# Head Collars



## Foxhaven (Mar 6, 2014)

I follow Barryhook on YouTube... and thought this was interesting:



Thoughts?

Currently I use a gullet strap, and generally harness in the stall anyway. But it did get me thinking.


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## Reignmaker Miniatures (Mar 6, 2014)

Interesting, I think I would attach a label to it with the horses name and my name and phone number so in case the horse ever did get loose (accident while on a drive for example) I could be contacted. The only thing I question is how safe it would be to leave the collar on the horse while they were unsupervised as they describe (at least thats what I understood) doing when they show the horse lying down in its stall. I would be concerned about a foot being hung up if the horse attempted to scratch at his ear for instance) Still I can see them being useful for use when harnessed for sure.


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## Marsha Cassada (Mar 6, 2014)

I have one of those, a large dog collar, which I carry with me in the cart in case I need to lead my horse while out driving.

I was interested in seeing the caveson about half through. It is attached to the headstall by the blinders.


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## Foxhaven (Mar 7, 2014)

I find a lot of interesting little things in barryhook2's videos. He is old school, a bit cynical about the natural horsemanship movement and new approaches, but if you watch him handle a horse and hear him go on a diatribe about compassion for the animal and that it is OUR responsibility to know what we are doing, else the horse suffers - he certainly has a HUGE heart for the horses he works with. I'm sure they feel that.

I imagine no better way to visit England/Wales than to figure out a way to stay near where he is and get some instruction from him. Given how short of breath he seems, I'd better hurry if I want to do that...






Agreed, I would never leave them on the horse unattended.


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## paintponylvr (Mar 16, 2014)

I couldn't get the sound to work on this particular video -so not sure what he was actually talking about. I'll try again later, something either our online connection is doing wonky or my computer... not sure this post will go thru.

I use neck collars on our ponies. I have a total of 3 full size horses (2 lg pony sized arabs and 1 16 hh NSH), 27 Shetlands/minis & 4 1/2 Shetlands). Most wear neck collars. In 2012, I attached name tags (plastic plant tags) to their collars with their names on them and a tag at their individual buckets - so that the folks taking care of my ponies/horses could match up where they go to eat. Most folks say I have a lot of "tan ponies" (silver dapples - various shades and markings). I need to remark the collars with their names (those plastic tags wear out and break) and our farm and phone number - so that they are all id'd if the fence gets compromised in the storms this year.

I don't like leading them with the collars - I prefer using halters. BUT we can lead them with the collars in a pinch.

Some of the collars have a buckle (this one has a loose ring on it that the tie is snapped into) - this one is too big for this pony and has a long "tail",






This filly is modeling a halter that I've just finished braiding. It's March 2010. She wore this same collar until I sold her in 2013 - that long tail was just let out as she grew!






This one, on a foal, is braided out of paracord and is buckled. BUT I'm finding that it's difficult to get the paracord braided collars unbuckled after they've been on for a while and get muddy/dirty/wet/then dry in the weather. I may have too many strands in the buckles I'm using. Will be braiding them smaller to see if it makes a difference. When tying these babies for the first times - a rope was run from their barrels, between the front legs and thru the collar and their halter - not tied directly to their heads.






some have a conway buckle






some are tied rope - it has a sliding loop on it.






and some are "permanent" - they are stitched into place and have to have the stitching cut to remove. Right now, I'm not finding any pics that show the stitching that has them on. I have some on ponies - I will try to get some pics - close up.

One that I had on a mare was a different type of braiding and was "tied" shut. It stayed on her for several years (was put on in 2009) and recently was untied to remove when I sold her.






I braid most of our collars from "recycled" haystring - kept from our round hay bales and washed, re-rolled into a "tamale" that you can pull an end out of. Some are flat braided but some are round as you see on Star - above. Some are just tied from rope. I started out with dog collars - flat nylon - but found several things - lately they are not long enough (largest around here is 26" - the smallest I use for a mature pony is 28") and they SHRINK in the weather outside, hardware on them is "cheap" - rusting quickly and breaking if pulled back against - both the snap ring and the buckles. Also I re-use hardware from the better quality halters when the nylon wears out as you can see in the blue/white braided one above... The ones from paracord also shrink in the weather outdoors - even after pre-shrinking the cord. Plus it gets stiff and difficult to buckle/unbuckle.

If I leave the collars on while riding or driving - throat latches can be put thru it so that the bridles can't be shaken or rubbed off. I use them to put a fly mask thru - keeping the fly masks in place even when pony is determined to rub it off.

I have to remake about 4 collars right now - they do wear out. The ones that use no hardware last the longest. Need to find time to braid!


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## paintponylvr (Mar 16, 2014)

yes, you could still have a pony who puts his head thru a fence get caught - though much less likely since the collar is generally tighter and further back. Most of our collars are pretty snug - yes, it could be a problem with foals maybe - but I've spent lots of hours out with our mares and foals and have yet to see where it would be an issue with ours... I HAVE had to tighten up collars that were too loose.

