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Traditional Australian long-straw collars are hand-made, and stuffed with rye-straw. The straw for both the rim and the body is long, not chaff as used in machine-stuffed collars. The long straw enables much firmer collars to be made than the mass-produced, chaff-filled versions. Besides lasting many times longer, the long-straw collar also enables the horse to pull a heavier load with the minimum of discomfort to it, without the need for a collar pad.
The heaviest of the traditional Australian collars is the Dray Collar, with the 'Double rim' or 'Ballarat-style' Dray Collar [pictured below] being the heaviest-duty of all (with an additional layer of leather to protect the channel from the hames, & extra-heavy side-pieces).
The next size down-for standard draught work - is the Draught Collar, followed by the Plough - for light draught work. Many of the brewery show teams today prefer this weight of collar [in larger sizes, of course, to fit their show horses] to 'show off' more of their horses' necks in the ring, or out on parade.
Delivery or Cart Collars are smaller again in the body and rim, and come in either medium or light delivery versions, for half-or-quarter-draughts.
For light horses, the heaviest type of traditional Australian collar is the Coach, followed by the Sulky/Buggy/Jinker Collar, and with the Pony Collar the lightest of all.
Most Australian collars are made open-topped, with a [steel] pipe-iron placed inside the throat of the rim to strengthen it so that the collar can be opened under the horse's neck to get it on and off (rather than having to be put on over the horse's head). Close-topped collars can, of course, be made if required.
An unusual, uniquely-Australian collar is the Bronco Collar, traditionally used in the unfenced Outback for pulling cattle up to a 'Bronco Panel/Ramp' for branding, marking, etc. It is similar in appearance to a Draught or Plough Collar, but with much shorter 'ears', & with quilting in the throat for additional strength here. |
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From pony through to dray size
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Patent leather coach (show), with brassed hames
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English style, close-topped coach (show) with red patent piping
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Dress coach
Dress Delivery / cart
Show light draught
Show dray collar
Work 'Double rim' or 'Ballarat-style' Dray collar
Close-sided, with piping
Open-sided
Mini-Dray
Mini-Camel
PARTS OF A COLLAR / MEASURING A COLLAR
AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE DRAUGHT COLLAR & HAMES
The following photograph shows an alternative for the budget-conscious person to the standard collar and hames, & is especially suitable for light work. This Draught Breastplate is strongly made, with the hame hooks attached, ready for connection to the traces/trace-chains.
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PRODUCTS
