Turning out in headcollar

Sooty

Sooty

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Fraser is usually turned out naked, but I have a fly fringe that fits onto a headcollar. I am dubious about turning out in one, but what would be the best sort should I choose to do so? I have found the Fieldsafe ones are not so safe to lead in, and would almost certainly use a leather one for turnout. Any opinions...?
 
I would only turn out in a fieldsafe headcollar. I think it's terribly unsafe to turn them out in anything other to be honest.

You can always pop a headcollar on top of the field safe one for leading. That's what I used to do with Amy when she wore a fly fringe.
 
Leather one is good, or in the US they have ones which are nylon (so easier to clean when manky with mud as you just shove them in the washing machine/a bucket of water) but have a leather headpiece, which breaks easily (as I discovered!!). No idea if you can get them here though, never seen one! If you get a leather one get a cheap leather one as more likely to break.

Any reason for not using a normal fly mask? I've never found those fringes to be terribly effective....
 
My horse goes out in a cottage craft adjustable headcollar. It adjusts in three places, under the chin as well as the usual places so it fits him really well and stops him taking it off. I wouldn't worry about turning out with a headcollar on as long as it fits well and your fencing is all safe and he's not likely to get caught up.
 
I'd turn out in the fieldsafe one and put a leather or nylon one over the top when bringing in. IIRC the fieldsafe ones are very light and thin so it will be easy to pop one over the top for leading in.

Or, use a fly mask with a velcro fastening.
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Please please please, NEVER think it is ok to turn a horse out in a webbing headcollar. I have first hand experience of a young horse hanging itself on a webbing headcollar. And don't think that the horse is safe just because you have good fencing. The headcollar can catch on ANYTHING - even the horses own foot if he lifts his leg up to scratch at a snug fitting or just plain itchy headcollar. Please, only ever in a fieldsafe one. And as HM says, put an ordinary one over the fieldsafe to lead. Aerborn fieldsafe are brilliant.
 
QR Thanks everyone! No, I would never turn out in a webbing headcollar; I did say I'd almost certainly use a leather one. I already have three fly fringes which was why I was asking, but if I have to buy a special headcollar I might as well buy a mask. The leather and webbing combination looks intriguing! Will now wait and see if flies are a problem before buying anything. Thanks again!
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It works really well - better than either fieldsafe or pure leather IMO. The headpiece is v thin leather and whilst it stands up well to normal 'antics', it snaps in an emergency through the point of weakness caused by the hole for adjustment.

I'd certainly use one over a leather or a fieldsafe one personally having seen them in action. I'd also have one for everyday use too.

Bear in mind that in the US they tie straight to metal rings too!
 
If anyone can find the headcollars that SpottedCat has highlighted here in the UK please can they post. Sadly the one featured doesnt ship to the UK at the moment.
 
When I tried to order is said they had to calculate the shipping costs so I've emailed them to ask what they would be. Have they already replied to you to say that they wouldn't ship to the UK?

Ditto if there is anything similar in the UK

Thank you
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I hate turning out in headcollars but the last yard I was at insisted on it. I used to turn my horse out in a leather headcollar but he somehow got tangled up in it twice and broke it, so I do know leather will break, but I am not sure quite the force he used to break it. Why not use a field safe one with a normal headcollar over the top that you use just to lead in? I will never forget reading the story in an old copy of Your Horse, or Horse and Rider of a lady who wrote to say that she saw a terrible accident where two horses both with headcollars on were playing in a field and the one reared and got its leg through the others headcollar and in its panic broke its companions neck. The rearing horse ended up lying with its leg stuck in its dead companions headcollar on its knees unable to move with a badly broken leg. Please dont ever leave a horse in a field/stable with a webbing headcollar on, as webbing will never break.
 
Why don't you just alter a normal headcollar so it has a leather headpiece instead of nylon, any saddler or cobbler shop will do it for you but far better and safer to only use a leather one, there are plenty of them cheap enough on ebay.
 
TPO Ive not heard back from them yet....if you get a response can you let me know.

SC Dover do ship to the UK so thats another avenue to cruise down.
 
Will do
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Do these webbing and leather halters really work? They just seem quite secure and like they wouldn't break easily (only going by pics)?

One of my mares is a nightmare to turn out and catch. Up until now solution has been fieldsafe under normal headcollar and hold onto F/S while slipping off headcollar. For a time she respected pressure on fieldsafe and would stand but now she's learnt to snap them by pulling away
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Also had f/s with a bit of plaited string to make catching slightly easier but as she snaps F/S while turning out...

GAH don't you just love chestnut mares
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A slightly more secure h/c to turnout with but that you can lead from would be ideal!

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread Sooty
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on the fly mask front please be really careful with them as they have partly blinded one of my horses in the past so I would be v reluctant to use them again
 
[ QUOTE ]
Why don't you just alter a normal headcollar so it has a leather headpiece instead of nylon, any saddler or cobbler shop will do it for you but far better and safer to only use a leather one, there are plenty of them cheap enough on ebay.

[/ QUOTE ]

My saddler put a leather piece on a nylon headcollar for me, he used a thinnish piece and put certain nicks in so it would break easily if caught up. Cost a couple of £'s.
 
exactly as you describe happened to my friends horse hers and her sisters ended up dead. its not worth the heart ache i can tell you. fieldsafe headcollar or no headcollar !!!

but a cheaper alternative is one of those fly fringes that have a strap over the poll and a brow-band usually a mix of nylon elastic and Velcro they are really cheap.
tip --- get a bright coloured one in case the horse gets it off having a scratch don't buy a green one like i did !!!!
 
I'd say again, Aerborne fieldsafe are the only ones I would ever consider turning a horse out unsupervised in. It's no good rushing to cut the headcollar off in an emergency if it happens at 3am when no-one is around. I wouldn't trust adapting a webbing headcollar either because knowing horses, they could still get tangled in another part of the headcollar and the pressure/pull might not be enough to break. Aerborne headcollars are made of soft webbing but every part of it is connected to the other parts by spindly rubber bands. Any pressure anywhere and the whole thing would fall safely to bits. You can mend the rings over and over with special glue that comes with it.

If you decide on a face mask, the same safety rules apply. My coloured mare who burns (practically) in moonlight can get a face mask half off and stuck over one eye in under an hour.
 
We buy the cheapest thinnest headcollars we can to ensure they break when caught up, some of the modern ones like Cottage Craft are so tough your horse might break before the headcollar.
Sometimes here we have no choice but to keep headcollars on, if the stallion escapes you would never catch him without one, and some horses are difficult to catch when turned out on 60 acres at a time!
The thing to look at are the buckles, if it has damn great tough buckles and huge metal links then don't touch it.
We have found the cheaper nylon headcollars with small buckles always break in emergencies, leather sometimes does but not always.
The fieldsafe ones break too easily so don't lead in them, use a normal one over the top and remove it for turnout.
I'd look for something flimsy or failing that I have seen fancy headpieces that just criss cross over and in front of their ears, with a thin throat lash, one of those might work.
 
We buy the cheapest leather headcollars from the stalls at Llanybydder horse sales - guaranteed to break! A local friend reckons the hide is so fresh that a good vet could revive it...
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