Heavy horse owners - do you know where I can get XXXL headcollars?

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ltoolan

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Hello!

Once again, I am looking for bits and pieces for my heavy horse.

I am really struggling to find headcollars for my Percheron. I have tried several sources including so-called heavy horse specialists who charge me a fortune and then send me a plain bog standard extra full nylon headcollar which is no where near big enough and I could have bought elsewhere for 1/2 the price.

My horse is just under 18hh and is a French Percheron so is very heavily built.

Can anyone tell me where I can buy (mail / internet order preferably) a genuinely huge headcollar?

Many thanks!
 
The only thing I can suggest is try contacting the Shire Horse society and see if they can give you any help. I have seen them at the Shire Horse SHow at Peterborough so they can be found. Failing that you could have a leather one made but I doubt it would be cheap.
 
Don't know where you are in the country but you could try calling Sheila at Catlips farm in Rickmansworth Herts, 01923 282213 they have loads and loads of second hand stuff some of it dating back years but they may poss have some heavy horse items.

My cob has a HUGE head and most headcollars just don't fit when he broke his last one I went there and she sorted me out a second hand one, it was all dusty and looked very old but when I cleaned it up it's actually made of very good quality leather. It's huge and I could imagine it having been used on a heavy horse. She also has a saddler that works for her so you could see if they could make you one? Their prices are very reasonable too. good luck!
 
I have known full grown Clydes who wear xFS head collars by weather beeta, roman noses and all.

I have similar problems with my Clydey X Highland and his requirement for 6 1/2" bits and XXFS bridles.

I have a XXFS head collar in baby blue which I do not use you can have. Its too big!

Mind I ask where you got your perch from? I am interested as they look similar to my retired lad (believe it or not).
 
Libbys tack will custom make things for you. They've done me a bridle, which needed a 32" noseband. You send the measurements, and they deliver product super quick.
 
You could try and find out if there are any Heavy Horse events local to you as they usually have trade stands selling stuff you just don't see at normal horse events. I don't know where you are but if you do a search for heavy horse associations maybe it will throw up an organisation that has an event near you. A few years ago we bought a nylon headcollar to fit a clyde mare from one of these events and it was quite cheap and huge but very hardwaring and washable. Also try "heavyhorsesupplies.com" (sorry could'nt do link)
 
Shires xf head collars hang off my full grown Clydes. The cheapo leather extra full headcollars on Ebay are also too big for my clydes.

All the heavy horse suppliers charge a fortune, so I would get in touch with Libbys...
 
Libbys have sorted me for extra tiny stuff, so if you give the lady a ring I'm fairly sure she could sort you for extra huge stuff.
 
I echo what someone else says on here,i bought a XF weathabeeta head collar for my 18.2hh Shire Mare (and she's BIG) and it fits no problem,im suprised actualy your having problems as i dont have that many problems with off the shelf products,although quite often i have to wait for a store to order it in.

There are also normaly some specialist heavy horse stalls at the Shire horse shows and there are quite a few on at this time of year.
 
Trust me when I say I am having problems - I have a selection of XF headcollars at home including the ones mentioned above e.g. Shires etc that are too small for him.

He really is a monster as french Percherons do not usually make it to 18hh (the Canadian ones do but they are much finer) and like many of the continental heavy horse breeds, their heads are larger in proportion to the rest of their body than some of our native heavy horses.

If I knew how to add piccies onto here I would show you just how big his head is. The internal circumference of his current headcollar headpiece is 51 inches - that's well over 4ft! and the internal circumference of the noseband is 36" - 3ft. The problem with his current headcollar is the manufacturers label has faded too much to read it.

Thanks very much for your suggestions so far. I will give Libby's a call as I need to find a regular supplier and did not even think of calling them. I have already tried the Shire Horse Society and Heavy Horse World but no luck getting nylon headcollars just yet. However, I only live a few miles from Stoneleigh and there are Percheron classes on at the Royal Show there tomorrow so I can pop down to have a look.

Hb - I bought him from a friend's farrier and he came from La Perche region in France so I am sorry I cannot help you there. I do know he stood at stud (I think in the UK) before he was gelded, so let me have a look through his passport and see if I can find any UK breeders listed in there for you.

Thanks again all, I definitely have some new avenues to try!
 
hi there two places you could try one is called blue horses equine they specialise in them horses as far as i know i think you have to ring up here the web address to get number www.bluehorsesequine.co.uk or try ebay with waldburg shires
even that you might have to get one specialy maid for you cause ive never seen a xxxl and they not long brought xxl out
 
Thanks Lozzi - I really appreciate your help.

Wow so he is an original french percheron, you are lucky.

Will you be riding or driving him or both?

My boy's nose circumference is 29 1/2 inches, its funny to think of him as being tiny!
 
I got a couple of leather headcollars from Robinsons last year, normally nothing goes near my boy and these a big with room to spare, one was the rolled leather head collar and I think the other was pipped, give them a call and see how big the XFull is.
 
I have the same problem with my shire. I have managed to get a few cheap ones that fit, but I have one nylon one that I have now had for 9 years that came from The Heavy Horse Enthusiast in Worcestershire (mail order). It is brilliant, and bigger and stronger in all proportions. Contact details:
http://www.britnett-carver.co.uk/heavyhorseworld/suppliers.html
I would highly recommend them, even though they are a bit more expensive, they last!
smile.gif
 
Hudson is a very handsome gentleman if I may say so.

People think that Clydeys and other heavy horses are slow and ploddy. That is def not the case, quite the opposite!

There is nothing quite like the sound of a galloping heavy in full flow.

Do you do any clydey riding classes with him? They are getting more popular these days.
x
 
I think he's wonderful but then I am his mum!!! No the only other Clydies locally are just for showing in hand. He is very willful and knows his own mind, just had a 45 minute battle with him in the school!!!!! On the beach he is as fast at a gallop as most of the other horses, as you say the heavies are very underated.
 
Phew, I am glad I am not the only one who has long arguments with my Clydey x. They are so opinionated and think they know better!

The only thing I would change on my Clydey is his cow hocks, but these have been bred into the breed for centuries so that the horse would walk in the farrows easily as they ploughed.

Hopefully, there will be more ridden clydeys.

You are so lucky to ride on the beach.
 
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