Halter Sizing

How to Choose A Properly Fitting Halter

Halter Sizing

How to Choose A Properly Fitting Halter

It is very important that the halter you use on your animal fits properly and does not cause sores or discomfort. A llama's nose bone does not extend to the end of the nose and it is important that the halter noseband rest on the bone and not just the fleshy part of the nose. You should be able to place at least two fingers under the noseband when properly fitted. THe crown should be well below the eyes with the rings well away from the eyes. The donkey halter should fit well up on the nose with the crown just behind the ears and the cheek rings well below the eyes. Be sure the chin strap is the correct length to place the throat behind the cheek bone in the hollow of the throat. The throat piece should be loose fitting around the throat.

Which halter should I choose?

Back in 1979 we developed the first standard llama halter. In spite of the many changes and new companies that have come and gone over the years, the original Quality Llama Products standard halter is still the one used by more llama owners than any other halter. However, we at Quality Llama Products have recognized the changing needs of the llama industry and have worked to develop special halters to meet special needs. All of our halters are designed and developed in our in house nylon manufacturing facility and must meet our standards of quality and safety. If you have a special need please let us know and we will work to develop a halter that meets your specific needs. Our current halter line includes all of those listed below and we hope this brief summary will help you choose the halter that best meets your needs.

Standard Llama Halter

Basic standard halter with the cheeks sewn into the nose band. Good halter for everyday use and comes in a complete range of colors and sizes.

X-Style Llama Halter

Nylon forms an X when it goes under the nose as opposed to the fixed size nose in the standard halter. This style allows for more flexibility in the nose size determined by how tight you fasten the crown strap. This halter allows the llama more room to chew and is good for staking out or taking on the trail. We have also found that this style seems to fit the llama with the Roman Nose (Top of the nose is humped or rounded up)better then some of the other halters. It also is a good halter for llamas who tend to rub sores on the bottom of the chin (often these llamas also have a Roman Nose). Because the ring under the chin has a lot of freedom of movement this is not a good halter for training as it tends to offer less control and more chance of pulling the ring into the eye of the llama is fighting the lead.

Fixed Ring Llama Halter

The fixed ring halter is made like the standard halter except that the ring is actually sewn into place under the chin and can not move from side to side. This is a great training halter as it offers maximum control. A pull on the lead is immediately transferred to the llama's nose.

Gentle Touch Llama Halter

The gentle touch adjustable halter adjusts around the nose as well as over the crown. To facilitate this extra adjustment a buckle is added to the nose piece. This is a great halter if you need to quickly move the halter from one animal to another.

 

Fixed Ring Adjustable Halter

The fixed ring adjustable halter adjust around the nose using a slotted slide instead of a buckle and the ring in sewn into the throat so that it cannot move from side to side. This makes a great training halter as you can tighten the noseband for extra control during the training session. However, because of the nature of the adjustment the strap under the nose is single instead of double making it a little less durable over the long haul and the slide adjust is a little more cumbersome to adjust (and almost impossible to adjust in the animal). We really like these halters for early training and then move on to the standard halter after the initial training period and the llama has learned the basic of leading.

Wool Nose Halters

At Quality Llama Products we can add sheepskin to the inside of the nose of any of our halters. Because sheepskin has lanolin, a natural moisturizer, these halters are often used when you must halter an animal that has a rubbed or sore nose. Although the ideal treatment for a sore nose is no halter, sometimes a halter is necessary. However, do not leave these halters on when the llama is grazing in the field or the woods as the sheepskin can collect burrs and twigs and cause severe irritation to the nose.

Snap Crown Halters

Snap crown halters have a metal snap on the near side (left side) and a regular buckle on the opposite side of the crown for adjustment. The snap makes it much faster and easier to hook the halter crown on an impatient llama. Made with a slide adjustment around the nose and buckle adjustment on the crown.  However, the snap is not as strong as a buckle and can break or bend if the animal gives a sharp jerk back and these are not recommended for tying a green llama that has not had "llama tying 101".

Cross Tie Halter

The cross -tie halter was originally developed by our oldest daughter for her work at the Oregon State University Vet School where she needed to draw blood frequently from llamas and alpacas. After many sore fingers hooking the cross straps in the chute to the side rings of the halter she devised this unique halter. In place of the regular rings on the cheeks this halter is made with a loop and ring at the cheek. The cross tie straps can then be hooked into the loop and you save many smashed fingers. The nose of this halter is adjustable and the ring is fixed into the throat thus giving maximum control and the ability to fit a variety of llamas. The nose piece is also a contrasting color to make this halter easy to find in any emergency.