Our collars are sturdy, but the braided ones DO wear out and have to be remade. They don't generally break - but I do keep an eye on them as I don't want them to when the ponies are tied. I have had hardware break - snaps, buckles and rings.

I love using collars - they simplify our lives. They have been a life saver when I've had ponies at shows rub their halters off while tied. The lead is still attached to the collar and the halter is hanging by the noseband on the tied lead rope.


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## paintponylvr (Mar 16, 2014)

here's a shot of the "boys paddock" taken last fall. You can see they are all wearing collars.






and here's a good pic of the braided collar with a buckle and then a "catch rope" - also made from braided haystring - before I removed the halter and turned this 2 yr old stud colt loose with our band of geldings and a weanling stud colt. Oly hadn't been loose with the "boys" since April 2012 - he grew up with Cupid, Sami & Toro (in the above pic)... But it was an interesting several hours as we kept tabs on him to make sure there weren't too many problems. They spent a lot of that time running - taking turns chasing one another. It wasn't all fun and games. I did catch and separate him not once but several times.






and this one shows the paracord collars before they were dirty/sunbleached










and another pic of Oly's collar. Here he is also wearing a hay string braided headstall with a bit during feeding... He's rubbed the browband back over his right ear... The ring is braided into the collar. 1/2 the strands on each side of the ring. I find that braiding the ring in, in this way, is not nearly as strong and but I like it better overall than having a loose ring (which has a tendency to get lost when you remove a collar or if it breaks).






two different style collars - the chestnut colt is wearing a paracord braided one with the ring braided in and the tail tucked into it after it was buckled.


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## rabbitsfizz (Mar 22, 2014)

I'd be far more worried about the collar catching on the fence, tbh, and killing the pony! I would never leave anything on any horse anywhere. This is the only thing Barry and I disagree on. Whilst being driven, fine. In the stall or field? No way, not going to happen. It is no benefit in catching a horse that is loose, and is potentially lethal. I LOVE the idea of name and address on the collar- you can buy tags with it woven in and that is a brilliant idea, I shall utilise it if I may?


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## Reignmaker Miniatures (Mar 22, 2014)

If you are asking me if you can use the idea Jane, please feel free. I make a nylon web panel with the name and Ph# on it for all my dog collars. Since the collars are nylon it is easy to stitch the panel onto the existing collar, easy to do for use on a horse too I would think.


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## paintponylvr (Mar 23, 2014)

Reignmaker Miniatures said:


> If you are asking me if you can use the idea Jane, please feel free. I make a nylon web panel with the name and Ph# on it for all my dog collars. Since the collars are nylon it is easy to stitch the panel onto the existing collar, easy to do for use on a horse too I would think.


Picture??


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## Max's Mom (Mar 23, 2014)

So where do you get something like this if you don't know how to braid it like Paintponylvr does? It sounds like perhaps a dog collar isn't going to be big enough or sturdy enough?

I wouldn't want to leave it on when he is unattended and have no need to do so, but it does seem like a good safety feature for driving and harnessing. I've always hated taking the halter off and refastening it around his neck while he is being harnessed, mainly because there is so much there that seems like something could catch in.


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## Reignmaker Miniatures (Mar 31, 2014)

Sorry it took me so long to respond to your request for a picture. Here is a quick one I took this morning of my Boston Terriers collar to give you an idea of what I was talking about. I embroider the name and my phone # on nylon webbing and have designed a nylon web collar that can work as a training collar or if the snap is closed as a standard collar with no risk of it tightening so my dog can wear it safely when not supervised but I can count on it if I need the extra cue and security of the slip collar when we are walking. Of course I have a machine that embroiders for me but I'm sure the places that do t-shirts/baseball caps would be able to make up the plates and they can be sewn onto almost any nylon collar with a standard sewing machine(I have for a few people who want to supply there own collar)I think it would be pretty easy to design something with webbing for a horse collar too.


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## Foxhaven (Apr 1, 2014)

So this weekend I picked up a very soft, sort of wide dog collar that was the appropriate size. I'm sold on the idea. VERY handy. And a bit safer when harnessing in a public place.

Legend stole the show in front of the dog store too... and a young Border Collie fell in LOVE with Legend (who is quite used to dogs and finds them interesting). I swear that Border wanted to be forever buds, not seen anything like it. Very sweet dog. Legend was a great ambassador to several kids and families; very kid friendly.


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## jeanniecogan (Apr 4, 2014)

i bought a collar for my dog and it was too big, i tried it on Charlie and it adjusted to him very well. the collar has one of those snap buckles on it and it works reall well. i leave it on him now and it is too me much safer than a halter. im sure that the plastic snap buckle will break if he gets in real trouble. had no idea so many people used it, thought i was a brain, hehehehe.


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## Foxhaven (Apr 7, 2014)

Hey, just because you have a brilliant idea only to discover someone else thought of it too, doesn't make it less brilliant!

I bet the first person to invent the wheel had their heart sink one day when they crested a hill only to find someone they'd never met with a wheelbarrow headed the other way... or maybe they found a new bud.


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