Head Collars Tested

Having the right head collar is important. Not only does it prevent the horse from injuries but also stops it from breaking loose and allows the handler to have control. Some head collars break easily and horses learn to pull back as they are rewarded by the release of pressure thus will try to break free every time they are tied up. Some horses just panic with the amount of pressure on their neck, in fact, a friend of mine owned a young Holsteiner mare, who knocked her head on a low stable beam when she reared up. She seemed fine aside a bump on her head, which slowly subsided. When it came to breaking in though, the mare was going into panic frenzies every time someone attempted to tie her up. The chiropractor couldn't find anything, so she was told to try tying her in a rope halter and neck ring. The mare struggled for hours, all the while, my friend got encouraged that this is normal and will subside. The mare finally stood and they started doing her backing work. After 6 months and several professional riders, my friend was ready to give up as the mare never went down on the bit but kept evading everyone's hand. This went so far, that when tried on draw reins, the mare went literally mental and threw herself around the arena bucking and rearing. She was therefore taking into the horse clinic to be checked over and one vet suggested x-rays on head and neck. It turned out that the hit on the beam and the tying up in a rope halter caused her vertebras to be slightly shifted. Over time, she had developed arthritis in her vertebrae, which obviously was extremely painful. She got treated but was turned out as a broodmare. The only way to tie her up, was in a very soft padded head collar with extra thick sheepskin behind her ears as it seemed to ease the pressure of her neck. She still stand happily tied up with her extra padding, but forget that and she will panic.

As with this example, it is important to find the right head collar and not only listen to other people, but trust your instincts. We got Lily, the miniature to chew and rip test some of the most common head collars.

Roma Continental head collar, available at The Tackshop starting at NZ$41,95.

Lily has one of those herself, in baby blue Very cute. The buckles are a little big for minis, but the new continental range changed this. The buckle on the throatlatch is lovely as you can open and close them easily and slide them over the ears. Very good especially for head shy horses to desensitize them while not having to actually touch their ears. It comes in a wide variety of colors and is very adjustable, so you're sure to make it fit. Lily was not able to destroy it even after hours of hard work.

Kieffer Ulla Salzgeber Leather head collar, available through selected retailers, POA.

What a lovely soft bling head collar! It didn't even go near a horse's head in the first 3 weeks after arrival and Lily will never get to see it. Although she has to, as she is the tester... the fit is lovely, but its made for big European warmbloods, so the NZ stationbred it was tried on looked a bit lost in it. It fitted a clydie x very well though. The leather is soft and supple but it's more a stable and show head collar and not really meant for paddock use. Lily loved chewing it, so don't leave any yearlings or pony in the paddock. It was ruined after it was chewed but what do you expect?

Roma Fleece Shaped head collar, available at Clareville Saddlery starting at NZ$39,95

This was the only soft padded head collar we could find. It was used on a horse that needed a head collar 24/7 in the paddock due to an eye injury. All head collars used to chaff behind the ears and nose, leaving him slightly bold. The fleece head collar was perfect for him, it didn't chaff or rub and his coat was able to grow back. He respected that head collar, although he is a gentleman anyways. Lily had fun with the head collar and frayed the fleece slightly but a saddler reassured that this won't cause any problems. It is advisable to measure your horses head as the head collars are slightly bigger then expected.

Stübben Leather Head collar, available through selected retailers, starting at NZ$112,34.

Lovely soft head collar with fancy white stitching. It has an odd throatlatch buckle which is tricky to open and close. The halter is really nice but Lily mistook it for a chew and its fate was sealed. It never got tried on a horse in new condition, but in a chewed state, the cob size was a bit tight on the muzzle but it might have been due to the horse having an exceptionally big nose. All in all, it was a lovely soft head collar.

Overall, we will have to declare the Roma Continental head collar the winner. It's very sturdy and long lasting, easy to adjust and open. Easy to clean and maintain and a very good price for quality. Our winner is closely followed by the Kieffer Leather head collar, which has a hefty price tag but is oh so lovely!

We wish you happy head collar hunting and color matching!

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