Tekna Halter Review

I've purchased a few of the items in the Tekna line and have been relatively happy with my purchases. Tekna makes saddles and other tack from a synthetic material that looks like leather and feels pretty close, but it's not exactly right.

I ordered the Tekna Breakaway Halter from Riding Warehouse. No matter what kind of English or Western tack you're looking for, the Riding Warehouse is an excellent first stop. They have a huge selection, solid customer service, and for those who live in California, the company is locally owned. The halter arrived within one day of shipping which is a benefit of buying locally.

I really wanted to give the halter a 10 right out of the box, but being the halter snob that I am, I found myself nitpicking small things. After some use, I hope that I find that my initial impression was biased by my snobbery. Right now, I'd give the halter an 8.5.

• Value: at $44.95, it's priced a bit on the steep side, but since I had a $25 gift certificate and a coupon, I only paid $25.48 which included tax and shipping. At $25, I like the halter. Had I paid full price, I might have been a bit disappointed because of the fit.
• Overall Impression: It's a very attractive halter that comes in black or brown. I ordered the black one which has a deep, rich color. All of the hardware is stainless steel. The halter has a good weight to it; nothing about it feels flimsy or cheap.  All the hardware is thick and has that heavy duty feel.

Tekna Halter

• Details: the noseband and crown piece are lightly padded. The padding is tightly stitched to the halter and appears to be long wearing. The snap at the throat latch is smooth and easy to use. The halter does not have an adjustable chin, something that I normally find very handy when fitting an Arabian's finer muzzle. While the halter doesn't have any bells and whistles, the clean lines against the stainless steel hardware give it more than just a utilitarian look.

• Safety: At first glance, the side rings appear traditional, but upon closer inspection, half of the opening is filled in with the band logo. A large bull snap or thick cross tie snaps might get stuck in the smaller opening. I was able to attach my cross tie panic snaps to the holes with no issue, but I am not sure if this detail is of any benefit. On the halter's far side, there is a breakaway strap that is nicely concealed. It also looks as though it will hold through regular wear and tear. Riding Warehouse sells the replacement piece for $4.50. I really like the halter's buckle; it has a nice curve to it which makes sliding the crown piece strap though very easy. The buckle's tongue slides easily, and the whole things just has a sturdy feel.
  

Square side rings, half-way filled with brand logo

Replaceable Break-away strap

Fit: I ordered the halter in Cob, but it comes in Pony and Horse sizes. Arabians are notoriously hard to fit, and Speedy is no exception. While he has a classical Arabian profile, it's certainly not extreme. Horse-sized bridles and halters tend to overwhelm him, while cob-sized pieces tend to be a bit clunky for his more petite muzzle. This halter fit the way I suspected it would, a bit too loose around the muzzle.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian

He was a bit sleepy for this photo shoot.

I think with some regular use, the nose piece should start to mold itself into a rounder shape. For horses with a larger muzzle, this is probably a great alternative to expensive leather halters. I'm keeping the halter as it is nicely made. I especially like that maintenance is easy. Just wipe it with a damp cloth; no conditioning needed!