Perceptions of the Hackamore

Over the past couple of months I have had several conversations centering around why I ride in a Hackamore and why don't I use a bit. Everything from people thinking I am against bits, to asking if my horse is broke to be ridden in a bit, to people saying your horse works pretty good for a Hackamore. So I wanted to take the opportunity to say a few things about Hackamores (and bits for that matter), but remembering that my opinion is just that - an opinion and likely not worth a great deal when compared to the opinions of thousands or tens of thousands of more accomplished horsemen.

And before I go much futher, when I say snaffle bit, I mean a true snaffle bit, not a broken bit with shanks. I am still suprised when people who appear to be experienced riders think they are riding in snaffle just because the mouthiece is broken. Anytime you add shanks, you add leverage. The bad thing of course, is that shanks make heavy hands worse.

I use leather slobber straps to attached my reins to the snaffle bit.  You can see in the photo at right how the weight of the leather slobber strap makes it hang downwards from the snaffle ring.  As I pick up on the rein there is a delay as I take the slack and the horse can feel this and prepare.  The weight of the leather slobber straps also allow the release to be felt sooner by the horse.    

When I say Hackamore, I'm talking about a bosal, attached to a headstall and a fiador. While tradionalists generally use a bosal attached to a hanger, without a fiador, I am more comfortable using a headstall and fiador. Even then, I have had a horse shuck off a hackamore when the fiador knot was tied way too loose.

I came to the opinion that when first working with a mature horse, it is usually best to start over. I don't have a set in concrete process where I start in a snaffle bit and go to a Hackamore, or vice versa. I use what I think the horse is going to accept better in the beginning, but I am more inclined to use the hackamore first as the signals are much alike the rope halter.  And with the rope halter you can get your horse used to being soft and giving to pressure so when you go to the hackamore things tend to go more smoothly. 

Starting over, for me anyway, lets me cover any gaps in the horse's understanding and keeps me from assuming that since the horse was broke to ride, he knows what he should know.

As far as whether it's more proper or advantageous to start a horse in a snaffle or a Hackamore, there is an good article, written by Tom Moates, in a recent edition of Eclectic Horseman magazine that provides insights from Buck Brannaman, Bryan Neubert and Martin Black on the question of starting colts with a snaffle bit versus a Hackamore, or vice versa. Anytime any of these top hands' say anything, its prudent to listen. And if you don't get the Eclectic Horseman magazine, I would recommend that you do.

Addressing if I'm against bits - no, I am not at all against bits,...maybe just how some people use them. I have a horse, Junior, that I ride in exclusively in a Hackamore. I used to ride him in a short shanked broken bit, but no more. Years ago I let someone else ride him in that bit and to make a long story short, we left our horses ground tied and a group of Mule deer spooked them. When we caught the horses about 20 minutes later, Junior's reins had came un- tied and he stepped on the reins pulling the bit and cutting his toungue. He is fine now but I have used a Hackamore on him ever since and always will.

I just don't have much to say to people who comment that they are surprised that a horse can work well, or as well, in a Hackamore as opposed to a bit. There are many things we (Junior and I) don't do very well at all, but I don't think a bit is going to change that.

Regarding graduating from a Hackamore to a bit. I'd like to have a horse that is comfortable, untroubled in both a Hackamore and a snaffle bit. I think it makes a better horse and you can change up what you ride in him from time to time to give him a break. While I have retained a couple shanked bits with broken mouth pieces, I don't have much use for anything but Hackamores and snaffles at this point.

While there are many exceptional horsemen who follow the Californio style of starting horses in snaffle, then to a Hackamore, then go to the two rein, and finally to a spade bit, I just never see myself getting to that to the level, and I'm okay with that.

Bitless Bridles

I received an e-mail from a lady asking what my opinion were on Bitless Bridles, such as Dr Cook's Bitless bridle.   It seems she bought a older mare who had a previous severe cut on her tongue so riding in a bit on this horse wasn't an option for her. She has also tried a side pull - I'm assuming a version without the snaffle bit, but was looking for a better option for her horse. If anyone reading this has some experience with or opinions on Dr. Cooks Bitless Bridle, then please drop a comment in the comment box underneath  this post.

My reply was that I understood her reluctance to use a bit in her mare. I have a gelding in the same boat and I'll never put a bit in his mouth again. I am not against bit's, but for the most part I use a rawhide Hackamore, and sometimes a hackamore with a soft or hard rope bosal.   While there are thousands of really good horsemen out there who find use in all sorts of bits, from snaffles to spades, I don't think I'll ever get to the point to competently use any bit but other than a snaffle or broken bit with short shanks.  Better chance of keeping me honest that way I reckon.   
 
I actually prefer to start a horse on a hackamore as opposed to a snaffle bit. For me it makes more sense as it is much closer to the halter. The disadvantage with a hackamore/bosal is that the reins connect under the jaw so the pull on a direct rein is something you need to be patient with to let the horse understand and develop that lateral flexion. On a direct rein you are actually pulling the bosal into his nose on the opposite side of his head/face suggesting that the horse turn in the direction of the pull to gain a release from the pressure. Because the reins of a hackamore connect to (just above) the heel knot of the bosal under the jaw, sometimes the horse will tip his head (less desirable) rather than turn or rotate it at the poll, which is more desirable as it positions the horse in a more balanced position for a turn.

Dr. Cook advertises that his bitless bridle pushes rather than pulls, because the direct rein runs underneath the jaw and connects to the opposite cheek. Well, the way I see it, it is still a pull, like the Bosal or a side pull. A possible advantage with the Bitless Bridle is that the pull is higher up on the cheek and may tend to turn the head as opposed to tipping the nose which positions the horse for a better turn.

