Best headcollar to be turned out in?

C

Coffee_Bean

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As title, need a "fieldsafe" one... what is the difference? Can you recommend any/any to stay away from? Cheap and cheerful as poss please!
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well, the ones with elastic loop inserts are okay, but not if the horse will pull back when you catch him/her, because they'll break then too...
a good leather headcollar will have built-in weak points.
personally, i try never to turn out in a headcollar, it can be a recipe for utter disaster.
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personally, i try never to turn out in a headcollar, it can be a recipe for utter disaster.
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totally agree with this,
and other points, the field safe ones are so weak when catching/leading

Also know a horse who's headcollar was left on in stable - owner went to muck heap and by the time she came back it was dead, headcollar had caught on bolt and horse panicked
 
I've made my own before when they've needed fly fringes - cut the metal loops out of an ordinary webbing headcollar and replaced them with leather lace. Cheap to mend!
 
When i was a kid i knew a horse that got a nylon headcollar caught between its hind shoe and its foot, so every time it tried to stand up its head was pulled down. It fell into a water jump and drowned.

If you have to have a headcollar then a thin, cheap, nasty leather one. The only time i would ever have cheap leather. Do not use a thick leather one, buy the crappiest thin one you can find!

Would be interested to know why you have to have one though, i cant think of a reason why a horse must have one on.
 
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personally, i try never to turn out in a headcollar, it can be a recipe for utter disaster.
frown.gif
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totally agree with this,
and other points, the field safe ones are so weak when catching/leading

Also know a horse who's headcollar was left on in stable - owner went to muck heap and by the time she came back it was dead, headcollar had caught on bolt and horse panicked

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Yes agree leather one if you are going to leave one on, but I always remember what my instructor once said about it which is
" leaving them on is a sure sign of poor horsemanship"
 
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!

Would be interested to know why you have to have one though, i cant think of a reason why a horse must have one on.

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Maybe they can't catch pony, my loan pony wears a head collar all the time because she is a bummer to catch.. you have no hope of catching her without a headcollar! and I am sure orginal poster has a good enough reason to want to turn her horse out in a head collar
 
Yes, im sure OP does have a reason. Thats why i asked, so i can be enlightened!
If i had a horse that was bad to catch i would train it. Takes a bit of time but safer. Headcollars when turned out really are an accident waiting to happen unfortunately.
 
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Yes, im sure OP does have a reason. Thats why i asked, so i can be enlightened!
If i had a horse that was bad to catch i would train it. Takes a bit of time but safer. Headcollars when turned out really are an accident waiting to happen unfortunately.

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ok
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me being a bit touchy
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Yeah I agree if you can train the horse then go for it! but sometimes its very hard!
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I think if I had to and couldnt find an old leather one I would poss get saddler to make me one out of not very strong/thick leather.
 
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turn out in any old cheap under throat clip type...but dont clip it up...just attach green garden twine to the clip, tie to the ring...if there is a problem, the string will break, and the headcollar will pull off..

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Both new boys have got Buddie and Gimlye's cuddly ponies headcollars on, they have the throat clip, they manage to undo them every bloody day lol!
Norman was forever getting it off when he wore one!
I might try that, not that theres anything they can catch themselves on.
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not being a pain... but how would you train a horse to be more easily caught? I have (very luckily) only ever had a problem from time to time with my old mare. Very random when she would decide not to be caught. Obviously associated me with work so I got round that by getting anyone to get her - which would work (and not to take it personally!) but how could you convince a committed stay out horse its good to come in? I have helped and used bribery but retraining?
 
The first yard I was at insisted horses were turned out in a headcollar, so I used to put a fieldsafe one on and then put a normal headcollar over the top for leading him in etc.

Failing that a really cheap leather headcollar and don't ever clean it then it is more likely to snap if it needs to.
 
Kavalkade headcollar. tds-saddlers sell them. Padded at the nose/poll and elasticated over the nose/poll so pulls off easily if horse gets caught. Mine has to be turned out in a headcollar as he is afraid of ropes etc and won't let you put one on in the field but will let you hold the headcollar then quietly clip on - definately NOT a sign of poor horsemanship!!
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Kavalkade headcollar. tds-saddlers sell them. Padded at the nose/poll and elasticated over the nose/poll so pulls off easily if horse gets caught. Mine has to be turned out in a headcollar as he is afraid of ropes etc and won't let you put one on in the field but will let you hold the headcollar then quietly clip on - definately NOT a sign of poor horsemanship!!
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[/ QUOTE ] Huh you make the point exactly
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why not work on the problem rather than avoiding it ... like loading or cliping problems it needs a little time maybe you could get some help from your instuctor your horse will be safer more relaxed and easyer to handle ,a win win situation
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not being a pain... but how would you train a horse to be more easily caught? I have (very luckily) only ever had a problem from time to time with my old mare. Very random when she would decide not to be caught. Obviously associated me with work so I got round that by getting anyone to get her - which would work (and not to take it personally!) but how could you convince a committed stay out horse its good to come in? I have helped and used bribery but retraining?

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one thing you could try is to sometimes make it nice for your horse to come to you so they dont think every time you come they will have to do some work or be stabled,so just sometimes go and catch them give them a scratch and a fuss maybe a titbit instead then loose them back to carry on grazing
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Not convinced it's always possible to train. My TB is great to catch most of the time. However, when it's winter and he is going to be caught to have legs washed (which he hates) & maybe left in (which he also hates) he can get tricky. I do what JM07 does & use an old, too small, headcollar which has a loop of thin twine (not full width baler twine) looped thru the last buckle hole. To fix it I just put buckle thru loop. It's OK to lead with although if I had to go out on road I would just slip his proper headcollar over the top.
 
Whilst I don't use headcollars, my YO does like one left on in winter so it is easier for him to get them all in without having to fiddle putting them on.

I have the cheapest leathers ones I can find which normally last two - three years before falling apart but for £12 that is fine.

Mine are very sensible sorts, no shoes and electric fencing so chances of them getting caught are fairly unlikely and the leather should snap as they are big strong horses.

I don't have anything other than leather headcollars - cheap field ones and nice smart ones for travelling to shows.
 
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