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An animal 'collar' is a type of device that is attached to the neck of an animal to allow it to be harnessed. On a draught animal it consists of a robustly constructed leather and straw device that is intended to sit comfortably on the animal's shoulders around its neck and support a set of hames that transfer the draught forces from the animal to the traces. Prior to the invention of the horse collar, oxen were attached to carts and plows by the means of yokes, but yokes were not suitable for use on horses. The alternative to a yoke was something that would go around the neck of the horse, and the early devices had the undesirable effect of choking the horse harder the more strongly it strove to move an attached load. A horse collar is not circular and it is by design not very flexible. Instead,it is a padded appliance that conforms well to the shape of the horse's body and has somewhat the shape of a keyhole. It is so constructed that at all points of contact with the body of the horse it avoids the air passage. In that way it became possible for horses to use their full force to pull a load. From the time of invention of the horse collar, horses became very much more valuable for agriculture and for pulling heavy vehicles.
A pet collar is a piece of material put around the neck of certian pet animals, such as dogs or cats, for control, identification, or other purposes. Identification tags and medical information is often placed on collars. Collars are also useful for controlling the animal, as they provide a handle for grabbing. Similar collars are used with non-pet animals such as zoo animals.

★ 'Buckle collars', also called 'flat collars', are usually nylon or leather with a buckle similar to a belt buckle or a quick-release buckle, either of which holds the collar loosely around the animal's neck. Usually identification is attached to such a collar; it also comes with a loop to which a leash can be fastened.


★ Flea collars are impregnated with chemicals that repel fleas. They are usually a supplementary collar, worn in addition to the conventional buckle collar.

★ Elizabethan collars are shaped like lamp shades and prevent a pet from licking something on their body, usually a wound.
A collar sometimes contains (or has attached) a GPS tracking unit, to locate a lost animal. Alternatively a "backpack" version is attached to a harness.
The collar has been adopted by the BDSM community. In a BDSM context, a collar represents subservience of one kind or another. Collars are also used non-symbolically in the BDSM scene as fetish gear. These collars are often worn purely as fashion. See Collar (BDSM).

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See also

See also

★ dog collar

★ horse collar