How To Attach A Halter Name Plate

Personalizing Your Horse’s Halter

Like so many of the projects I do, I have been wanting to do this for a long, long time now. There is just something so beautiful about a thick leather halter with a brass nameplate on it. As long as I have had horses, I have wanted this for my own horses.But actually doing it has eluded me for years. Yes, I could have paid someone else to do it for me, but that would mean paying for something I knew I could do myself.

And then there is the time factor. Once I found the name plate I wanted, then I would have to wait for it to get to me after I ordered it. And I would have to also find the perfect halter for it, and, and, and….I always had excuses of why not to do this. But I finally did it. I finally took the time to order the name plates, and the halters for my horses, and I thought I would share the process with you!

Finding The Perfect Halter

First, I needed to find a halter I would like for my horses to wear. And just like everything horse related, leather halters can be very expensive. But I opted for the Suffolk halter from Dover Saddlery. They were $29.99 each, which was a good price for the quality of the halter. I did have a leather halter, once. And the first time I put it on Frisby, he proceeded to pull back when he was tied, and broke the halter. Thanks Frisby.

So obviously the halter needed to be strong, and able to withstand the antics of my horses. And looking at the construction of this halter, it seems to be pretty sturdy. Time will tell.

Buying The Name Plate

And there are many places you can find engraved name plates, just like there are many places you can find leather halters. I decided to stick with Dover’s, and I bought my name plates from them. I chose a block letter style on a notched name plate. It came complete with the brass rivets so I would be able to attach the name plates to the halters.

The halter plates cost $15.95 a piece.

The hardest part was waiting for the name plates to get here. They said it would take 2 to 3 weeks, but the name plates got here in about 10 days. So I was very happy with how fast they got to me.

How To Attach A Halter Name Plate

Once I had the name plates and the halters, the moment had arrived to attach the name plates. And I don’t have a leather punch. I have never really needed one, so I needed to improvise. And what I found is a drill bit works just as well as a leather punch. So I found a tiny drill bit and connected it to the drill.

Then I took the name plate, and decided how I wanted it to be on the halter.

And to make sure I would get the name plate in the correct position, I used a silver sharpie marker to mark the rivet holes on the leather. This made it easy to see where the holes would be drilled.

Once I was happy with where the plate would be, I committed myself to drilling through the brand new halters. Drilling the first hole was a little daunting, but after it was done, easy-peasy.

Then I just needed to attach the plate. The rivets come in 2 pieces, a short piece and a long piece. I attached the long piece through the front of the halter plate, and then the leather.

And then the long end of the rivet was (barely) visible from the back, I put the small rivet onto the long end. I had the halter on a hard surface, and then using my little hammer, I pounded on the small rivet. This is what connects it to the long rivet.

I repeated the process for the other end of the halter plate, and wa-la! Mission accomplished!

Personalized Halters

I finally have personalized halters for both of my treasured friends. And I won’t use these halters every day, but when I do use them, I am very proud of what I was able to do myself.

If you have wanted to have a personalized halter for your horse, but didn’t want to spend a lot of money, or didn’t think you could do it yourself, trust me, you can do it!

For each complete halter, I spent $45.95 from Dover Saddlery. You may be able to find the pieces cheaper locally, but for me, this was the best option. I am very happy that I finally did this project. I can cross it off my endless to do list, and find a new project to take its place.