Driving Halter

 

Driving halters are made with dee rings on each side of the nose for attaching the long lines. This gives added control when driving. Adjustable under the chin using a slotted slide and over the crown with a buckle.

 

Comfort Fit Alpaca Halters

Comfort fit halters adjust with a buckle around the nose and over the crown and have fleece sewn in the nose for added comfort. The chin ring is fixed at the throat for added control.

Halter Size Charts

Measure before you buy!!

We are often asked, "What size halter should I buy". This question is impossible for us to answer correctly without measurements. Therefore we have put size charts throughout our catalog to help you determine the correct size for your animals. Although this is not foolproof it will help guide you toward the correct halter. Because of variations in head shape and structure you may need to adjust your buying down or up a size for proper fit. Once you find the style and size halter that best fits your animals make a note in their permanent records so you will know exactly what to order next time.

 
Adjustable Halter Guidlines for Camelids
Size Age
X-Small Newbord - 2 Months
Small 2 Months - 7 Months
Medium 7 Months - 2 Years
Large 2 Years and Up

 

Non-Adjustable Apaca Halters
 5/8" Heavy Nylon Standard 
 Size  Nose (in)  Full Crown (in)
Newborn - 3 Months  8-9 12-17
4 - 6 Months 9-10 13-18
Weanling 10-11 13-19
Yearling 10.5-11.5 15-21
Average 11.5-12.5 18-23
Large 12.5-13.5 20-25
X-Large 13-14 20-25

 

Miniature Donkey Halters

5/8" Heavy Nylon 

Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
X-Small 10-13 17-23
Small 13-15 24-27
 3/4" Nylon Standard
 Medium 15-17 26-32
Large 17-20 28-34
X-Large 20-23 30-35

 

Alpaca Comfort Fit & Elite Show Halters

5/8" Heavy Nylon Standard 

Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
X-Small 8-10 12-17
Small 9-11 13-18
Medium 11-13 16-21
Large 12-15 18-23

 

Gentle Touch Llama Halters

3/4" Heavy Nylon Standard 

Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
Small 10-14 17-22
Medium 12-16 19-24
Large 13-18 21-26

 

Non-Adjustable Llama Halters
5/8" Light Nylon Standard
Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
Newborn 10-11 13-19
2 - 4 Months 10.5-12 15-21
4 - 6 Months 11.5-12 17-23
 3/4" Nylon Standard
Baby 11-12 15-21
Weanling 12-13 17-23
Yearling 13-14 19-25
Average 14-15 22-28
Large 15-16 24-30
X-Large 16-18 25-31

 

Miniature Horse Halters
5/8" Heavy Nylon Standard
Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
X-Small 8-11 15-20
Small 11-14 19-25
Medium 13-17 25-30
Large 17-20 28-32

 

Alpaca Slide Adjustment Halters

Quick Adjust, EZ ON, Clown, Barn, Thin Line, etc.

5/8" Heavy Nylon Standard
Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
X-Small 8-9 12-17
Small 9-10 13-18
Medium 10-13 16-21
Large 11-15 18-23

 

Llama Slide Adjustment Halters

Quick Adjust, EZ ON, Clown, Barn, Thin Line, etc.

5/8" Heavy Nylon Standard
Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
Small 9-10 16-21
Medium 11-15 17-22
Large 13-17 21-26

 

Miniature Cattle Halters
3/4" Heavy Nylon Standard
Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
Small 11-17 21-27
Large 15-21 26-32

 

Goat Halters
Dairy
Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in) Pygmy Nose
Weanling 11-12 12-18 61/2 - 71/2
Yearling 12-13 15-21 71/2 - 81/2
Average 13-14 17-23 81/2 - 91/2
Large 14-15 18-24 91/2 - 101/2
X-Large 15-16 19-25 11 - 12

 

Shetland Sheep Halters
5/8" Nylon Standard
Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
X-Small 6-8 7-12
Small 7-9 11-17
Medium 10-13 16-22
Large 12-16 20-26

 

Reindeer Halters
3/4" Heavy Nylon Standard
Size Nose (in) Full Crown (in)
Small 10-16 19-25
Medium 11-17 25-31
Large 14-20 31-37
 

 

Camel halters

Size

Nose (in)

Full Crown (in)

 

 

 

Small

13-19

24-30

Medium

20-26

30-36

Large

23-29

36-43