Whether you're riding a horse or using a heavier draft horse to pull a large load, a horse collar is a necessary part of the tack you would use to keep the pressure from localizing around the horse's windpipe. The collar disperses the weight and helps the animal pull. These days, buyers can choose between traditional, simple horse breast collars or electronic horse training collars.

For training on using these items in a tack setup, a horse owner can enroll in courses or classes around the general daily aspects of training and work, or find specific articles online regarding the making, use and controversy over a horse collar for sale in today's market. Readers can find:

1. Articles and news on horse collars from regarded equine publications and sites.

2. Blogs dealing with collars for horses and other tack, as well as training tips.

3. More from public forums centered around training horses.

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Find articles on horse collars from horse publications and sites

One way to get information on horse collars for sale on the market is through online variants of horse publications that horse owners frequently read to get educated about all of their equipment and methodology. Find what pertains to your search on the type of horse collar you're looking for, or one you already have in your collection.

I recommend: Get articles like the one featured here on the "Amish Horse Collar" from the Draft Horse Journal. Find more info as well as products at Horse.com.

Use blogs to get informed about horse collars

Another source of information from the web is from personal blogs of horse owners and people involved in training, working or showing the equine breed. These can have tips on horse collars or other relevant info as well as pictorials and other useful features for learning more about training horses.

I recommend: Read about the use of horse collars and other gear for draft horses at The Eventing Percheron. Get tips on horse collars and western tack at Buckaroo.

Locate info on horse collars from public forums

Another place for new or vintage horse collars info is on public forums where those involved in equine use talk about various parts of the equation. A lot of the discussion tends to go toward the controversy over whether an electronic horse training collar is humane and effective.

I recommend: Find discussions on shock collars for horses at Horse Grooming Supplies. Get more of these posts on horse collars and everything else at Horse City.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  In the course of your horse collars education and training, try to synthesize what you find online with other 'real-time' experience. Find other horse owners and talk about what they've done to get a well-rounded idea of how to buy and use your horse collars.

If you have a horse, you need a horse collar of some sort. There are a number of horse collars available today, from vintage horse collars used for draft animals to the latest in electronic horse training collars. Even if you ride a horse, you'll use horse breast collars to help control the animal.

A proper horse collar fits around the horse’s neck and sits on the horse’s shoulders. This allows the horse to do its work without putting unnecessary stress on the windpipe. Depending on the type of horse collar, it may or may not have padding.

As you look at horse collars for sale, take the following into consideration:

1. The design of the horse collars should be job-specific, designed for what the horse does.

2. The fit a horse collar should be exactly right for the comfort of your horse.

3. The price of horse collars should give you good value for your money.

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Buy horse breast collars

Horse breast collars allow you to better control your horse. You can find models of horse breast collars that are plain work collars. You can also find horse breast collars that 'dress up' your horse.

I recommend: HorseTackSupply.com offers steep discounts on horse collars for sale. You can find a horse breast collar for every occasion at Smith Brothers. Their roper and barrel racing horse collar selection is quite extensive.

Choose padded horse collars for your work horses

If you hitch your horse to any kind of wagon or have him pull anything, you need to purchase a padded horse collar to make his work easier. You can find antique horse collars for this purpose, as well as new horse collars.

I recommend: Chadi Farm Horse Collar Store has a selection of heavy work collars on its website. Designed for logging and pulling, these collars for horses are durable. You can buy horse collars from Smucker’s Harness Shop as well.

Find electronic horse training collars

While buying a horse shock collar may seem like an extreme measure, shock training is a common practice. The collars are humane and can quickly break a horse of bad habits.

I recommend: Gun Dog Supply offers the TriTronics brand of electronic horse training collars on its website. MightyPets.com also offers the TriTronics electronic horse-training collar, in addition to replacement parts.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you buy horse collars, it's essential that the collar pad fits the horse properly. If it's too large, the collar can cause neck pain and unnecessary rubbing on the horse's shoulders. If it's too tight, it can constrict the wind pipes. A horse collar should be snug enough for you to slip your fingers underneath, but have no more extra space than that.

