Mud, rain, dusty paddocks, bath time, horse halters tend to see a little bit of everything.
Traditional webbing halters have been a barn staple for years, but if you've ever picked up a soaking wet halter from a fence or tried to scrub dried mud out of woven nylon, you can probably understand the appeal of something a little more low-maintenance.
Enter the waterproof horse halter.
Designed for everyday barn life, waterproof halters use coated materials that resist water and are easy to wipe or rinse clean. For horse owners who want practical tack without sacrificing a polished look, they've quickly become an appealing alternative to traditional fabric webbing.
So, what exactly makes a horse halter waterproof, and is one worth adding to your tack room?
What Is a Waterproof Horse Halter?
The biggest difference comes down to the material.
Many traditional horse halters are made from woven nylon or similar fabric webbing. Waterproof halters, on the other hand, are generally made with a coated webbing that creates a smooth exterior surface.
Ivoré halters are made from PVC-coated webbing.
Rather than leaving the woven material exposed, the webbing is covered by a smooth PVC coating. This creates the sleek, leather-like finish you see on an Ivoré halter while also making the surface resistant to water and much easier to clean.
It's a small material change that makes a surprisingly big difference when you're using a halter around the barn every day.
Why Choose a Waterproof Horse Halter?
Horse life is rarely clean.
Even the prettiest halter eventually meets a muddy paddock, dusty face or unexpected rainstorm. Waterproof tack is designed with that reality in mind.
They're easy to clean
This might be the biggest advantage.
Instead of mud working its way into woven fibres, dirt sits primarily on the coated surface. In most cases, you can simply wipe the halter down with a damp cloth or rinse it with water.
For particularly muddy horses, (you know the ones), that means a lot less scrubbing.
They don't stay soggy after getting wet
We've all encountered the halter that was left outside overnight and feels like a wet towel the next morning.
Because the surface of PVC-coated webbing is designed to resist water absorption, a waterproof halter doesn't hold water in the same way an exposed woven material can.
That makes it especially convenient for rainy days, bath time and wet turnout conditions.
They're made for messy everyday barn life
A beautiful piece of tack doesn't necessarily need to be reserved for shows or photos.
One of the reasons we chose coated webbing for Ivoré was because we wanted a halter that could look polished and still make sense for everyday use.
Rain? Fine.
Mud? Rinse it off.
Dusty nose after turnout? Wipe it clean.
We like nice things. We just don't believe they should be difficult to use.
PVC-Coated Webbing vs. Traditional Nylon
Nylon halters have been popular for decades, and for good reason: they're widely available, lightweight and come in almost every colour imaginable.
The main difference is the exposed woven surface.
Traditional nylon webbing has a fabric-like texture with small spaces between the fibres. Dirt, moisture and grime can work their way into that texture, which can make heavily used halters more time-consuming to clean.
PVC-coated webbing adds a smooth protective exterior around the underlying webbing.
That smooth surface is what gives waterproof halters their distinctive look and easy-care finish.
Visually, it can also create a slightly more refined appearance than traditional woven nylon, particularly when paired with thoughtfully chosen hardware.
For us, that combination of practicality + polished design was the entire point.
Is PVC-Coated Webbing the Same as BioThane®?
Not exactly, and this is an important distinction.
You may have heard the name BioThane® used when talking about waterproof or coated horse tack.
BioThane® is actually a registered brand name belonging to BioThane Coated Webbing Corp. It isn't a generic name for every type of waterproof webbing.
Ivoré halters are not made from BioThane®.
Our halters are made from PVC-coated webbing.
There are similarities between different types of coated webbing because they use the same general idea: a woven core covered with a smooth polymer coating. This can give them similar practical characteristics, such as a wipeable surface, water resistance and a sleek appearance.
However, the materials, construction and manufacturers can differ.
So while you may sometimes hear waterproof tack casually described as “biothane,” it is more accurate to describe the material itself unless genuine BioThane® branded webbing is actually being used.
Are Waterproof Horse Halters Good for Winter?
Waterproof tack can be especially convenient during the messier months of the year.
Fall rain, spring mud and snowy winter days can all leave traditional barn equipment damp and dirty.
A coated halter is simply easier to maintain through those conditions. Mud can be rinsed away, and the surface isn't relying on exposed fabric fibres that need time to dry after getting soaked.
For Canadian horse owners in particular, having barn equipment that can transition from muddy shoulder seasons to snowy winter days is one less thing to think about.
And we'd rather spend that extra time riding anyway.
How Do You Clean a Waterproof Horse Halter?
This is the easy part.
For everyday dirt, simply:
-
Wipe the halter with a soft, damp cloth, or rinse it with clean water.
-
Use a mild soap when needed for stubborn dirt.
-
Rinse away any soap residue.
-
Wipe dry or allow the halter to air dry.
You generally don't need to put a coated halter through the washing machine just because your horse decided today's activity was rolling in the mud.
For hardware, it's still a good idea to remove dirt and moisture regularly and give your tack a quick inspection while you're cleaning it.
So, Is a Waterproof Horse Halter Worth It?
That depends on what you want from your everyday tack.
If your halter spends most of its life displayed neatly in a tack locker, easy cleaning may not matter much.
But if you're dealing with muddy turnout, rainy weather, baths, dusty barns or general horse-related chaos, a waterproof halter can make day-to-day care considerably easier.
They're particularly appealing for riders who want something practical enough for the barn but polished enough that they don't immediately want to swap it out when the camera comes out.
That's exactly why we created ours.
Meet the Ivoré Waterproof Halter
Ivoré waterproof halters were designed to bring together the two things we wanted in our own tack room: everyday practicality and elevated design.
Made from smooth PVC-coated webbing and finished with thoughtfully selected hardware, they're designed for the realities of life with horses, from rainy mornings and muddy paddocks to quiet summer evenings at the barn.
Available in a curated collection of Ivoré colours, because practical doesn't have to mean boring.
Discover the Ivoré Waterproof Halter Collection →