To use a headcollar or....

S

SarahB

Tri, Tri, Tri again
Nov 11, 2003
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Cheshire
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Hi
Recently ther have been a few 'incidents' on the yard where horses have 'got away from' their owners/leaders.
There seems to be two thoughts on this regarding if it is necessary to use a headcollar AND rope while leading.
The main arguement against their use seems to come from the more experienced owners who rightly feel that their horse is well trained and well mannered. Easily lead with a rope around the neck or a hand in the collar.
Unfortunately other people lead the horses and the don't always behave the same way:D
So the time you save finding and putting on a headcollar gets lost recatching the horse.
Being new to this I tend to use both and have found that on the couple of times I haven't I have been dragged around or lost hold:o
I am also nearly the only one who turns my horse to the gate before undoing the headcollar most others (as they have no collar anyway) open the gate and let the horse go. So I end up with someone elses horse desperate to be off while I am fiddling about.
I went to Wales for a riding weekend and it was wonderful in the mornings. They opened the stables and the field gate. Shouted. And 30 horses came in and a gallop each went into its own stable. Not a headcollar or leadrope in sight. It was great to watch.
So do I have a question?:rolleyes:
Well to all of you experienced horse owners on NR how do you lead your horse? Will I get there too?
LOL
Sarah
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i always use a h/c and leadrope - wouldn't even occur to me not to, i think it's asking for trouble. the best behaved horse can have a beesting, spook, trip over and if you haven't got a headcollar and leadrope on then you've got no control at all.
 
It would be difficult on a livery yard to have your horse come in without a head collar and also potentially dangerous as there is usually lots of comings and goings / lots going on at a livery yard / gates being left open if its anything like the one I used to be on.

I now have my own yard where I keep just my own 4 horses and i have (unintentionally) taught them to come in when shouted and put themselves into the right stable, without having to touch any of them. Everytime i bring them in i put a treat (apple or carrot) in their feeders, so now they know there is something waiting for them, and with them being hungry horrors they'll do anything for a bit of food!

Sounds like your doing the right and sensible thing by leading your horse with a rope and halter and turning him to the gate before letting him off in the field as there's nothing worse than being dragged down the field trying to take a halter off!
 
Headcollar and rope every time. Although having said that, the last place we kept them they used to come in without; but there was nowhere to go except in to the stables.

I would never ever lead a horse with my hand through the headcollar. If that horse took off for any reason and you've got your hand stuck in there.... well, you get the idea. Plus, leading a horse with a rope round his neck means that every time he does get away you're reinforcing bad habits; he doesn't exactly learn to behave when led that way does he?

When my lot came in without there were only three of them. I wouldn't like to have a herd thundering down towards the yard unchecked. What happens if someone inadvertently wandered into their path?

No wonder people have accidents really. I think you're doing exactly the right thing handling with a collar and rope, and insisting they stand in the field before being turned loose.
 
ooh i feel a bit naughty now i admit i HAVE sometimes led Simon to his stable with just a headcollar on with my hand on his collar cos i trust him.
i know its not safe etc and i have also brought him in with a leadrope on his neck.
sometimes i turn him out like that too but just lately he has been very naughty bolting out into the fields so i use headcollar and leadrope but on the odd occasional day, i use either justa collar or just a leadrope *slaps wrists*:o :eek: :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by chev
Headcollar and rope every time. Although having said that, the last place we kept them they used to come in without; but there was nowhere to go except in to the stables.
QUOTE]

hmm that sounds like my reason i was thinking of writing in but didnt know how to put it exactly lol dumb blonde but thats why i sometimes use just collar just leadrope
Click to expand...
 
At our yard the horses all went through a phase a few months ago where they would drag us to the field. (they have stopped doing that now:rolleyes: )
I think it stemmed from them being turned out and just being allowed to run through the field gate so the person turning them out didnt have to go through the mud. (the field in question leads on from a smaller field which is totally enclosed no one on our yard would let the horses jut run down the yard into the field:o )
To combat this problem when the horses were going to be turned out in their headcollars we would not clip the leadrope on to the ring. Instead we would put the rope through the headcollar (the piece that the ring is attached to) and hold onto both ends. This meant that if the horses did try to run off while we were leading them they could get away without injuring themselves or their handler. We fixed the problem by limiting the people who were allowed to turn out the horses and being careful to make sure they were always turned to face the gate and wait until the handler was ready before they were released. They are all good to lead now and will come in and out sensibly:D . Sorry it's so long
 
I lead Dolly with a rope attached to her halter. If she's in a "mummy" mood I'll just put the rope over her neck and let her walk alongside me without holding her at all, but I'd go ballistic if anyone else tried it with her.
 
Fingers through the halter is a pretty dangerous prospect. If horse should be startled by something and fling his head up, back, sideways, you may get your fingers broken. Also, you have to be in position right next to his head and no more than arms' length away, which puts your body and head in range, again if horse is suddenly startled and flings head.

With horses who are well trained and who listen to me, I will sometimes lead them by a rope around the neck--IF the area is completely enclosed and loosing them would be no problem. If the area were not enclosed or I really needed to keep my grip on the horse for another reason, that could also be quite dangerous. If I were desperately trying to hang onto a rope around the neck so as not to loose the horse, I could do damage to his neck.

I have been lucky to be only bruised by horses that I turned out without turning to face me. The first time, it was a gelding who loved me to pieces; we had a terific relationship and he would never have hurt me on purpose. However, as I pulled off his halter, a mare in heat ran by; he completely forgot I was there. He leaped, bucked, and got me in the face with both hind hooves. I came to facing the other direction, on my face, with my glasses 15 feet away. The glasses weren't even broken...I had some interesting bruises though.

