One of the longest running debates in horse racing circles is the impact of leather or nylon halters. There is very clear distinction between the two camps. However, for many people, the debate has become a moot point because of the rising costs of owning a horse. In addition, for a layperson who loves horses, all halters look the same. In many cases, the owners prefer the stable to handle all these details.
Thus, stable owners and help are the people who bear the burnt of this debate. Proponents of each camp have a long list of benefits of their preferred material. However, these people often neglect several practical points in owning, training and racing horses. These points are the real determinants of which camp a particular stable owner opt for.
The first and the most important point is the cost of the ownership of tack. In a typical stable, there are several horses with varying age and training. Some of these horses are fully trained racehorses that often race in various competitions. Some of the horses are privately owned that the owners use for riding. In addition, there are always young horses that are in varying levels of training. Running this stable means that each horse must have complete tack. This cost is the most basic pointer of the opting for a particular camp.
Next and equally equal pointer is the maintenance required for the tack. Like every other rural profession, the number of people associated with animal husbandry is rapidly going down. Thus, it is difficult for stable owners to find good help. The result is rapidly shrinking staff of many stables. However, animal husbandry remains one of the very few professions with very little automation. There are a number of things to do everyday and not enough hands to finish the work n time. In this situation, any job that is not essential to the processes of the stable only adds to the burden of the stable staff. Maintenance and repairs of tack is one such activity that many stable help and owners alike see as impractical and additional burden. This is the second determinant that decides which way people who use halters on daily basis would lean.
Finally, the third determinant is the functional quality of the halters. This is very distinct from the aesthetics of the tack. When it comes to aesthetics, nothing can compare to a highly polished leather tack. However, this tack cannot be worn on daily basis. For everyday use, a more functional tack is required that could withstand the rigors of training and exposure to elements. People of both camps for various reasons often ignore this determinant. In many cases, this is the primary consideration of many owners and experts.
One of the best ways of determining which material would best suit a particular stable; both materials should be judged on these three elements. Usually, it is found that nylon offers a better mix of these determinants than leather.
