Leading headcollars? Anyone used them?

[MrFibble]

I'm having a few problems with my old mare at the moment - she is being an absolute nightmare to lead past fields where there are horses. I now lead her in a bridle for better control but have heard of leading collars - does anyone have any experience of these? Do they give you enough control over loopy idiotic mares who think they are stallions?

Are you leading her in and out of the field or out for walks? Out for walks I would always use a bridle no matter how placid the horse, you just never know. In and out of the field, I have tried a be nice head collar and a knotted rope controller headcollar. Both work very well. I think they all have a place, the only one I don't like the look of is the commanche one that goes under the top lip. How about putting a bit onto the headcollar. Robinsons do little buckled straps, that you can use to attatch the bit to the side rings of the headcollar. Just two buckles and you have that extra little bit of control.

Just leading her in and out of the field - if I take her for walks then the bridle goes on and I'm usually on her back.

She's always been bad with other horses but now she is getting worse - she won't let her field friend (my other mare) socialise with any of the other horses in the field and when we walk past a field with horses in she is really difficult - prancing, spinning around, ignoring me, trying to get between the horses in the field and the other horse I'm leading etcetera. She's getting so much worse it's dangerous and I can't seem to think why - maybe as she is getting older and more infirm she's feeling more threatened? I don't know.

Well, I might try one of the knotted headcollars as I want some more control but don't really want to faff with the bridle all the time. I've seen ones with chains - is that the comanche thing you refer to?

Not sure, I have seen them once or twice in passing, they have a part which goes under the top lip above the teeth! I'd try using the 2 little straps to fix a bit to the headcollar. Or even tie one on with baler twine. You really can't beat a bit when they prat about! If you get in a pickle try putting the rope on the side ring of the headcollar, through her mouth and through the other side ring. It won't do her any harm but will help you control her.

You could take a step back and establish good leading. Groundwork, making sure she keeps a good distance from you, will lead from the shoulder, will stop when you do, will back up well and with a soft neck... Then you work those exercises all the way to the field and back until she realises that it's much easier to just walk quietly. If she starts to prat about, you always have your basic groundwork to help you to get her mind back on you.
I use a rope halter with 12ft rope (no clip) for everything. I've taken in horses that supposedly could only be led in a chifney, and never used anything other than a rope halter. You might need a bit of basic training and work, or you might find just getting some ground rules in place would be enough.

I'm a very strong advocate of join up. It really helps teach the horse respect and made a remarkable difference to my bolshy pony.

Thanks for all the replies - I'm sticking to the bridle for now even though it is a faff since she respects it and it seems to ward off any trouble before it's even started. If I have time over the holidays I will try and work with her a bit more but since she's 23 years old it might be too late going back to basics!

She's always been a strong mare, the dominant one in the herd etc and this very bad behaviour when leading really started only when she lost her physical prowess so to say. She's permanently lame following a tendon injury and is basically retired so my theory is that her pratting around when she sees horses in the field is her way of mouthing off to the competition in an environment safe for her IYSWIM?

Horses eh? Bad as children.