Do you/would you leave headcollar on horse in the field?

Leaving headcollar on horse in field?

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joulsey

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Just a pondering.

Now the nicer weather is here and I'm riding more, our mare is becoming increasingly harder to catch, as she lives out 24/7 with stables etc open, so she knows if shes being caught its either to be groomed/made a fuss of (which she really doesn't care for) or being ridden (really really really doesn't care for!)

I've had hard to catch horses before, but she's on another level, so to stop with all the messing about I've been thinking I might just leave her head collar on as she's fine as soon as I can actually get a hold of her/rope round her neck. But its just something I've never done, always been worried about it getting stuck on something or horses being horse napped lol!

So who does/doesn't or would/wouldn't?
 
Most of my horses wear leather headcollars permanently. They all live out 24/7/365. My foals also wear leather headcollars pretty much from the moment they are born, again 24/7/365.
 
I'm a yes and no!

I don't like to but have done so in the past when I've had real problems catching. I've always used a leather or fieldsafe type headcollar when I have turned out in one though, never a regular synthetic one.
 
All the time they don't get turned out without ... And never had an issue in 35 years more than having to go down the field to find the blasted thing when they take it off (sec a is a master at this!
 
I don't leave them on as I've no need to. If the need was there, than I would use leather ones for safety reasons.
 
A fieldsafe headcollar?

Yes, I have - the one with the rubber rings (aerborn?) an I replaced any broken rings with a section of leather shoelace as the replacement rings wouldn't stick back together with superglue.
 
Only fieldsafe or leather.

I use fieldsafe if they need one on for flymasks or the like, and leather for the idiots to catch as I've grabbed a fieldsafe, had one snap and horse didn't trust me that day as it snapped around his face! Thankfully bucket of feed later all was forgiven.
 
My last horse I turned out in a leather headcollar in summer as he was AWFUL (honestly, awful in a headcollar, completely no go without one!) to catch in the summer months when he didn't have a routine. I make sure my fields are as headcollar proof as they possibly can be.
 
Im having a problem reguarding this atm!! My mums 18yr old is too wise for his own good and refuses to be caught when the weather is nice rubbish weather at he's first at the gate!! So lives in his but it has to be leather as everything else rubs him raw. My problem is my 6yr old thinks its great fun to play hang the pony by his headcollar and has subsequently broken two leather headcollars!! He does this by chewing on the buckle under the chin until it snaps! The pony antaganises him and they are only playing its just my bank balance is disagreeing at £30 a headcollar!!! Does anyone know if u can get leather headcollars without the buckle under the chin?? I need something that doesnt have the excess leather my guy can grab hold of!

But yes if they need it they live in one thankfully my 6yr old comes to call!!! :) i hate bad catchers especially our pony as he knows exactly what he is doing!!!
 
Capriole said:
You need a depends on the circumstances option :)
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I agree.

I don't leave head collar on as a rule because he is a doddle to catch, but at the moment when he's out for his little leg stretch in the morning while I muck him out (he's being treated for trauma to proximal suspensory) I leave his head collar on in case he has a funny moment and I need to catch him quickly (something to grab/can clip on leadrope quicker than I can put his headcollar on). Ditto his little companion - but his only stays on while he's out with Kal for that short period, when I put him back in with the blind mare for the remaining 22 hours of the day/night, I remove his head collar.

YO leaves both of hers out with headcollars on and they manage just fine.

P
 
Spike has a Fieldsafe one - he can be a git to catch if he isn't in the mood to come in. 98% of the time he's fine, but the other 2% makes me really grumpy, so he wears it for his own safety!
 
Not at the moment but have done in the past and had one of those field safety ones when he was being a little sod to catch! Failing that an old leather one will do the trick :)
 
Arniebear - on your broken headcollars remove the broken strap entirely and replace with nylon. IF you can't find straps anywhere else dogcollars work.

Mine mostly don't have headcollars on except for my old Welshy who is impossible to catch but marginally better if he has a headcollar on and my big horse who has been known to attack with teeth and feet, I feel more secure knowing I have a handle to grab him by if he does try it on.

I use cheapo imported leather from ebay £15 inc postage IIRC.
 
I did when my boy was being a PITA to catch, had him in a leathe rone, which he managed to snap. However once he got ino the habit that coming in means getting his hard feed he soon started coming in. :)
 
After going through three or four of the fieldsafe ones with my old toad of a mare who would never be caught, I wouldn't buy again. Each time I grabbed her, she learnt that she could/would pull back and snap the rubber rings! You also needed to put another headcollar over the top when catching them as you can't lead from the fieldsafe!

Pain in the bum.

Would get a thin leather headcollar if I were you :) Otherwise you ending up forking out a fortune on the pesky fieldsafe ones.
 
I don't because my field is not exactly the most secure in the world and I worry about making life easier for thieves. Also none of mine are difficult to catch.
 
budley95 said:
I did when my boy was being a PITA to catch, had him in a leathe rone, which he managed to snap. However once he got ino the habit that coming in means getting his hard feed he soon started coming in. :)
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The problem with this is when she does get hard feed, she comes flying up the field as soon as she hears our back gate and I need time to get to the tack room, open it, get the headcollar/leadrope out without her hearing any slight clang of the head collar, hide it in the stable, get her to follow me into the stable with the feed, then pounce on her with the rope around the neck!
I think I may dig the leather headcollar out and give it a whirl. If I know I'm not going to get chance to ride that week I can always take it off, its mainly when I want to ride more than once a week she gets really really really awkward....mares eh....
 
I don't but I would if I had a reason to. As it is, I rarely have a reason to put one on - their stable is inside their field, they follow me in and out of the other fields, tack up straight from the field etc, and they all come to call.
 
montanna said:
After going through three or four of the fieldsafe ones with my old toad of a mare who would never be caught, I wouldn't buy again. Each time I grabbed her, she learnt that she could/would pull back and snap the rubber rings! You also needed to put another headcollar over the top when catching them as you can't lead from the fieldsafe!

Pain in the bum.

Would get a thin leather headcollar if I were you :) Otherwise you ending up forking out a fortune on the pesky fieldsafe ones.
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Mine is the Cottage Craft one without rubber rings http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/cottage-craft-turnout-safe-headcollar.html It has velcro at the nose and a plastic ring on velcro at the buckle, with a metal ring as well, so you can use it as a normal head collar. I had one of those field safe ones with rubber rings, and it drove me nuts!
 
I do on the naughty ponios! But not on my gelding as I have no need to.
I've always used normal nylon headcollars and had no problems!
 
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