Putting on a head collar help.

MrsElle

MrsElle

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I am guilty treating all my horses the same and not realising that The Mad Ginger Welsh Girl is 'special'. I realised this for a time last year when I startled her and she double barrelled me, but since then I have got complacent.

The horses live out, and haven't been handled a great deal over the last three months due to working hours. The Mad Ginger Welsh Girl has turned feral..... Well not feral, she loves her cuddles and scratches etc, but we haven't had a head collar on her in that time and now she is having none of it. We have tried several times today, on and off, to no avail. We have bribed, we have been stern, we have been gentle and soothing, nothing has worked. She is happy to be stroked and fussed, I can get a lead rope round her neck no problem, but as soon as she sees the headcollar she is off.

Any idea's? She is quite headshy as a result of being ill treated in the past, and is just coming up to three years old.

The others were no problem, they are better behaved. Oh, and not mad!
 
You need a headcollar that unbuckles at the front of the noseband :)

OPen both head piece and noseband - fasten head piece around neck as far back as need be and slide it to the head. Then buckle noseband across nose. Tighten HP as required...

A rope halter can work like this too.
 
cbmcts said:
You need a headcollar that unbuckles at the front of the noseband :)

OPen both head piece and noseband - fasten head piece around neck as far back as need be and slide it to the head. Then buckle noseband across nose. Tighten HP as required...

A rope halter can work like this too.
Click to expand...

Tried that! Got the head piece fastened, but everytime I tried to fasten the noseband she threw her head up in the air. As I hadn't tightened the head piece up very tightly it flew off over her head...... I gave up after that, we have been up at the field for 5 hours today trying on and off.

Tomorrow is another day!
 
Have you tried putting the nose around the rim of a bucket full of tasties? Once she has put her nose in, then you hopefully can pass the strap up over her head. I would use a field safe headcollar that you can leave on and that also won't cause problems if it's not done up correctly, ie just ending up around her neck!
 
Tried that too! She is too clever!

I've just ordered a field safe, once I get one on her it isn't coming off :D Saying that, there is absolutely no problem handling her and approaching her when she is loose, but obviously she needs to be tied up occasionally - like today when the farrier came. And went away without doing her.....
 
Is there any way you can get her into an enclosed area? That way, she can't just run away from you. I know how frustrating it is, we had a pony who was naughty to catch and he lost his headcollar in the field. Took us 4 days to catch him, you could get the nose in but that was it! He was in his twenties so should have known better!
 
MrsElle said:
Tried that! Got the head piece fastened, but everytime I tried to fasten the noseband she threw her head up in the air. As I hadn't tightened the head piece up very tightly it flew off over her head...... I gave up after that, we have been up at the field for 5 hours today trying on and off.

Tomorrow is another day!
Click to expand...

Animals aye :)

Try the rope halter - the plain showing white rope, no webbing ones and distract with food (lots of food!) until it's on. If need be make the noseband bit as a big loop and put both head piece and nose piece on neck - it might be easier to make the halter up on her neck so all you have to do is slide the nose piece over her head onto her nose loosely, then tighten if she chucking her head up...

Field safe or cheapy leather put on top of halter, then remove rope.

Can you tell that I have a silly welshie that goes feral regularly? :)
 
lhotse said:
Is there any way you can get her into an enclosed area? That way, she can't just run away from you. I know how frustrating it is, we had a pony who was naughty to catch and he lost his headcollar in the field. Took us 4 days to catch him, you could get the nose in but that was it! He was in his twenties so should have known better!
Click to expand...

We got her into a sectioned off area of the barn, but she was kicking and rearing so much it wasn't safe to go in with her. She did calm down, but as soon as I went in with the head collar she kicked off again. It was just too dangerous :(

I also realised today that my TB, who wintered out with a mw rug and ad lib hay only is now a fat pig. She is fatter than the IDx, the Welsh and the Shetland. How can that be? She's a TB!

So now I can worry about overweight TB's as well as uncatchable Welshies! Joy!
 
A friend had a similar problem and eventually solved it by using a tethering collar which she could slip on around her mare's neck and fasten the rope to. She could then keep hold securely while messing with the headcollar. After the first few times, the headcollar was no longer an issue and the mare now sticks her nose in.
Good luck!
 
Unfortunately anything white is out of the equation too. She thinks it is electric tape, understandably, and throws a hissy fit. I always wondered why weigh tapes come in white....

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a feral Welshie :D
 
moleskinsmum said:
A friend had a similar problem and eventually solved it by using a tethering collar which she could slip on around her mare's neck and fasten the rope to. She could then keep hold securely while messing with the headcollar. After the first few times, the headcollar was no longer an issue and the mare now sticks her nose in.
Good luck!
Click to expand...


Not sure if a tethering collar would work, she really doesn't like anything round her neck or head, as a result of the abuse she has suffered in the past, poor girl. I have been loathe to do anything other than hold the lead rope round her neck so she doesn't feel 'strangled' by it, but she has had a head collar on before with no problems, so she WILL have one on again!
 
I'd be inclined to get something around her neck at least, a collar or an old stirrup leather to quietly hold her by until she's happy with that then move on to rubbing her face with the rope end. Slow proess but eventually I'd hope I could pass the rope from the clip end over her neck from the off side and in a figure eight move under her jaw rub the loose end around and over her nose and slip through the clip end in a halter style. Slowly slowly catchee marey! Does that make sense? Worked for us on a wild dartmoor pony!
 
MrsElle said:
I am guilty treating all my horses the same and not realising that The Mad Ginger Welsh Girl is 'special'. I realised this for a time last year when I startled her and she double barrelled me, but since then I have got complacent.

The horses live out, and haven't been handled a great deal over the last three months due to working hours. The Mad Ginger Welsh Girl has turned feral..... Well not feral, she loves her cuddles and scratches etc, but we haven't had a head collar on her in that time and now she is having none of it. We have tried several times today, on and off, to no avail. We have bribed, we have been stern, we have been gentle and soothing, nothing has worked. She is happy to be stroked and fussed, I can get a lead rope round her neck no problem, but as soon as she sees the headcollar she is off.

Any idea's? She is quite headshy as a result of being ill treated in the past, and is just coming up to three years old.

The others were no problem, they are better behaved. Oh, and not mad!
Click to expand...


We had a very head shy mare here, the only way to get head collar on was to hold the head collar along side her neck and pass the strap over her neck or withers and with right arm over her neck slide nose bit on the do head collar up very loose till in correct position then tighten it.
 
Can you put her in the small bit of the field for a few days and let her settle? This may help?
 
wench said:
Can you put her in the small bit of the field for a few days and let her settle? This may help?
Click to expand...

This wouldn't work unfortunately. She can't be stabled for various reasons, and can jump the 4' fence with ease if she so wishes....

She is fine to approach and stroke, I can pick her feet up etc, but all this is done when loose. Just can't get the blasted head collar on her!
 
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