Tried out a new halter today. It was too cold to take photos today, but below is a model I found on the web. Alberto Sierra is a paso fino trainer who designed this halter. It's supposed to help horses collect and gait better. A friend of mine tried the halters on his horses and loved them so much that he brought one over for me to try.
I tend to be suspicious of gimmicks and gadgets that claim to cure all problems. I find that often times they just cover up the underlying issue, which is usually that the horse needs more time and training. However, I do try to keep an open mind to new things and this seemed worth trying out.
It did seem to help Ranger hold his head and neck in a more collected and tucked position, but I'm not sure that it changed his gait much in the brief time he wore it today. He was still kind of trotty. I was told the more you use the halter, the better the horse gaits.
That may be true. Ranger was a pistol today after being out to pasture the last two days. It's hard for horses to gait when they are wired or tense. I'll have to experiment a little more and see how he performs in the halter when he's a little more relaxed and my fingers are a little less numb.
EDIT: The fiery-eyed steed pictured below is NOT Ranger. There was some confusion about that. I was unwilling to brave the cold again to take my own picture. This photo was the first one that came up on a Google Image search for the Sierra Halter. The similar coloring of the two horses is just coincidence.