What Size Halter, Neck Strap or Browband Does My Horse Need?

The Full Sizing Guide

Cartoon illustration of Sophia measuring a pony's head with a tape measure while the pony wears a purple headcollar, with a speech bubble reading 'Do I get carrots for this?'

Horse tack sizing isn't quite as simple as "small, medium, large" — every piece sits differently, every horse is built differently, and nobody wants to be three weeks into a handcrafted order before realising the browband is going to sit somewhere near their horse's ears.

So here's the full rundown — every product, every size, every measurement explained — so you can order with confidence the first time.

Jump to: Rope Halters | Neck Straps | Browbands | Neck Ropes | Fillet Strings

Rope Halters

Our rope halters are sized using five key measurements, not just one — because a halter that's right in the nose but wrong in the headpiece will never sit properly.

The easiest way to size correctly: grab a halter that already fits your horse well, lay it flat, and measure it against the chart below using the diagram as your guide.

Size Nose Width (A) Chin Length (B) Cheek Piece (C) Throatlash (D) Head Piece (E)
Small Pony 17cm 15cm 10cm 16cm 63cm
Pony 18cm 18cm 10cm 18cm 71cm
Cob 20cm 19cm 13cm 20cm 76cm
Full 23cm 21cm 15cm 23cm 81cm
Extra Full 25cm 23cm 20cm 25cm 93cm

Fit Advice: If your horse is between sizes on the Nose Width (A) measurement specifically, always size up. This is the one that matters most — a halter that's too snug in the nose will press the knots directly into the sensitive cheek nerves, which is uncomfortable for your horse and undermines the whole point of a rope halter (clear, gentle communication).

BioThane Neck Straps

Neck straps are simpler — just two adjustable sizes designed to cover most ponies through to larger horses, measured around the base of the neck.

Size Fits
Pony/Cob 87cm – 120cm
Cob/Full 120cm – 153cm

Because both sizes are fully adjustable across a wide range, most horses and ponies will comfortably fall into one of the two — measure around the base of the neck where the strap will actually sit, and pick whichever bracket your measurement falls into.

Browbands

Browbands are sized by a single straight-line measurement, and we offer five precise sizes to get the fit exactly right.

Size Inches Centimetres
Small Pony 13" 33cm
Pony 14" 35.5cm
Cob 15" 38cm
Full 16" 40.5cm
Extra Full 17" 43cm

How to measure: the easiest way to get this right is to take your horse's current favourite browband, lay it completely flat, and measure straight from end to end.

Sizing Tip: If you land exactly between two sizes, always size up. A browband that's slightly too small will pull the bridle's headpiece forward into the back of your horse's ears — uncomfortable, and a fit issue that's instantly noticeable.

Liberty Neck Ropes

Our hybrid Liberty Neck Ropes are built for bridleless riding and groundwork, made from 10mm premium weatherproof PPM rope with a 19mm waterproof BioThane® rider grip handle. Because they're used for clear, responsive communication, getting the size right really matters here.

Sizing is based on two measurements: the length (the total circumference of the neck rope) and the handle (the length of the BioThane strap section you'll actually hold).

Size Length Handle
Small Pony 115cm 46cm
Pony 135cm 54cm
Cob 155cm 62cm
Full 175cm 70cm
Extra Full 190cm 78cm

How should it fit? When fitted correctly, the neck rope should sit comfortably at the base of your horse's neck, resting gently against the chest and shoulders.

The Golden Rule: there must be enough slack for you to comfortably hold the BioThane handle from the saddle without putting constant pressure or tension on your horse. If you're having to reach or stretch for the handle, or there's no slack at all when you're mounted, the size isn't right.

Fillet Strings

Easiest one on the list. Our BioThane Adjustable Fillet String is genuinely "one size fits most" — the sliding bar buckle adjusts fully from 40cm right up to 60cm, comfortably covering everything from small pony rugs to large horse turnouts.

No measuring required for most horses — just order and adjust on arrival.

What About Lead Ropes & Groundwork Ropes?

These two work differently — rather than being sized to your horse's measurements, they're chosen by length and purpose (a short lead for everyday handling vs. a longer line for groundwork and liberty work). That's a guide of its own, coming soon.

Need a Bespoke Size?

Horses don't always fit into standard boxes — and because every piece is handcrafted to order, we can be flexible. Whether you've got a miniature pony, a heavy draught horse, or just an unusually-shaped neck or nose, we'd genuinely rather build you the right size from scratch than have you order something that doesn't sit properly.

Just drop a message via the Contact page before you order, and we'll craft a size perfectly tailored to your horse.

Handcrafted To Fit

All Weather Rope Halter

Sized to the chart above, or bespoke to your horse's exact measurements — built to order, every time.

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P.S. If you're measuring against an old halter or browband to get your size, just double check it actually fits well first — measuring a too-big or too-small original will just carry the same problem forward into the new one!