Question About Halter Making

[RobDude30]

I am making a halter for a friend's baby Alpaca and have a question. When wrapping leather around rings with no good way to use snaps or other fastening hardware, what are some methods that you all use to ensure strength and longevity?

On my first attempt, I ended up with a seam in the middle and contact cemented the straps to themselves. I intend to sew the entire perimeter of all of the straps which will help some. I guess I could also use a couple of rivets, but that will still leave a flex point that could eventually fail.

Any ideas?

[dirtclod]

There were you have your piece ending i get it closer to the ring and skive it down then sew it. The other way you could do it have the folds on the outside of the rings and sew.

[RobDude30]

Thanks for the ideas. I think I will try skiving and over lapping on the next one.

[RobDude30]

Here's the finished product (at least the prototype finished product). My friend is going to give it a good working out to see how it does.

[dirtclod]

Hi Rob, their are couple of things i would change on this halter. The ring needs to be on the chin strap instead of the throat and you need a connector to run from the throat to the chin. The ring needs to be on the chin. One other thing on your next one i would put a piece around the ring that goes from the chin to the cheek piece to keep the nose from falling down. I have attached a drawing showing what i'm talking about.

But the best thing if your going to make some more halters would be be to get some halter squares. They will make attaching the cheek, nose and chin all togeather a lot easier. And a ring with a triangle or loop and ring for the chin.

You did a nice job but i think if make the changes it will work better.

John

[RobDude30]

Hi John,

Thanks for the advice! I am sure I will be looking for ways to improve and will definitely heed your advice on the next version. I modeled this one after a nylon halter my friend had that was way too big for his cria. According to him this one fits well, but I haven't seen it on the critter yet. I'm sure this venture will be tons more fun before it's over with.

Thanks again!

Rob

[RobDude30]

Here's a picture on the critter. She has so much hair that you can barely see the halter!

[Aggiebraider]

Alpaca halters are different from horse halters if I remember correctly. Im pretty sure they dont have the strap that goes from the throat to the chin, so I think you made it correctly for an alpaca

CW

[RobDude30]

Alpaca halters are different from horse halters if I remember correctly. Im pretty sure they dont have the strap that goes from the throat to the chin, so I think you made it correctly for an alpaca

CW

Thanks for that bit of info. I am learning as I go on this one and did model mine from a nylon halter made specifically for an Alpaca. It does seem to fit and work very well, so far.

[specialcases]

Nice work!

I made down and dirty alpaca halter for my sister in law using just glue and rivets. skived, lapped and glued the "joints". No stitching hence the down and dirty. real quick build once I got the pattern worked out from a nylon one. The angle of the nose/chin band is imprtant on these little fellas adnmesed with my head for while.....I am used to horse halters.

I used 3/4 strpa and hardware and they say they would prefer 5/16 next time.

It is doing good service as a general use halter. I am working with here to design a fancier show halter, perhaps with off colour stitching which looks great on yours.

[Spence]

Does anyone have a pattern or measurements I could use? Thanks