order. The options are endless for individual needs and wants. This turnout halter comes in black or brown beta biothane and in 3 different material widths to compliment a variety of head sizes. 

Product Review: Custom Yacht Braid Lead by Sunset Halters

It's been awhile since I've done a product review post. I really missed sharing about neat equine related things that I get to try out. I was contacted by Sunset Halters last month that I won a raffle for a custom 12ft yacht braid lead rope. This news was definitely a nice way to start off the new year.

The ordering process was easy and hassle-free; the hardest part was picking out what colors I wanted for the lead and decorative knot. Less than a week after sending in my order details, I got a USPS tracking number and my product arrived within one week...Talk about a quick turnaround, wow.  

So pretty in purple and black <3

The lead rope did not come with a snap (it's an additional cost for snaps) but it was an easy fix- I just attached an extra snap that I salvaged from an old frayed lead rope and it was good to go. I was impressed by the neat splicing work and the decorative knot gives it that extra customized detail. The 9/16" width definitely gives the lead a heavier feel compared to regular lead ropes and lends a nice weight in the hand. Nothing better than a functional piece of tack that also looks and feels good. 

Nice little details like the embossed sun stamped on the popper.

The 12ft length is very generous and will make it easy to tie pretty much anywhere at the barn or from the trailer. The length isn't too unwieldy to to store in a saddle bag yet it is long enough that if Quest needed a refresher while on the trails, I can hop off and do groundwork safely. 

The website mentions that the material is abrasion, rot, mildew, snag and fade resistant so time will tell how the the lead rope holds up to frequent use at the barn. 

So far though I'm pleased with the quality of product that I received and am impressed with amazingly fast turnaround time from order to delivery. The price will run you about $40 plus shipping. If you're looking for a good quality yacht rope product, be sure to check out Sunset Halters. 

Product Review: Two Horse Tack Quick Change Halter Bridle

As a distance rider, I am no stranger to beta biothane and biothane tack. While I do own some leather products, I opt to use my synthetic tack 99.9% of the time no matter the occasion.

Like a few other horse bloggers, I was recently contacted by Two Horse Tack with an opportunity to write a compensated review on some of their beta biothane tack. Last year I won a raffle for a THT grooming halter that has been a life-saver during mud season so it was a no brainer to jump at a chance to check out what other products the company had to offer.

Since I currently ride in a rope halter with snap-on headstall combo, I decided to do a review on the Quick Change Halter Bridle with Snap On Browband. The majority of my riding is done out on the trails for hours at a time, so I'm all about functionality, efficiency, and comfort. The Quick Change Halter Bridle offers a lot of functionality since the halter and snap-on headstall can be used separately or together in a variety of configurations. The flexibility is good to have for the kind of riding I do and I like the fact it can be used with a separate rope halter if/when I need it.

Ordering & Arrival
When ordering, I admit there was some hesitation on my end when it came to sizing. The size category descriptions on the store website were not that useful and it doesn't help that Quest doesn't quite fit into any single category with her Saddlebred-head and dainty Arab-nose. However since Two Horse Tack's products are made-to-order, I opted to provide specific measurements when placing my order and kept my fingers crossed that the new set would fit with minimal adjustments.

Less than two weeks after placing the order, I had the final product in my hands. As a freelance artist, I can say from experience that is a VERY impressive turnaround time for a custom, made-to-order item.

10' trail reins, snap-on head stall, and halter

My initial impressions were very positive. I requested the set made in my endurance riding colors and the purple beta biothane with orange biothane overlay contrasted really nicely together. The overall construction felt solid, the stitching appeared tight, and there was a decent amount of punched holes for adjustments on both the headstall and halter pieces using the stainless steel hardware. Also I was pleased to see that the halter fastened on with a clip instead of a buckle (which faced outward, yes thank you). I'm not big fan of buckles in general because cold fingers + buckles during the winter = zero fun. I ride in almost every weather so this is the stuff I notice lol

The matching trail reins were a nice add-on and definitely completed the look. The 10ft length is standard for trail riding which works well with Quest's long neck (yay Saddlebred) and can handily double up as a lead line that clips to the halter when I want to hop off and walk on the trail.

Fitting & Test Ride

As the saying goes though, "pretty is as pretty does" so it was time to see how everything actually worked. I had planned to test the tack on the trail but it was absolutely frigid that day so the indoor arena it was for now.

As I had hoped, there were ZERO size adjustments to make on the halter or headstall. Literally all I had to do was attach the bit and we were ready to ride.

I was especially happy to see how sleek the set fit Quest without extraneous stuff and space all over. The beta biothane feels super durable yet it is supple enough to allow the bit to sit naturally on her face instead of pulling it stiffly (and probably uncomfortably) out to the sides. I had that issue with a biothane halter bridle with bit hangers from Running Bear and I sold that as soon as possible.

Unsurprisingly, the test ride was also complete nonevent. Quest went in it happily w/t/c as if it was just another arena session and had no complaints. I was pretty content as a rider too- the reins felt great in my hands and didn't cause any discomfort. I have eczema and depending on how abrasive the rein material is, my hands can get painful rashes. I typically deal with it by wearing riding gloves but it's not an ideal solution in hot, humid, or wet weather. The reins were thinner than what I'm used to but that did not detract from comfort or the fact that no gloves were needed.

***

Overall the Quick Change Halter Bridle with Snap-On Browband from Two Horse Tack is a great option for those who want to get as much use as possible out of a single piece of tack. The base price for this halter bridle style with the biothane overlay starts at $80 which is very reasonable for the quality you get. A set of matching reins are $20 extra and well worth it in my opinion. Also if you have any hesitation or worry about sizing when placing an order, I strongly suggest selecting the "Custom" option and including measurements; the tack will be made-to-order anyway and it's just one less thing to worry about.

I hope this review helps folks who are on the fence about trying synthetic tack and/or looking for companies to purchase from. As for me, I've been very impressed with Two Horse Tack so far and will be shopping with them for my future beta biothane tack needs.