The present invention provides an improved head restraint that can be used in conjunction with conventional cattle chutes that are equipped with head gates. It provides the advantages of being humane by causing little or no discomfort to the cattle being restrained. Cattle being treated also tends to remain calm while being restrained utilizing the device of this invention. It offers much easier and faster means for providing care to positions on the head of the animal. Its implementation can accordingly lead to reduction in human labor requirements associated with treating a herd of cattle and generally leads to savings in medication by virtue of being able to more accurately apply eye drops, ointments, or powdered medications to the eyes of a cow having a very stabilized head as compared to loss of medication when dealing with a struggling animal that is jerking its head around during the procedure. Its use greatly reduces the risk of injury to the animal and the person administering the treatment to the animal. Head restraints of this invention offer the advantage of being capable of being affixed to existing chutes of differing sizes. This is because the improved head restraints of this invention are expandable to fit directly onto head gates of differing designs and sizes.