# Best show collar



## Iris (Feb 16, 2021)

I'm showing a dairy goat this year. What is the best show collars. 

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## brigieboo (Apr 8, 2021)

i just got a chain collar from Farm n Fleet. It has a clear plastic tube on it for holding on to. 









this is what i have ^


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## Iris (Feb 16, 2021)

I have something similar but It doesn't seem to be quite working on my doe 

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## Iris (Feb 16, 2021)

Does anyone know if you can use the ones with the prongs?









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## brigieboo (Apr 8, 2021)

Iris said:


> I have something similar but It doesn't seem to be quite working on my doe
> 
> Sent from my SM-A125U using Goat Forum mobile app


What part of it didn't work with her?


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## brigieboo (Apr 8, 2021)

I do


Iris said:


> Does anyone know if you can use the ones with the prongs?
> View attachment 230903
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-A125U using Goat Forum mobile app


I don't know for sure but idk why you wouldn't be able to.. 
Are you showing with 4H/FFA? Can u get in touch with a fair goat superintendent?


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## Iris (Feb 16, 2021)

brigieboo said:


> What part of it didn't work with her?


She wasn't listening and wouldn't walk with it on, throwing herself down on the ground refusing to get up. 

I was also having an issue with it cause when ever I put it on and started to walk her on it she would cough.


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## alwaystj9 (Apr 10, 2019)

They can be very dramatic.
Try a goat halter and work with her in it a while. Teach her basic leadline skills with the halter, then swap to a collar.
Some of mine learn easy & quick...I do have a family that flop on their sides and bellow like dying cows the first 30-40 times I lead them.
I always hope no one sees or hears because it is a terrible sight/sound.
If they pause, they are setting up to rear or bolt or flop. The prong collar is to slow one down that is pulling ahead, not to drag one along.
She needs to be coaxed to come up beside you. A butt-rope can help with this or a gentle tap with a long, light switch.
Pulling a flopper along behind you on a collar leads to unconsciousness - either hers or yours. It can also cause neck problems.
Loosen the leadline and poke her with the long, light switch. When she gets up, start walking again.
Practise every day, make it part of her routine. Catch her and lead her to her dinner, tie her while she eats. (don't tie her amongst loose goats.)
Feed her, led to and tied, in different places. She'll learn to associate leading with getting fed.
Good luck, I train all mine to lead and tie, even sale weanlings. They really do crazy things the first few times.


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## Iris (Feb 16, 2021)

alwaystj9 said:


> They can be very dramatic.
> Try a goat halter and work with her in it a while. Teach her basic leadline skills with the halter, then swap to a collar.
> Some of mine learn easy & quick...I do have a family that flop on their sides and bellow like dying cows the first 30-40 times I lead them.
> I always hope no one sees or hears because it is a terrible sight/sound.
> ...


Thank you for the advice. This doe is almost 2 and I've been working with her since she was about 4-5 months old, I started with the halter and switched to the collar last spring. She does really good with halter and always has, but as soon as I put the collar on she starts flipping out. Sometimes she flops on the ground and other times she pulls me, which is also no fun since she's half my height and more then half my weight. I've tried all kinds of ways to bribe her grain, treats, ect... I'm a bit desperate now so I'll try the long, light switch. 

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## alwaystj9 (Apr 10, 2019)

I thought she was new to leading!
I have a 3 year mama (from the flop-down and bellow family) who is still a jerk about leading, I handle her with a halter & bamboo switch.
Can you show in a halter? I have seen some pretty thin ones with a chain under the chin.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Iris said:


> Does anyone know if you can use the ones with the prongs?
> View attachment 230903
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-A125U using Goat Forum mobile app


Depends on the show and even the state you are in. It’s a state rule in California that a goat can not be shown with a prong collar. 
But you sure can use it as a training tool! For my meat goat kids when a issue like flopping over comes up I tell them try something different, even something that you won’t be able to show in like the rope halter or possibly the prong collar. Go slow. Let them take a step or two and then stop on the leading. Set them up and give them love and attention. Let them see that after those steps there is a end to the walking thst they hate so much. 
The coughing, it just happens. Try to keep that chain right there under the neck where the jaw comes into the neck. That little groove there. You can use your other hand to help hold her head up more and keep that chain in place. You can also try a larger chain. This is her training time. You don’t have to follow all the normal rules of showing at the moment, she just needs to learn to walk and not flop and then you can work on perfecting showmanship. 
Another thing that I have noticed with my kids and their goats is once that goat starts hurting and puffing they really start misbehaving. So I have them work with them and as soon as they start getting really worked up I have them stop. I explain it to the kids as this: which kind of chores do you like to do? Long hard labor or short easy chores? 
My daughters wether right now is a TOTAL basket case. So right now we are working on leading by putting his food at feeding time at other fences. If he wants dinner then he needs to learn to trust her, not throw a tantrum, and lead over to it. 
Sorry I know that kinda turned into a novel but hope it helps


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## tmTeddy (10 mo ago)

alwaystj9 said:


> They can be very dramatic.
> Try a goat halter and work with her in it a while. Teach her basic leadline skills with the halter, then swap to a collar.
> Some of mine learn easy & quick...I do have a family that flop on their sides and bellow like dying cows the first 30-40 times I lead them.
> I always hope no one sees or hears because it is a terrible sight/sound.
> ...


What halters would you recommend? I have rope ones, but those loosen when there isn't any pressure on it and tend to fall off her nose area, but stay on her neck. Also... what is a light switch? and a flopper?


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## alwaystj9 (Apr 10, 2019)

A long, light switch = a thin stick, I use a bit of bamboo. Tap, tap on the goats behind (while learning to lead) to get them to move up, get up or to keep them from stopping. Sometimes it helps.
Flopper= some goats, when learning to lead, flop over on their sides.Some go all up in the air and then flop over, some brace and then flop over. This is a goat misbehaving or a goat who does not understand what they are supposed to do. If a goat braces and pulls back until its breathing is impaired, it will flop over due to lack of air - this is a medical issue your leading is causing, loosen the lead immediately and help the goat recover. Find another training method, whatever you are doing isn't working.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Dairy goats are usually never shown in a halter or prong collar. If you are doing 4h they may allow a dog - web collar, but as a rule it should be a chain collar —without a handle.


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