Field safe headcollars - any good?

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Erehwemos

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My girl is quite naughty to catch in the summer, and so I like to leave a headcollar on to give me a better chance of grabbing her if she comes anywhere near! The problem is, every headcollar I try on her rubs like crazy if she has it on for any period of time - the only one I've ever managed to find that doesnt rub her so badly, she manages to get off within minutes (she's a houdini, too
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Now, I only EVER use leather headcollars. I will never touch a nylon one with a bargepole, so although they may not rub so badly, it isnt even an option - I will not put anything on her that wont break under strain.

Someone said that Shires Field Safe headcollars are quite good - I have never seen one and would just like to know whether anyone recommends them? Do they break easily, and are they nice and soft- eg. not likely to rub? Elz has very sensitive skin which never makes things easy!

Thanks in advance
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I use one on my lad to put his nose visor thing on and he has never been rubbed by it (he's a fairly sensitive TB). However if your girl is quite good at escaping from headcollars she'd probably find it very easy to get out of as they are so soft and flexible - the rubber rings give them a bit of stretch.
My sisters pony is a bit of a houdini with headcollars too (and quite naughty to catch if she doesn't have one on) so have been through all this! We've found there are two different makes that she seems to like (ie leaves them on for more than a couple of days!) and we alternate them to help prevent rubbing as well as giving her a couple of days without every now and again.
Sorry for huge reply. Hope its of some help.

ETA: mine is one of the aerborn ones with replacable rubber rings, rather than velcro.
 
I use one. It is held together with velcro but it never been "tested"
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yet on my Molly. She doesn't have sensitive skin but it has rubbed a little of the hair off her nose, although they are quite padded, with a kind of suedette lining on the nose band and head piece parts. Not sure if would be good for a sensitive skinny!
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Our houdini can extract herself from a fieldsafe headcollar in under a minute
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and the one we have feels quite harsh to the touch.
You could always get a comfortable padded nylon one with a clip then rig up an elastic band that would break in emergencies through the ring to the clip ??? If that makes sense
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What about putting some sheepskin bits on the headcollar? I saw some £5 velcro headcollars at hickstead if your going
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If it's the metal on the leather headcollar that rubs her then wrap the offending bits with that latex stuff that you use on bits, sticks to itself but can't remember the proper name. Do this with Pidge and it stops the rubbing.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I use one on my lad to put his nose visor thing on and he has never been rubbed by it (he's a fairly sensitive TB). However if your girl is quite good at escaping from headcollars she'd probably find it very easy to get out of as they are so soft and flexible - the rubber rings give them a bit of stretch.
My sisters pony is a bit of a houdini with headcollars too (and quite naughty to catch if she doesn't have one on) so have been through all this! We've found there are two different makes that she seems to like (ie leaves them on for more than a couple of days!) and we alternate them to help prevent rubbing as well as giving her a couple of days without every now and again.
Sorry for huge reply. Hope its of some help.

ETA: mine is one of the aerborn ones with replacable rubber rings, rather than velcro.

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Thank you, very helpful! I will have a look into the Aerborn ones as well then, didnt realise more than one company made them!
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I've tried the alternating idea - I have three leather headcollars - but they all seem to rub in a different place - one under her jaw, one by her eye, another on both cheekbones
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And if I loosen them so that there is minimal contact, she wriggles out of them!
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[ QUOTE ]
I use one. It is held together with velcro but it never been "tested"
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yet on my Molly. She doesn't have sensitive skin but it has rubbed a little of the hair off her nose, although they are quite padded, with a kind of suedette lining on the nose band and head piece parts. Not sure if would be good for a sensitive skinny!
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Ahh that's interesting - maybe not the solution then. Thank you
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[ QUOTE ]
Our houdini can extract herself from a fieldsafe headcollar in under a minute
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and the one we have feels quite harsh to the touch.
You could always get a comfortable padded nylon one with a clip then rig up an elastic band that would break in emergencies through the ring to the clip ??? If that makes sense
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That doesnt sound good - wouldnt stand a chance with Ellie then!
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Hmmm, I just hate, hate, hate nylon
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I see what you're saying about altering it for safety, but I just cant stand them - and there's no guarantee it would rub any less!
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What about putting some sheepskin bits on the headcollar? I saw some £5 velcro headcollars at hickstead if your going
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I have tried the sheepskin option (of course!
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) but found that when it got muddy/wet etc, it rubbed her even more
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She's out 24/7 so I know that leaving anything on her isnt ideal, but it's the only way I can catch her! I've tried sheepskin and also tried cotton wool wrapped in vet wrap - looked ideal to start with, but then got very manky and rubbed her even worse
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[ QUOTE ]
If it's the metal on the leather headcollar that rubs her then wrap the offending bits with that latex stuff that you use on bits, sticks to itself but can't remember the proper name. Do this with Pidge and it stops the rubbing.

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I tried this, with vetwrap! It got all manked up very quickly and just seemed to make things worse
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It's also not so much a buckle problem as the actual strap, which is weird
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I have a breakaway headcollar for my boy, and regularly found it lying by itself in the field. He's been wearing a regular nylon headcollar, which rubbed him on the nose, so he had sheepskin (aka "the nose marshmallow"
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) on it. Due to safety concerns, I just bought him a leather headcollar. I have yet to see if it rubs or not.
 
hmm difficult then as I have to have Pidge's headcollar pretty tight otherwise he gets out of it as soon as he rolls and grinds his head in the floor
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Fieldsafe - broke it
Aerborn version - either broke it, or took it off, I found it in peices.
Leather one - took it off, took 30 seconds and the witch did it while I was watching - took five days to catch her again.
Tight, nylon one, wrapped in fleece - stays on, although sometimes gets it over one ear.

I check the whole field and shes got nowhere she can catch it, she leaves it on and I can catch her.
 
My mare is a nightmare to catch also and so this year I got the Aerborn fieldsafe headcollar and it works a treat! It has broken several times, I usually find it attached to the fence, so I am so glad it works. A dab of superglue on the snapped ring and hey presto, ready to use again, once I've caught her that is.....
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She wears it 24/7 and hasn't been rubbed.....
 
I use the aerborn field safe too and it's never rubbed my TB mare. I attach some plaited string to the bottom ring, I can get close enough to hold this and usually when she feels the pressure she "gives in" and stands to get her proper headcollar on.

They snap easily; like when she doesn't "give in" and wants to play a bit longer
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It's snapped a couple of times in the field when she's been doing who knows what but I'd rather that than any other alternative.

There was a thread in Stable Yard about nylon field safes that have a leather pressure point on them. They might be safer than a traditional leather halter and much safe than a nylon one. Here it is Field Safe Halters Thankfully we've conquered our turning out demons so didn't need to get a leather version in the end.
 
I just got 1 other day for my appaloosa who has to wear a sun visor on his nose i got it from Robinsons cant remember what make it is though its yellow and black and fastens with velcro - so far so good hasnt rubbed and he hasnt got it off ...yet
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I just got 1 other day for my appaloosa who has to wear a sun visor on his nose i got it from Robinsons cant remember what make it is though its yellow and black and fastens with velcro - so far so good hasnt rubbed and he hasnt got it off ...yet
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its the libbys one
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my mare only had to roll and it came undone, but I use plaiting bands to hold the velcro together and it has stayed put since, also if she gets caught up the bands will break and don't have any rubbing problems with it.
 
I got VERY fed up of the Aerborn one I had - I caught my pony, pony would rear and pull back and I didn't stand a chance. I moved on to using a leather one with sheepskin bits so I could teach her not to rear...!
 
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