An online survey of equestrian headcollar use and safety

BackgroundHeadcollars (halters, US) are one of the most commonly used pieces of equestrian ‘tack’. Despite this, there appears to be minimal information on their use, or more importantly, risk factors for injury of horses/handlers.ObjectiveTo explore headcollar use and safety in equestrians.Study designQuantitative cross-sectional survey.MethodsAn online survey (19 questions) exploring headcollar use and safety was disseminated through equestrian social media. Frequency analysis and multivariable modelling identified how headcollar type was linked to use and injury risk.ResultsMost respondents (88%; n = 4786) used headcollars multiple times daily but for short time periods (66%, n = 3388