Equilibrium Products Stellar™ Head Collar Black Extra Large (Equine) - DISCONTINUED 20% OFF

Introducing Stellar™

A stylish, comfortable field safe headcollar for horses with a reusable, patent pending safety system, which releases when needed to prevent injury to the soft tissue and nerves on the face, poll and neck.

Tested in the laboratory for a consistent release point, and practical field trials for everyday use. Match it with our Stellar Leadrope

The Stellar® Field Safe Headcollar Story

For over 10 years, the Field Relief Muzzle Protector has been an essential part of our UV and Fly Protection range. We have always recommended that owners use the Muzzle Protector with a field safe headcollar for their horses. So we decided to look at headcollars, and really question how we knew they were safe. For a piece of equipment we normally use every day, whether it’s in the field, to lead and tie up or to travel with, shouldn’t they all be ‘safe’?

So we decided to create our own safety headcollar, one that could have everything you’d want in a first-class headcollar, but it’s been scientifically tested too!

Introducing Stellar® Field Safe Headcollar for Horses

The all weather safety headcollar which could save your horse from serious injury. 

Laboratory Testing

The Stellar® Field Safe Headcollar has been scientifically tested to have a consistent release point where the headpiece releases when poll pressure is applied, with an average of 83kg of downward force. Our research indicates that this is strong enough for safe horse handling, but low enough to prevent serious injury to the horse in the event of an incident. 

UK Patent Application No. 2000234.1

Initial Survey

Dr David Marlin started researching by conducting a survey of 5615 horse owners* to find out their experience with using headcollars. This included how often they use them and the problems associated with them.

Again, the results were surprising.

• Almost 1 out of 3 people experienced a horse being injured as a result of a headcollar.
• More than 1 in 7 people have been injured in a headcollar related incident.
• There were 167 horse fatalities as a result of a headcollar.

Diving into the horse injuries – it didn’t seem to matter what headcollar they were using. There were combinations of standard headcollars, safety headcollars and safety devices, however baler twine was associated with a higher risk of injury.

These results demonstrated that perhaps, headcollars should be investigated in more depth…

Scientific Testing

There are a lot of different headcollar designs, materials and safety systems. However none of them appear to have been studied in any kind of systematic way.

For the next stage of testing, Dr David Marlin constructed a testing rig, to measure at what load the different headcollars broke or released at.

Firstly, typical headcollars were identified – webbing, synthetic, rope, leather, safety.

Each headcollar was tested in a standardised way which was repeatable. They were tested 6 times. For headcollars which broke, there was a new one tested each time. For safety headcollars that released, they were re-used if possible.

The results showed that some broke incredibly easily, while others were so strong that they could suspend more than an average horses weight without breaking.

Based on this research, it appears that there is a need for an appropriate load for headcollars to release at, especially if they are a safety headcollar.

Field Testing

When handling horses, we can’t afford for a headcollar to release at too low a force, because it’s not practical to use. However if the headcollar doesn’t open at all or at a high load, it increases the risk of injury and, as we’ve seen from the survey results, the injury could even be fatal.

Stellar® has been independently field tested by Writtle University College on their yard by a variety of people and horses for all general horse handling.

Materials

The Stellar® Headcollar is made from PVC with stainless steel fittings. This makes it durable and weatherproof, with neoprene padding on the headpiece and nosepiece for comfort. This is ideal for horses wearing a headcollar for long periods of time – i.e. when turned out in the field. Please note; it is not suitable for horses with a neoprene allergy.

Size Guide