Advice needed re field safe headcollars please!

Penny Less

Penny Less

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I have a hard to catch cob who is turned out in a headcollar. At present in a cottage craft
one which has velcro attaching noseband to side pieces via metal rings, but the velcro keeps wearing away where it attaches to the metal bits,(this has happened on 2 collars and I cant attach new velcro as I would probably need to send it to a saddler to do) also there are plastic d rings to attach throat clip to, but horse often pulls away when I try to get him and has brokenthese clips, then no headcollar!

I have tried the headcollars with the rubber attachments, but twice these have been
"pinged" by another horse and broken, also if he pulls away from me they break easily, which I know is the idea, but again headcollarless horse being uncatchable!

I have a fairly chunky leather headcollar, would I be better turning him out in this?

Before anyone says I need to work on getting him to be caught easily, I have been working on this for 3 years, he is much better in the winter when he wants to come in for food,and I have managed to turn him out without a headcollar occasionally,but summer is a nightmare

Any input gratefully received .
 
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I have a mare that can be a pain to get hold of so she wears a nylon headcollar with a leather crown.
I have punched extra holes in the crown to weaken it further so it effectively has a half inch headpiece.
 
I use ancient leather headcollars on my feral yearling. The leather and or stitching will (did in my case) break if there is a problem.

A new leather collar will break but would need a fair bit of pressure, but if that is the only one you have try running a sharp blade on some of the stitching to weaken it a little.

A useful trick to aid finding it when the horse has dumped it, is a brightly coloured electrical tape wound around bits of it - easy to find in fields !
 
A new leather headcollar won't break- my boy (who snaps triple thickness string without even blinking) got his leather headcollar (that had been suppled and 2 years use) stuck on the trailer once, panicked and bent the metal of the trailer and I had to push his head down to get him out- not even a dent in his headcollar :(
I like the velcro horseware ones, they have metal fittings and a little velcro bit up by the buckle- they come with 2 bits of velcro at different strengths, and the velcro can be replaced without the rest of the headcollar. I have lead horses in mine as the velcro is quite strong and would only come undone in a real emergency (none of mine have broken it yet!)
 
I have a Horseware Fieldsafe headcollar,which is IMO,the best design of such headcollars that there is. Have had it for 4 years,used daily&tho a bit faded to pinky red from red,it's still going strong:)
 
Yes,the Velcro is v strong-mine has pratted about whilst being led (rearing&spinning&pulling back) and it hasn't snapped open. Think it once did when he pulled back whilst tied up,so,as above poster said,only happens in real emergency(which is exactly what you want!).
 
I had an IV fieldsafe headcollar which must have got caught on a branch in the field because I found it in the paddock ripped in two pieces, while the velcro still remained in place.

The strength my mare must have used to tear the fabric had to have been considerable. Why it didn't break away as designed, I just don't know, particularly as it had previously pulled apart when I was leading her in from the field and she reared up.
Both incidents were potentially dangerous.

Use an old leather headcollar now instead if needed.
 
I have a horse that used to scuttle up to be caught 97% of the time, in huge fields with his mates. Now, quite fit and full of himself, in same circumstances, is completely the opposite! Put a Horseware fieldsafe on him, he rolled, rubbed his head on the ground and off it came! Did it up tighter - same. Put leather h/c on, made into f/s with string between throat latch and brass ring. Stayed on, caught horse, but discovered skin rubbed under noseband. Tried food, etc. eats food b*****s off. So frustrating. Will come in as last of the herd in the evening, but v difficult and time consuming otherwise. Any ideas gratefully received! :confused:
 
Thanks for replies. I have looked at the Abetta halter which has to come from the USA,
have never bought anything from abroad, so not sure how to go about the dollars thing!
The Horseware headcollar looks a lot like the cottage craft one, so think I might try that one
 
I've got mine in a Field Safe (not sure what make it is but that is what it says on label on the cheek) that has velcro on the "cheekpiece" and it came with two pieces, different breaking strains. He was managing to lose his velcro strap safe headcollar and i didn't feel secure leading him in that, but this one is great. I shall try to find it online and post a linky.
 
alma said:
Thanks I have got a link to a website selling them, just need to check what size I need. Cob but with a big bonce !
Click to expand...

I have a full size and it fits the big one who normally takes a full/ x full (big headed lump :) ) and with a few more holes punched in by my dad it fits my 14.2 welsh cob (who also has a big head and is cob/full size). So they come up reasonably big. I would have thought cob size would fit my welsh if I had money to buy a second one though :o
 
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