leather head collars

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cagsandcracker

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Hi guys, really random but I really want to get my pony a leather head collar, the problem is that he is ridiculously hard to catch so you have to keep his head collar on all of the time. I was just wondering how everyone felt about keeping leather head collars on in the field? I have put off buying one for him because I've never thought it was a good idea, I just want to hear everyone else's opinion, thanks in advance x
 
Leather at least will break unlike the synthetic ones so if I have had to turn out with headcollar in the past it was with a leather one (that was before field safe ones were invented). My first lad was notorious and was advised this when I bought him as his previous owner always left his headcollar on with a little mini plait attached to it to get hold of. They owned him for over ten years but after a little time, he let me catch him without any issues but you had to approach him in the right way.

Work on the catching business so eventually you don't need one but that takes time.
 
Why is he hard to catch?

I'd never leave a head collar on in the field, leather or not, preventable accidents can happen far too easily. If I were you I'd be working on catching him easier, just not worth the risk in my experience
 
I've had him for 5 years now and tbh his catching has in improved beyond belief, I am pretty sure he has suffered some sort of abuse in the past and he is really head shy, so sometimes if I don't approach him right he gallops off, trying to kick me, you literally have no chance to catch him for the next couple of days :/
 
My mare was pretty much unhandled until 12 years old so can be a git to catch. She is always happy to be fussed but still not amenable to have anything over her ears :(
I find leather headcollars go soggy if outside fulltime.
So I use half & half headcollars which are nylon with a leather headpiece which I weaken further with a holes punched in a pretty pattern so will break if caught up but iwill hold for catching.
 
I would not turn out my horses in a nylon headcollar and obviously you have been doing this without incident for many years. Just hope it continues that way and also I hope that you weakened the nylon ones before turning him out with them on.
 
I'll be honest I've had nylon headcollars snap an I've had leather ones that wouldn't, even to the detriment of the horse, so it doesn't really convince me that leather will be safer. What I do instead is electric fence round the border of my paddocks so that they have no gates or fence posts to catch on, and make sure there is nothing elsein the field itself to catch on.

Currently my lad has a leather headcollar (not turned out in though) as it is the only headcollar that won't snap when he pulls back when tied up. He has broken three nylon ones in the last two months, and I keep ending up back in the leather one - wanted to keep it good but can't afford to keep buying nice nylon ones so he wears that now - and it doesn't snap under strain!
 
Better to leave a leather headcollar on than a nylon one as they WILL break in an emergency. You could try one of the Fieldsafe headcollars which have rubber rings which will also break if required.
 
khalswitz said:
I'll be honest I've had nylon headcollars snap an I've had leather ones that wouldn't, even to the detriment of the horse, so it doesn't really convince me that leather will be safer. What I do instead is electric fence round the border of my paddocks so that they have no gates or fence posts to catch on, and make sure there is nothing elsein the field itself to catch on.

Currently my lad has a leather headcollar (not turned out in though) as it is the only headcollar that won't snap when he pulls back when tied up. He has broken three nylon ones in the last two months, and I keep ending up back in the leather one - wanted to keep it good but can't afford to keep buying nice nylon ones so he wears that now - and it doesn't snap under strain!
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years back I looked after some TB brood mares for a friend of a friend, just after they got back (a few days) one of the mares was found with her hind foot caught through the head collar and she had ruptured her lungs trying to free it-she was dead with a very very young foal left being to hand rear-only ever leave tatty old weak leather head collars or field safe ones on in the field
 
twiggy2 said:
years back I looked after some TB brood mares for a friend of a friend, just after they got back (a few days) one of the mares was found with her hind foot caught through the head collar and she had ruptured her lungs trying to free it-she was dead with a very very young foal left being to hand rear-only ever leave tatty old weak leather head collars or field safe ones on in the field
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Like i said, ive had more experience of leather or field safe headcollars not snapping than snapping, and far more nylon ones breaking. From that I am very unconvinced about leather and field safe headcollars. I'm very sorry for your experience but from my own experience I don't trust leather or field safe headcollars. Personally if I were to leave a headcollar on, I would leave one of my old nylon ones, as most of these have snapped in several places and are held together by twine now... Where my leather one has never snapped.
 
This is a rare occasion where I would recommend a cheap indian leather headcollar. Should he catch it on anything it will break quicker than a good quality leather headcollar. Would never leave a nylon headcollar on. I bought a Tekna fake leather headcollar that has safety break away points, sold as a field safe headcollar. No longer need it, but was pleased to have it.
 
What about one of the velcro ones? My stable neighbour has one for hers who is a nightmare to catch, that definitely comes apart (it did when she pulled back on me catching her).
 
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