Halter use is the fitting and application of a halter (headcollar), head-worn equipment carrying a lead rope, to hold, lead and tie horses [1][2]. Halters are among the most frequently used items of equestrian tack, normally applied several times daily for under thirty minutes [1]. Control depends on pressure applied to sensitive facial structures, and designs delivering more pressure than a standard halter have been marketed to improve compliance [3]. In naive horses the device did not improve compliance and raised facial-expression scores indicating discomfort [3], while in trained horses it was associated with less desirable behaviour [4]. Injury risk is context-dependent, rising when horses are tied during mucking out and falling with safety designs that open under load [1][2].
- halter use
- headcollar
- pressure
- compliance
- injury risk
References
- D. J. Marlin; J. M. Williams; K. J. Pickles; An online survey of equestrian headcollar use and safety. Equine Vet. Educ. 2021, 34, E299-E307, 10.1111/eve.13480.
- David J Marlin; Kirstie Pickles; Roberta Ferro de Godoy; Jane M Williams; Opening forces or failure of commercially available equine headcollars and other safety devices. Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. Part P J. Sports Eng. Technol. 2021, 237, 142-149, 10.1177/17543371211039610.
- Carrie Ijichi; Shelby Tunstall; Ella Putt; Keith Squibb; Dually Noted: The effects of a pressure headcollar on compliance, discomfort and stress in horses during handling. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2018, 205, 68-73, 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.05.011.
- Carrie Ijichi; Hayley Wild; Francesca Dai; Alexandre Bordin; Heather Cameron-Whytock; Samuel J. White; Kelly Yarnell; Gareth Starbuck; Aurelie Jolivald; Lauren Birkbeck; et al. Dually investigated: The effect of a pressure headcollar on the behaviour, discomfort and stress of trained horses. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2020, 232, 105101, 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105101.