Headcollar accdidents.

tinkandlily

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I have just come back from my yard and i can't belive how many of the horses were left in the stable with headcollars on. A girl on my previous yard did this and when she came back the headcollar was caught one the door bolt, the horse was panicking and my friend couldn't open the door because he was fighting so much. Eventually the YO came with a sharp knife and had to cut him free, he suffered horrendus injuries and is scarred for life. In another incident i came to the yard to find a horse in is stable with its back shoe caught on the headcollar and blood everywhere, it looked like he'd been there all night, he too is scarred of life.:( my message is DON'T LEAVE A HEADCOLLAR ON!!!
 
I hate seeing headcollars left on. I have heard too many stories about accidents like this :( Although I am lucky enough that I havent seen anything bad.
 
A girl on a yard I was on left her head collar on in the stable. It got caught of the door latch and in the ensuing panic, the door was lifted off it's hinges.

Horse was found cowering in the stable still attached to the door.
How it didn't injure itself, Lord only knows.
 
Am I right in saying that if you MUST leave a headcollar on, its better that its a leather one rather than a webbed one as leather breaks easier?
 
Another headcollar warning is to always do it up properly when leading. A couple of months ago I led out my boy with the throat lash clip undone, (I had his flymask on underneath and it was a bit bulky) and we were walking up to the field when a fly tickled his leg, and he went to scratch it and pulled the headcollar straight off over his ears. He then realised he was loose and bolted through a metal gate.
This is a picture of the gate.
such a stupid act of lazyness on my part by not having the throatlash section of the headcollar done up, could have killed him. Luckily just bruises and scrapes was all he had.
claudesgate.jpg
 
Got to admit I have done this a few times, but only for about 5 mins while I go to find somewhere to tie them up. I know I shouldn't but its so hard to get some of their headcollars on, I don't feel like fighting with them to put it back on them. They do all where lather ones though
 
I do hate it to, however, my new pony is a baby and wont let you catch him (you can try for hours and get no where) and put on on him, so once we did it is staying on till he becomes better at catching. It is a leather one though as I have had experience of these breaking a lot faster than a webbing one.
 
I have never ever left a headcollar on in the stable or in the field. I can't even put my big lads bridle on til last 'cos he will catch it on something and break it!! I also never use nylon headcollars only leather as they will break.
 
Where I did my training at an Army Barracks, we had internal stables with a bar going across the doorway which was held in place by a pin.
One horse had his headcollar on in his stable and rubbed his head on the side of his stable causing the headcollar to get caught on the pin. He panicked and pulled back but nothing broke even though it was a leather headcollar and we had to get the yard manager to cut him free with a knife, poor horse had sore rubs all over his face and nose :(
 
My boy got his headcollar caught while I was in with him picking out his feet! had nasty gash but no scarring etc. If it can happen while your there then def shouldn't be left on!
 
I hate seeing headcollar left on too.
I know of a horse that broke it's neck and died due to catching its headcollar on the bolt, the owner left stable, went to muck heap and by the time she had returned her horse was dead :(
 
when i used to exercise prince his owner left his head collar on in stable and he caught it on the bolt and bent and buckled the bolt. i never leave them on for that reason, or in the field for that matter unless its a fieldsafe with rubber attachments
 
when i used to exercise prince his owner left his head collar on in stable and he caught it on the bolt and bent and buckled the bolt. i never leave them on for that reason, or in the field for that matter unless its a fieldsafe with rubber attachments

I agree, if i have a difficult horse then it's turned out in a field safe headcollar. Leather ones are better but they can still take to long to break.
 
An ILPH field officer told me of a horse left in the field who got its headcollar caught up, they found it dead with a broken neck.:( I am currently looking after neighbours ponies, one of which is a horror to catch. It is normally turned out in a headcollar with a shortened rope trailing, I asked them to take it off before they went away. Only trouble is I now can't get near it but hopefull they will be able to, it is only in a tiny paddock thank heavens.
 
An ILPH field officer told me of a horse left in the field who got its headcollar caught up, they found it dead with a broken neck.:( I am currently looking after neighbours ponies, one of which is a horror to catch. It is normally turned out in a headcollar with a shortened rope trailing, I asked them to take it off before they went away. Only trouble is I now can't get near it but hopefull they will be able to, it is only in a tiny paddock thank heavens.

better safe than sorry
 
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