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

Leaving headcollar on horse in field?

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Mine has a muzzle on so in effect has one on anyway, but if I wanted to leave a nornal headcollar on I'd leave a leather one one
 
I'm also a yes and a no.

Harvey I definitely wouldn't, because he is so accident prone I just don't trust him - plus he is easy to catch.

A couple of the other hunters on our yard have their headcollars left on during the winter to save time because they can be.. 'difficult'!

Also have two small ponies which have theirs left on 24/7 because they aren't very tame.

I would say leave on, until you manage to resolve the catching problems?
 
No, never. Am paranoid about a horse getting hung up on its head collar (have known of a few fatalities).

Nylon head collars are a lethal abomination in my book (unless they have a built in breaking point). I only use leather head collars (Kincade do cheap and cheerful everyday ones @£28 from Rideaway).
 
When i had Cob on loan at the livery they didn't have head collars on as they were let straight on to the yard and wandered into there stables (a few at a time and we would be behind them closing them in)

Then when we moved to a field (out 24/7) for the first few days he had one on but then never had one on.

Now the loan i have they have head collar's left on (owner's choice of head collar which is left hanging outside the stable)

But personally would but them out without.
 
I have left a leather headcollar on in the past when she needs to come in at a strange time and someone else has to catch her, because she just won't be caught by someone else. I've created a monster. I don't leave one on if I'm bringing her in.
 
I have to leave a field safe one on sasha as she can be a Madame to catch, like last Friday when YO father and herself had to chase her round for over an hour b4 she was so tired she gave in!!!
 
Yes, I used to at my old yard. The headcollar I used was a very old extra full one (i'd fished it out of a skip!), used on a tb with a small head, he always kept it on but it was loose enough to come off if caught, the leather was also pretty old with parts held together with twine. It was a wonder it actually held to bring him in!
 
Yes depends on circumstances. Mostly mine go out without but at the start of spring when the grass makes them monkeys to catch they go out with a leather headcollar on never had a problem. When turning out a new horses for the first time, or one of mine in a new field leather headcollar is worn in case catching quickly is required.
 
A snug leather or fieldsafe one, yep.

I would go all out on the bribery though first to see if that helps. Also when they run away, keep following them around and don't let them graze - they soon learn that being caught is less effort than not being caught. And if it takes hours and hours, they seem to remember that for longer. Perhaps plan it for a day where you have nothing to do and it's not raining :p
 
Having had a fieldsafe that failed when my horse got caught on a branch, I'd never use one again.

The Velcro stayed fastened and the nylon sheared right through on a non-seam part. I can't imagine the force she needed to break the material, but she must have had quite a desperate struggle.
 
Many years ago, I was on full livery and the staff turned everything out with a headcollar on because it made it easier and quicker for them when they brought them in. I was never happy about it but got round it by using leather headcollars.

On DIY now and I never turn out with headcollars on - no need to :)
 
Yes.

But I don't get it when people say use leather as they break. I use cheap nylon head collars and several have broken but always at the buckle which is generally white metal (i.e. on step up from lead!) and never leather.

Of course JFTD's ponies come to call! They were trained like all the ponies are here! :D
 
Don't leave them on normally but I have inherited 3 that are devils to catch one of which took me half an hour in an enclosed spaced to put a head collar on so these tend to have theirs left on but I do not really like it.
 
Years ago I kept my old pony at a place where the YO made it compulsory for everything turned out to have a headcollar on. That was the rule, and you had to stick to it, so even though I didn't like it, I complied.

However, I wouldn't ever turn out anything with a headcollar on - UNLESS I was in or around the yard to see what they were getting up to. To explain: my horses are at home and I can look out and see the field from the house quite easily.

My main fear would be that someone would scratch theirselves with a hind foot or whatever and get hitched up.

So the only situation in which I'd turn out with a headcollar - and leave the horse unsupervised for any length of time - would be if it was the "fieldsafe" one with the velcro fastening, even then they could still get caught up with it on.

Also........ I'd never EVER put a headcollar on a horse and leave them in the stable either - I've witnessed a situation where an owner put a headcollar on a pony and put it in the stable. The stable had a latch fastening on the outside of the door and somehow the pony got the ring of the headcollar which was under its chin, caught up on the door hitch. Luckily we were there and managed to get the headcollar off, but not before, due to struggling, its forelegs had given way under it and it was hitched up and would have either suffocated or broken its neck if someone hadn't got to it:(

So, nope, never never never would I do it. Either field or stable. No way.
 
I don't but mine are a doddle to catch, in fact I don't usually bother catching them at all, I just open the stable gate and the field gate, shout them and watch them trot into the correct stable.
 
I think I would worry - about them getting caught but also with passers by being able to grab them. I had one that was bad to catch, but clicker trained him to target his headcollar, then eventually to stuff his nose into it - worked a treat! The others come to call - but they always get a nice reward for doing so - it is in their interest! I have more problem trying not to catch the ones that I don't want, to be honest...
 
No I find other ways to catch them if they are being difficult. I don't even leave the collar on my dog, it comes off when we get back in from walk :)
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Also........ I'd never EVER put a headcollar on a horse and leave them in the stable either - I've witnessed a situation where an owner put a headcollar on a pony and put it in the stable. The stable had a latch fastening on the outside of the door and somehow the pony got the ring of the headcollar which was under its chin, caught up on the door hitch.
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My mare did this, whilst I was standing right outside her stable. As I previously posted, I never turn out in head collars but I had only brought her in for 10 minutes to eat her feed, before turning her back out.

She ate up then came to put her head out over the stable door, and started to itch her chin. She somehow got the head collar caught on the door latch, panicked, and pulled back. The (leather) head collar broke, but she smacked her head hard on the lintel, and bashed her eye socket. Had to get the vet out, but luckily no serious harm done.

So, despite me already being paranoid about leaving head collars on, this still happened. Had she been wearing a nylon head collar, she would have broken her neck.
 
no I never would...having seen a horse nearly rip its face to shreds( not mine) I would never do it....much rather spend time learning the horses to come in etc :)
 
No, I don't turn out with headcollars on normally. The only exception would be with a new horse until I know it's ok to catch. Then I would use a fieldsafe one with the rubber rings.
 
I have in the past as the yard could never catch my horse when she was on full livery. When she went to stud they left head collars on her, insisting on leather, and she injured her head because it didn't snap. Ironically a non leather one snapped.

At home and in a routine she is quite catchable or bribeable!
 
Arniebear said:
...its just my bank balance is disagreeing at £30 a headcollar!!! ...
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Don't spend that much on one! Get the cheapest you can find - the poor quality leather and fittings will snap if they get caught up. Mine was about £8 off eBay and it's got me out of trouble a couple of times, though tying up's the issue with mine, not being caught.

No nylon headcollars though -I was once told that they're made from the same textile as car tow ropes - go figure!
 
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