A headcollar is an essential requirement for a horse. In fact I have come to the conclusion that a lot of my horsey reviews state that the item is essential, they are animals that require a lot of money spent on them. One thing I can say though is, the headcollar is probably one of the cheapest things.
Headcollar. * * * * * * * * *
A headcollar is used to lead the horse. The headcollar actually goes on the head and you then need to attach a leadrope to the headcollar before you can lead the horse (available seperately). It is a bit like a dog collar and lead. You need the collar to lead the dog but you also need a lead. The only difference is, the horse does not wear the headcollar all the time. The headcollar goes around the nose of the horse and over the head where it does up with a buckle (see picture). The leadrope then attaches to, usually the left side as that is the side that you lead the horse from. Usually the headcollar and leadrope with be kept together, it is not usually necessary to remove the leadrope.
Mostly the horse only wears the headcollar when being led or tied up. If leading the horse in traffic though, you must use a bridle for more control and if in traffic you stand on the other side, putting yourself between the horse and the traffic. Some people turn their horses out in the field in a headcollar if the horses is difficult to catch. Some horses are monkeys to catch (luckily mine aren`t) and the pressence of the headcollar does tend to make it easier. I would advise using a fieldsafe headcollar if having to turnout in one (with breakable rubber rings), in case the horse gets caught on anything. Webbing head collars are so strong that they don`t break if a horse gets caught, the link is more likely to break, or the horse to sustain an injury. I have only seen one injury when the horse was left in the stable (not mine) for a very short length of time. The horse managed to catch the headcollar on something on the stable door resulting in a visit from the vet and stitches in the face of the horse. So, whilst it is unlikely for the horse to sustain an injury from the headcollar, it does happen, so for this reason I tend to remove it unless I am leading or tying up.
The Cottage Craft Standard Headcollar can be bought for around £4.99 to £6.49. It is made from webbing and is available in black, green or navy. I had a black one but I finally threw it away as it was years old. It did last well though. It is a webbing material which is fairly soft, not bad. What makes is standard is, it only has a buckle adjustment at the crown, where it does up. This is satisfactory for most horses and alright if they are of a standard size. The Cottage Craft Fully Adjustable Headcollar is adjustable in three places, nose, thoat and crown. This obviously makes for more adjustment, some horses have wider noses so one that is not adjustable at the nose could be quite tight.
The standard headcollar like most, is available in pony, cob and full.
Disadvantages. * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Standard Cottage Craft Headcollar is alright for everyday use. I have already outlined the possible disadvantage if the horse has a wide nose (or vice versa, it is not possible to tighten it if too loose). When clipping a horses head, with an adjustable headcollar it is possible ot undo one bit at a time and clip around with the headcollar still on. The fact that this headcollar doesn`t undo at the throat or nose makes it difficult to clip with the headcollar on. This is only an occassional disadvantage though.
Value for Money? * * * * * * * * * * * *
The headcollar is very reasonably priced as you can see from the price of the adjustable one. Most headcollars are at least £13, so if you can get this one for £4.99, it is really good value. The headcollar did last me a long time so it was excellent value for money. Eventually it did get caught on something (when the horse was tied up) and it did break. Webbing headcollars often break at the fittings if they are suject to a lot of force. It did not last any less than more expensive headcollars.
Do I recommend? * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This headcollar is cheap and functional. It may not be quite as nice as some of the more expensive ones, but I consider them to be good and quite nice webbing. It wouldn`t be any good for someone who needs adjustment, or if it is to be used for clipping. At the end of the day, a headcollar will last a long time. When buying, you may decide to chose a nicer one as this one is also only available in three colours. There are so many colours available in other types. If it is going to last for years and you only have one horse, then you may as well pay more, it you want a different one. If buying for lots of horses though, this one would save money. I do think however that it is a nice headcollar for the money.
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Price
£4.99-£6.49
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