Quillin VS Coop Foal Halters
Quillin VS Coop Halters
https://www.quillin.com/search/foal/
Here's the honest answer: those farm coop halters will get the job done in the short term, but there's a real difference in what you're getting.
The quality gap is significant. Quillin halters are cut from English bridle leather and hand-stitched using techniques that date back over a century. That coop halter? It's likely made from lower-grade leather that'll dry out, crack, and need replacing within a season or two. The hardware on those mass-produced halters tends to be plated metal that corrodes - our solid brass hardware actually gets better with age.
The fit matters more than most people realize. A foal's head changes rapidly in that first year, and a properly constructed halter distributes pressure correctly as they grow. Our craftsmen adjust the crown piece placement and cheek angles by hand for each size. That attention to detail means less rubbing, better training response, and a halter that actually fits right. Generic halters are stamped out to average measurements that don't account for individual variation. We offer two styles and 5 foal sizes!
You're looking at cost per year, not cost per purchase. That $20 coop halter replaced three times costs more than one $60 - verses The Quillin halter that lasts five years. And when you're dealing with a valuable foal - especially if it's headed to Keeneland or has serious bloodlines - the last thing you want is hardware failure or leather that leaves rub marks right before a sale.
If budget is tight right now, I get it. But if that foal represents real investment, skimping on the halter is false economy.
