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A collar should be fairly trim fitting, especially if a horse will be pulling a load.
FOUR INCHES is way too much -- that's an invitation to sore shoulders. I suppose some people want to err on the side of too big on the theory that the collar will not cut off the horse's wind, but 4 inches is overkill.
A too-big collar swings from side to side as the horse moves, creating swelling and sores. (Think of wearing shoes that are too big and the blisters they can cause!) The harder a horse pulls with a too-big collar, the quicker the sores will occur.
The rule I've heard from many capable teamsters is that you should be able to slide the flat of your hand between the base of the horse's throat and the collar. The hand should go in easily to the thumb, but you should feel skin on the back of your hand and leather on your palm. That's, oh, 1" or a bit more of room.
The catch is that this "slide the flat of your hand in" rule applies to collar when the horse has his head in a normal working position and the collar is snugged down on the shoulders. It does not apply when the horse is just standing around with its head up and the collar and traces are slack.
You can get a rough idea of fit by pushing the collar firmly back against the shoulders and asking the horse to put its head into a normal working position for that horse. Some horses work with their heads higher than others -- it really depends on the horse. Then check for proper fit.
If you expect the horse to really be pulling hard a lot, you might allow a LITTLE bit of extra ease. The collar will pull down a bit more on the shoulders and the head might go down more than usual during a hard pull. But for light to moderate work or if there will be only an occasional hard pull, I would stick to the "slide the hand in" rule.
Also, the hames are an important part of collar fit -- it's not just the collar alone. When properly fitted, the sides of the collar should have about the same amount of ease along the neck from the mane to the throat, again with the collar firmly pushed into place on the shoulders. Your fingertips should not be able to slide deeply into the groove between the collar and the horse's skin along the sides.
If your fingers can go in deep, the collar is too wide -- and this means it is probably too long.
If the collar is just a little bit too wide, the hame straps on top and bottom should be taken in a bit. This will squish the collar narrower, effectively lengthening the collar as well.
If there is more ease at the top of the collar than at the bottom, then take the top strap in a bit and let the bottom strap out a bit. In extreme cases, metal hames can even be bent slightly to fit an unusually shaped neck.
Just a note: The harness and collar makers around northeastern Iowa will let you take home a collar to check for fit. They'll exchange it for another size if you keep the collar clean and return it promptly. Maybe your local people will do likewise. Or bring your horse to the maker and have him/her help you.
And then when your horse gets toughened up and trimmed down this summer, that collar you buy this spring won't fit anyways. :-)
DeeAnna The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