At right is a picture of the Bitless Bridle. The reins are connected to the ring on straps that run underneath the jaw.  These straps run through a fixed ring on the side of the nose band. 

When pressure is applied to that rein, it tightens the strap running underneath the jaw, running up the opposite cheek and then over the poll.  In theory this provides a clear signal, but again I haven't ridden using this Bitless Bridle, but I don't think I would have a big problem having any of my horses' accept it as they have been ridden in bosals and understand lateral flexion when asked through a direct rein. that's  However, I'm interested in comments from those who have ridden the Bitless Bridle.   

It is interesting to go to Dr. Cook's website, again it's here, and read about the Bitless Bridle.  I don't agree which his assertion that bits and bosals operate off of pain.  They certainly can when misused.   But I think there is a difference between pain and pressure.     

I do have a question, maybe a concern, about Dr. Cooks Bitless Bridle. When using a bit or a hackamore, the horse has the option of lateral or vertical flexion to move away from the pressure.   I think that's the point as that's how we get our horses to bend or flex in reaction to that cue.   When using the Bitless Bridle and pressure is applied with the reins, it is transmitted to the whole head. When the rider is using both reins to apply pressure, such as for a stop, back or to get the horse to collect,...I wonder if some horses would feel trapped or locked down as they cannot move to get a release and are more dependent upon the rider to provide the release, which may not happen in a timely fashion.

I think that if a horse works well in a side pull, then the transition to a Bitless Bridle, should go okay, as long as the horse is eased into it. It will be a different pressure than the horse is used to, so I might start real soft, reward her smallest effort and build from there.

Mecate with a Snaffle Bit

Denise asked I'm interested in riding with a mecate reins on a snaffle and am unsure how to do so. I like the idea of having a integral lead rope.”

Denise, thanks for your question. I’ll answer it mostly with pictures and a short video. This question has cropped up several times in the past few weeks. I attribute it to more people interested in trail riding and the popularity of the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA). The Mecate, also called McCarthy reins due to the Anglo pronunciation of the Spanish word, is one continuous rein, usually 20-24 feet long, made from either yacht line (braided rope) or a horse hair rope. When used with a Bosal, the Mecate reins are connected to the Bosal just above the Heel knot. Sometimes a Bosal and Mecate will be one piece where the Mecate is braided into the Bosal.

When a Mecate is used with a snaffle bit, it is common to use slobber straps to connect the reins to the ring of the snaffle. The slobber straps are pieces of leather that connect the reins to the bit. Like the picture to the left showing the off side slobber strap and how I secured the end of the Mecate to it. If you tie your Mecate to the slobber straps in this manner make sure you leave enough tail of the rope and point it downward.

A friend of ours, Arden, was looking for a Mecate so I took a 21 foot length of half inch braided rope, braided a leather popper in one end and wrapped some waxed flat thread around the rope where the center of the reins would be for a eight foot continuous rein.

The running end of the Mecate is looped through the near side slobber strap then you half hitch the Mecate so that the remaining length, in this case about 11 feet, runs downward. The near side is where you would adjust the length of the reins to suit yourself. The remaining 11 feet is now a get down rope. To keep it out of the way until you need it, you can clove hitch it to the horn, which is not my preferred way,....you can coil it and tie it to the near side saddle strings. Or, a traditional method it to get a bit near the end of the rope and tuck it under your belt. That is the bit of the remaining Mecate is pushed underneath your belt from bottom to top. If you came off your horse (it happens) you would have a rope to keep your horse from running away. If the horse ran away before you could get ahold of the rope, it would feed out from under your belt keeping you from being drug.

Anyway, Denise, I hope this video and post helps you rig and be safe with your Mecate.

Horse Training - Hackamores and Bosals

This is the second part of a reader question on my outfit and in particularly the Hackamore he saw on one of my horses in an earlier video. That Hackamore is an old Ropers Tie Down with a metal O ring as opposed to a Bosal or Hackamore knot. I am using nylon split reins and a Fiador. It hangs light on my horse and he responds well to it.

I have long been a fan of Hackamores and Bosals, starting my horses in Bosals, moving to a snaffle bit, then a curb bit, then usually full circle back to a Hackamore. Rawhide Hackamore with flat grass reins shown at LEFT. Quarter inch noseband Hackamore with flat nylon reins shown BELOW. Both available from Craig Cameron.

A Bosal is plaited or braided rawhide fashioned into a nose band with an anchor know below the chin of a horse when the bosal is placed on the horse’s nose. A Mecate (sometimes called a McCarthy due to Gringo mispronunciation of Spanish) is a long rope usually made out of horse hair, but sometimes braided nylon rope, that is about 22 feet long and tied to the Bosal just above the anchor knot in a manner that provides for a one piece roper reins, and allows a tail of abut 7 feet to use as a get down for leading the horse on the ground or tying to a tie rail.

A Hackamore is very similar to a Bosal with the nose piece being made out of nylon rope, a leather band, or a rawhide covered rope. The Hackamore can use a Mecate rope for reins or braided nylon split reins. These split reins can be made of rounded or flat rope, flat nylon or even grass. Bosal with Hanger (headstall) and Fiador shown at LEFT.


A Mechanical Hackamore can also have a rope or rawhide noseband, but is usually more closely associated with a plastic covered wire or chain noseband. The Mechanical Hackamore also uses a curb chain (under the chin) has four to seven inch shanks to connect the reins to, which are usually leather split reins. This type of Hackamore can be very severe as the shanks provide a lot of leverage and effect a nut cracker type movement onto the horse’s nose and jaw. The Mechanical Hackamore is not for beginners and should be very carefully used,….. if at all I my opinion. Type of Mechanical Hackamore shown BELOW.