A horse collar distributes the load around a horse's neck evenly when the horse pulls a plow or wagon. The collar usually has a pair of metal or curved items, called hames, to which the harness straps are attached. The collar allows the horse to use its full strength when pulling because it allows the horse to actually push the item forward with its back legs into the collar instead of using its shoulders to pull the load. It is important to know the various terms used when discussing horse collars.

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Hames

Hames piece together the harness and the collar. These can be wood or metal and are made in pairs, then fitted using rein rings and tug hooks. They come in a variety of styles based on the purpose for which they're used.

I recommend: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store offers more information.

Breast collars

Breast collars are straps used to prevent the rider's saddle from slipping or falling back. They are applied around the chest of the horse and then attached to the D rings on the front of the saddle.

I recommend: Horses Dacor has pictures and descriptions of breast collars.

Piped collar

A piped collar keeps the horse's windpipe from being compressed or constricted while it pulls a load.

I recommend: Discover-Horse-Carriage-Driving has more information about piped collars.

Electric horse collars

Electric horse collars can help control or break any bad habits your horse may have. It is important to use one that will not cause any harm to the horse but is successful in behavior modification.

I recommend: Gun Dog Supply has information relating to electronic collars used on horses.

Pulling collars

Pulling collars are used by draft horses and are meant for heavy work, such as that done on farms, as well as heavy hauling. These collars are usually made with heavy leather and are stitched with thick nylon-like thread to increase the life of the collar.

I recommend: More information on pulling collars is available at Horse n' Harness.

Cribbing collars

Cribbing occurs when a horse puts its front teeth on a flat horizontal surface and then arches its back and neck, and pulls backwards. This is also referred to as wind sucking and may occur when the horse is bored. A cribbing collar has a strap that snugly fits around the throat and creates discomfort for the horse in the hopes of breaking this habit.

I recommend: More information on cribbing collars is available at Weaver Leather.

Whether you work with agriculture and need a horse collar, or your pet store includes horse collars for sale, there is plenty of valuable information to learn about such collars. You can shop online to buy several at once or just buy as many as you need, but either way you need to educate yourself before buying any horse collar. Finding out about horse collars types and styles on the market today is the first step to making an informative purchase.

There is an appropriate horse collar for sale for every type of activity a horse is expected to do. The best way to make sure that the horse collar you select stays in shape is to buy the best one for your situation. The following are just some of the most popular types of horse collars:

1. Find horse collars for sale that work using electronic components.
2. Make sure the collar lasts despite heavy work by purchasing a pulling collar.
   
3. Consider buying a horse breast collar to make the saddle stay put.
   

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The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get information about electronic horse training collars

If you want a faster way to train your horse using newer technology, consider purchasing an electronic horse training collar. It might be more costly than traditional horse collars, but shock training often produces fast results. Select the type that is not cruel, but gets the job done and includes a long range on the remote control.

I recommend: Tri-Tronics sells a horse shock collar and accessories for it. MightyPets.com carries the same type of collar.

Buy horse collars known for their durability

One of the toughest horse collars is the pulling collar. This kind is typically made of leather, held together with nylon thread that is thicker than usual. Draft horses often use these types of collars. Horses that pull heavy objects, especially those that reside on farms, need pulling collars. Be sure to only check out pulling collars that feature adjustable straps and heavy metal buckles, as well.

I recommend: Horse n' Harness carries pulling collars of every size. Jeffers Equine sells a studded pulling collar.

Look for horse breast collars

Riding horses often wear breast collars, as they are used for keeping the saddle in place. This type of collar is simply placed around the chest of the horse and attached to the front saddle rings. You can find breast horse collars for sale in many variations online, from padded and comfortable to flashy and colorful.

I recommend: Horse Saddle Shop boasts a large selection of collars for horses that attach to a horse's chest. Check out Horses Dacor for a wide array of breast collars for horses.