Fitting a neck collar

[lisae]

OK, I’m embarrassed to even ask this question, but here goes. Haflinger gelding age 6 was in training one year ago for driving. He was also taught to pull light logs. I’d like to do that with him as well, and maybe a “farm wagon” style vehicle at some point, so I headed for my local Amish harness maker and bought an off the shelf collar, he recommended the “all purpose” type. Finn was wearing a 19" but he’s fleshed out, muscled up and grown a little, so I re-measured and went with a 21".

Now for the stupid part - I can’t get it over his fat head. It has a latch that gives about an extra 1 1/2", but it is sewn together at one side of the top. I know enough to turn it upside down to put it on the head and then switch it at the top of the neck, but I didn’t want to jam it over his eye sockets so never got that far.

So - what am I missing? Could this be more a buggy collar for a Standardbred?

I took driving lessons but it was breast collar harness so I’m flummoxed.

[goodhors]

Sounds like the collar is not wide enough to go over his head. Usually collars do not need forcing, to fit past the eyes on down the neck.

Collars do come in widths, maybe shaped with a wider top or bottom, than the other end of the center hole.

Personally, I would take the pony to the shop, have them fit him there. You can try on a number of collars, see what fits best.

There are collars with a latch that allows a total opening, but then you have to put the hames on the collar and tighten them down on the animal. Seems like that is how my Grampa hitched up his draft ponies. Maybe that is easier fastening the hames with draft harness than it is on carriage harness. Our hames get left on the collars all the time, but traces go on the tug buckles. Traces are not permanently on the hames eye like draft harness.

If you can’t take pony to the collar shop, you can get measurements with using carpenter squares. You put two squares with the long ends together for one side, short length on each end of the 3 sided box you now have. You can fit the short ends on top and bottom of neck for length, with the long ends together adjusting for size. [ You can then take the two short ends on each side of neck, sliding the long ends together until you have neck width. You should look at his neck shape too, is it oval, same width top to bottom? Maybe narrow at his mane. Maybe really cresty, narrow at the windpipe. Neck shape can make fitting difficult in the “one-size-fits-all” type collar. A really wide headed horse with bulging eyes, can be wider than the collar he needs, if you want a closed top collar, but no problem with the open top collar.

There is really a lot to fitting a collar and keeping your horse happy in his work. I would strongly advise taking pony to the shop for fitting, they are experienced. But at the same time, don’t just “settle” for one off the shelf, if you see collar has obvious fit problems they can’t explain to suit you. He will probably need to get his head down to pull a load, so he will need a little room on the bottom, but not enough to let collar rock on his shoulders. We always use false martingales on collars, keeps the bottom collar end down, not moving around in work. You might look at Lost Farmer’s videos of his ponies, they are dressed for work in collars and draft harness. Could help develop your eye for “correct fit” looking at other animals.

[lisae]

Thank you foor taking the time to help me out! Trailering to the shop is a possibility, AND I’ll review LF’s pics.

[Thomas_1]

Sounds like it’s just too small

[Drive_NJ]

Im sure others will correct me if Im wrong on this but we were told that the distance across the horse face at the eyes is approximately the same as the width of the horses neck at the widest point
So if a collar does not fit over his face it will also be too tight on the neck

not sure if this is always true but it seemed so when we used a collar on my old Hackney

[Thomas_1]

Yep, that’s the rule of thumb.

It’s a bit like the distance from the tips of your fingers under the saddle flap to your stirrup tread under your arm pit is your leg stirrup length.

There’s a little bit of leeway but it’s pretty much the norm.

[LostFarmer]

I like my collars snug to tight. I have never sored a horse with a tight collar but I have a loose one. I watch the horses are the work to make sure we are not choking one down. If the collar is seated on the shoulder and you can put a hand thickness at the bottom of the collar then it is okay. I have one shitland that I have to undo the collar to get it over his head. My draft mares I never undo. I just depends on the horses head and neck. Not everyone wears the same size and width of shoe what makes you think all horses wear the same collar. LF
http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t323/lostfarmer1/Ty%20Hector/horse%20pulls/KataMarch52009187.jpg

I think this picture has a good view of the collar fit.

[Firefilly]

So, I am totally new to this as well, and maybe it’s different with draft horse collar fitting, but at the clinic we went to (learning to harness and drive draft horses) right before you put the collar on the horse you take your knee and kind of “spread” the collar out sideways, if you know what I mean. When they hang for any length of time, they seem to get more oblong shaped, and by using your knee to spread it sideways (or wider) a little, maybe that will help? As well, what about your guy possibly needing a Sweeney collar? They are made for horses with cresty necks like stallions and such - maybe that would help??

Just my two cents - for what its worth… like I said, I’m a newbie too

[Cielo_Azure]

Some horses are wider between the eyes…

Some horses are wider between the eyes, and yes…I do have a horse that I do have to kind of jam it through the eye sockets but the collar fits well. He doesn’t mind, once he got used to me doing it as it doesn’t hurt him -it is just a wee bit tight there for a second.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30568482&l=4aa5b4d9ff&id=1162523623
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30568480&l=91182648e7&id=1162523623
(it is the horse on my right in the photo -it is the side with the whip in my hand -as your can see, it definitely isn’t tight but it is very tight going on). He is very wide between the eyes and also his cheek bones are very pronounced -like an Arab.

I second the idea also of stretching between your knees. It can give you just the little extra 1/2 inch.

Also, my horses learn quickly to put their heads down for me -it is easier for me and then the job gets done quicker/easier (which I think is why they are so willing to put their heads down -grin). When their heads are down, you can kind of manuveur the collar over the heads easier. This seems to help also in getting it past the eyes.

I do not like the collars with the buckle at the top -they are bulky, the hames don’t sit as well and are hard for me to do up when they are on the horse. I had a couple of them but sold them on ebay.

[Drive_NJ]

Not to totally change the subject - but . . .

We have decided to give a full collar a try with our draftyX boy Alex

We have a collar that I think is his size (have to go and try it again)

BUT we do not have hames

Can anyone recommend a place to get hames and/or a new collar if this one doesnt fit

We are only about 2 hours from the PA-Lancaster Amish

Im looking for either a light draft or buggy collar - not a fancydancy show collar

[lisae]

Hubby and I returned to the harness maker, who was in having lunch. Lucky for me, and my social anxiety level, his very kind wife went in to ask about the collar, and it turns out they sew the things shut to keep their shape prior to sale. I only had to slice the leather with a sharp knife. :o

Once released, I was able to get it on with no problem. The collar is too big by about 2" at the bottom, and pretty tight along the neck. I’ve re-ordered from aaronmartin.com, who have a big selection in stock. o:D