# Collar or halter



## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

Just a curiosity question. Which do you feel you have better control with, a collar or a halter? Which do you use?


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Wearing a halter seems to make my goats fussy, while they are used to and accepting of their collars. The poll strap on the halter always seems to work its way down the back of the head and make the nose strap ride up and bind/chafe.

Having said that, if I need to really restrain a goat (I had to lay one down and strap it to a pallet to treat an injury) I use a halter. Gives better leverage and more points of attachment than a collar.


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## mainehomestead (May 8, 2009)

For our Dexter cow we use both, or just a collar depending upon the situation. If we are leading her on our porperty, we use the collar. If we take her off the property (she does enjoy a good walk) we use both, just to be sure we have good control)


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## mtcougar832 (Jun 28, 2008)

I'm glad you asked, I've been wondering as well.


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

It depends on the goat. I have never really seen a dairy goat in a halter, but we always show out Cashmere goats in a Halter.

YES they are fussy at first as they are getting use to them but they learn just fine. I try never to use a collar unless they are small because it is way to easy to choke them with one verses a halter.


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

I use collars when showing, or when tying up to trim feet, etc. Otherwise, most of mine will come with just a hand on the back of their neck. If I have to do something really upsetting, I'll make a quick and dirty halter out of thin rope.

I _never_ leave collars on when I'm not around - same with the horses, no halter unless I'm doing something with them.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

If you can point me to a supplier of decent goat halters it would be appreciated. Haven't seen anything around me that would work well.

We prefer halters to collars for our cows. It is far easier to pull a head around when you are pulling on the head rather than the neck. If the animal is balky you don't have to be worried about damaging a windpipe.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

Collar. The collar should be sturdy but not a choking hazard. Some thigns I have seen used as collars (loops of baling twine, not braided or anythign like that) are not at all effective. A nylon dog coller is good. I used a lot of choke chain collars, but I didn't use them as choke collars. Lay the straight collar on the doe's neck, select the length that will just barely not slip over the doe's head, and wire it shut (not too securely, so if she gets caught up on her collar, it will break and she won't die). I lost a lot of collars, but I'd rather have that than losing a goat. 

Another type of collar I didn't like was the plastic link collar. My friends swore by them, I thought they were ugly, didn't work well, and have to be changed out at shows. 

If you are needing more control than can be had with a collar, it may be that the routine or the goat(s) are the problem, not the collar.


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

Try using the rope halter upside down. With the part that tightens over the nose. For some reason goats will do better on a halter that way. Shelly


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

I had some extra rope from making a halter for my calf and decided, just for the fun of it to see if I could make one that would work on the goats, and it did! I used the same splices and loops, just changed the length of the nose band. It worked great on my buck (not that he liked it).


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## Elsbet (Apr 2, 2009)

I like martingales, which are a kind of collar, for those wondering. They are used on sight hounds, but are working well for my goats. I mostly use collars to keep a bell on the goats, so that if they get loose, I can hear them. 
However, I do plan on using halters when we are hiking with our goats, and will train both wethers and does to them. I think halters can give you more control over the animal- when they are afraid and want to bolt you can hold their heads up higher, which keeps them from getting a full head of steam to run. And halters won't choke them in a situation like that, like a collar might.


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## Starsmom (Nov 7, 2004)

If putting a collar on a goat and leaving it on, make sure it has a breakaway type clip. That way, if they get hung up, the collar will snap before their neck does.


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

sammyd said:


> If you can point me to a supplier of decent goat halters it would be appreciated. Haven't seen anything around me that would work well.
> 
> We prefer halters to collars for our cows. It is far easier to pull a head around when you are pulling on the head rather than the neck. If the animal is balky you don't have to be worried about damaging a windpipe.


 http://www.caprinesupply.com/shop/ 

These are great. they have very small ones that fit my newborn babies for shows, and they have larger ones.

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc...=3H9LMNP3C0TW8K06GNP93NXLGA055TB0&pf_id=16776

These are the same ones but they are bigger then the other ones.


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