Breast Collar

[ArtS]

I have a question on breast collars.

I made myself an old fashion style pulling collar for my saddle and have made a few for other people since. To me these make good sense since they allow the full motion of movement for the horse. I trail ride so I'm interested in why these aren't used by more people in other western riding disciplines. I used to use several other kinds but looking back at them they both seem to rub on the horses shoulders. I see a lot of the poing cowboys using breast collars that would seem to impair the horses movement in the front.

I need some more education on this from you real cowboys.

Here are some that I've used.

ArtS

[tonyc1]

I have a question on breast collars.

I made myself an old fashion style pulling collar for my saddle and have made a few for other people since. To me these make good sense since they allow the full motion of movement for the horse. I trail ride so I'm interested in why these aren't used by more people in other western riding disciplines. I used to use several other kinds but looking back at them they both seem to rub on the horses shoulders. I see a lot of the poing cowboys using breast collars that would seem to impair the horses movement in the front.

I need some more education on this from you real cowboys.

Here are some that I've used.

ArtS

How I wish we had water running through our place like that!!!

Tony.

[Alan Bell]

I'm no expert and others on here will surely chime in but from what I see both those collars will rub a horse that is working hard. The one on the palomino is a little better and is easier to see where to improve. If there were a bit of an arch at the front point of the horses shoulder built into the wing of the collar it would add some relief there. Also, If your collar attached to your saddle higher up towards the swell or front fork then the collar would run more at an angle that would keep it out of the way of the shoulder and allow it to move up and down with the shoulder. The first collar attached to the D ring on the girth goes directly across the horses shoulder and can do nothing BUT rub the horse. This collar will rub the horse whether he's working hard or not! Here is a pic of a colt toting the saddle around at a jog. Although the collar looks tight it is actually hanging and moving up as the horses knee rises so it is going with the shoulder not rubbing it.

Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell

Now the people gather on the beach and their leaders try to make a speech but the Dread again tell them "say, it's to late, the fire is burnin' man pull your own weight

Bob Marley - Ride Natty, Ride

[ArtS]

Beautiful horse and saddle Alan.

Here is the pulling collar that I made and use now.

ArtS

[AndyKnight]

Beautiful horse and saddle Alan.

Here is the pulling collar that I made and use now.

ArtS

This one looks good (IMHO) although in the pic it appears to me that it is too high on the horse or the main bodyy straps are a little short. I am thinking that it may be tough for the horse to to get his head low enough to drink comfortably. These style of breast collar /martingale are a lot more size sensitive from horse to horse. I vary the length of the main body straps drom 16" to 25" depending on the size of the horse.

[ArtS]

Good observation. When I let him drink I will disconnect the top straps from the saddle. I found even when I lengthened them I thought it was too constricting for drinking so I just unhook the clips.

ArtS

[jwwright]

Art, here is martingale style collar that I make. I have found this pattern I came up with work well on a variety of horses. This one pictured I made to attach with tugs to Ds placed under the front buttons, however I have made this style to attach via straps looped through the gullet, puncher pulling collar style. JW

[mulefool]

I don't know how to post pictures on here, so I'm putting a link to my website and I think you can scroll down to the breast collar. I have used one like this for years on both horses and mules. It's lined with a rolled edge of oil tan leather. I've never sored one up or gotten any rub marks at all with this type of breast collar.

http://horseandmulegear.com/catalog.php#riding Hopefully this link will work.

[JRedding]

Just curious how this style collar became named a pulling collar, it appears as if someone looked at a work horse collar for the idea except a work collar with a set of hames pulls entirely different from how these will pull on a saddle. I've made a load of them but never seen the usefulness of them, they really just hang around a horses neck to me. Both the collars you originally pictured are proven designs, I've rode a lot of the collar on the left they're good in steep country and have no choking effect, this design has been used on pack saddles forever. It's time served packing heavy loads of dead weight says a lot for it's design. The collar on the right is also a good basic design for a pulling horse. It is pretty well the winner in extreme pulling by the saddle horn, this design in a heavier version and double tugs is widely used by steer trippers, it's doubtful there's a tougher proving ground for a pulling collar than steer tripping. If what's called a pulling collar today had any superiority for it's given name it would be used and the old designs would take a back seat. Until somewhat recently when it was popularized by clinicians it's only appearance I've been able to find was on parade saddles as a silver holder but maybe there's more to it than that. The fact he can't put his head down to get a drink indicates he won't be able to put his nose to the ground up a steep hill without it cutting off his air supply, at the top of a steep Wyoming hillside is a pretty poor place for him to choke down and start to lose conciousness.

Edited August 4, 2008 by JRedding

[roo4u]

i agree with jredding it is totally unsafe to use a piece of equipment that does not allow free range of motion on a horse, and by doing so restricts the horses airway. not only when trail riding but in general...even a dead broke plug can freak out on you if it feels trapped by its gear. when i think of a pulling collar style breastcollar i picture the style in the photo that jwwright posted i believe it got the name because of its shape it sorta slightly resembles an actual harness collar.

[ArtS]

Good advice folks! Thank you.

ArtS

[Echo4V]

Just a plug to say that ArtS none of the photos you posted are on this thread anymore.

[ArtS]

I thought I was cleaning up my old files a while back. I didn't realize that when I did this it would remove the pictures from the posts also.

Sorry.

ArtS

[grumpyguy]

I have to say I really like the style collar pictured in JW's post. (The martingale type collar.) I see alot more of these around lately and believe there is some merit in thier design. I for years have used the heavy steer roping style collar that is desinged to tie in at the front saddle dees rather higher up near the fork. I have never had any problem with that style and found it both functional and useful for keeping a saddle in place. I have always adjusted my collar to fit much like the collar pictured in Jw's post. Every horse I've ever ridden was easily able to put his head down to drink, eat or pull up a steep hill. (I ride in the Sierras where terrain is generally very steep and rough.) My collar has never left a mark on the horses I've ridden. (The number would be a large number and don't even want to try to guess.) I've said all of this to make a point that we can argue syles and preferences all day and night, what really is important is to know how to properly adjust our gear so it performs it's intended pourpose and does so without sacrificing comfort for the mounts you use. I have used a lot of old and "out dated" equipment which has always performed well. Not that I don't like the newer designs, I just have never had the surplus of money to buy the latest, greatest gear. I have had to get along with what I had.

Take a good long look at JW's photo, notice how the collar's center (where the three straps come together) fits in the center of the horses chest and does so low enough to allow the horse to lower his neck all the way down. Any collar that does not allow for this should be re-evaluated and adusted to fit like in the photo. Now that's my two cents, take it for what it's worth and hope no one is offended by my comments here. Just trying to offer some free information to anyone who wants to listen. If you disagree that's okay to.