After that I was very careful, but I came to a problem horse. He'd been an abuse case, and was never again comfortable with people except for the person who rescued him. He was headshy, timid, and flighty. Even after having him in my care for months, he was still shy of me. I started taking him out to turn out just with a rope around his neck, and then stepping back and letting the rope slide off. I got a little careless, and stopped turning him to face me first; one day his leg went sideways (it wasn't a kick, just a balancing maneuver) and he got me good on the calf. I was limping for several days. The horse wasn't aggressive, just didn't want to be touched; he didn't kick me on purpose, nor would he have given the opportunity. It was completely accidental. (I stopped being careless with this guy.)

Because accidents happen, IMO it's worth taking the precautions to make sure that any potential damage is minimized. Those two kicks were enough for me; even now at home, with just my two horses and good fence all around, I tend to put their halters on and lead with a rope. What's it going to cost me, half a second? What's it going to gain me? The knowledge that should something go wrong, I'm at least not in the way. In both the above situations, it could have been *much* worse--I intend never to give opportunity another chance to knock.
 
Hi, another one for headcollar & lead rope every time! I've been on the other end of 'quiet' horses spooking too often to risk it :eek:

I also ALWAYS turn the horses to face me before letting them go when I take them into a field ..... the last thing I want is to get kicked as they take off! It's often not that they're being naughty, just happy be to be in the field, I'd prefer it if their back ends were away from me!
 
Is attaching a rope to a headcollar and keeping it somewhere handy really so difficult? You have some people with funny habits on your yard:D

Nobody does anything different at our place either. However if Rio's in the mood and nobody else is about then she'll come in with me from the field and onto the yard without me collaring or roping her, she isn't the only one that does this either.

Turning out is never a problem either as she always stands quietly and waits for treats. Running off is just too much effort:D
 
tend to use a halter (english rope traditional one) when turning a few horses out one after another. It is easier to get on and off and you cannot lose one part of it and one size fits most. Also a bit more control
Liz
 
I never hold a headcollar with my hand if I can help it, as I have had an accident from that when I was small, and the horse reared and broke my fingers.
I often used to bring Shaka in with just a leadrope if I couldnt be bothered to get a headcollar. Sometimes I'd just jump on him in the field, no headcollar or anything, gallop him down to the gate, open, shut it, and ride in through the yard, dismounting before coming into view of the YO office so I wouldnt get told off for not having a hat! Not clever thing to do I know, but I trust him impeccably. harlie, I would sometimes bring in with nothing. He's more of a lap dog with a pony! He knows Im his owner, and follows me around and in from the field, so I dont always need one. In summer, when the ground was firmer, I used to bring him in with a headcollar, then wehen I got to a XC fence, jump on and canter him down (with hat) thewn lead him in, take off his headcollar, and he would go through the yard to find his stable, he knows where it is!
 
BIG HUGS to all of you..... Great replies giving both points of view. As we are a busy yard will stick to H/C + rope. I guess it's not up to me to 'train' other peoples horses, hey i'm the new girl and novice at that, so have to be carefull not to push my nose in.(Not very good at that;) ).
I like to help the YO out with the jobs, but maybe I will offer to do something else for her instead.
Wish I hadn't said to her that I thought every horse should be turned out as I do!!!!!!!!! Derrrrrr:o When will I learn.
You are all brilliant. Wish I could share a yard with all of you.
Sarah
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there's no set rule at our yard, and I've seen people using lead ropes round the neck, hands through the halter, or just pulling on the horses mane... most of which make me cringe!

Milly's paddock is right next to the stables and the mounting yard, which is handy because there's no open spaces, so even if she spooks, she can't go anywhere.

I still use a leadrope and halter every time, unless there's no one else around, in which case Milly follows me in from her paddock and then follows me to her stable, or to her spot in the mounting up yard, if she's going to ridden. If we're alone, she'll also follow me back to her paddock when we're finished riding.

I do know that she can be abit fussy if there's other horses around, which is why she's always lead in a halter and lead rope if ANYONE is around.

:)
 
We have a couple of horses at the yard who go ballistic when they are turned out, so what they do with those is have one of the field safe headcollars on with rubber rings instead of metal ones and thread the lead rope through the normal ring under the chin rather than clip it on. The person leading holds both ends of the rope whilst leading (they are longer than normal lead ropes, so the length held is the same as a normal lead rope). When they get to the field the horses are turned to face the gate and the person holds the clip end so if the horses pull backwards quickly, the lead rope just runs through the ring and then just falls out. Horse can run about with fieldsafe headcollar, the person doesnt have to fiddle with headcollar and unclipping lead rope and is a safe distance away from hooves and bucking etc.
 
At our yard we used to just open the gates and all the horses would rush in and go to their stables, but know the YO gets really cross because its quite dfangerous seeing as there are 30/40 horses! My horse is in a field 20 mins walk away from the yard anyway so I have to use a headcollar, i normally ride back bareback.
 
A headcollar with a lead rope fastened on is really the only way to guarantee control, I've got to admit that I've seen people habitually putting just a rope round the neck & in one case just letting the horse in.While it's up to the owner whether they do the job properly or not would be very angry if I or my horse got injured because someone was too lazy to put a headcollar on
 
I can lead my horse with just a hand on his mane but he is very placid. Likewise i can also lead him with just a leanrope around his neck. I would never ever lead a horse with just my hand through the headcollar - I read an awful letter in one of the horse mags a few months ago wher someone had their fingers ripped OFF by doing it!
 
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