Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Hackamore noseband or mechanical hackamore?

From: Emmanuela

Dear Jessica,

I really like your archive and I have learnt a lot from them.

I have a question on hackamore nosebands. I read in one of your answers that an ordinary bridle with a hackamore noseband is a good bitless option. I am located in Canada and was wondering where I could find this noseband.

Thanks!

Emmanuela

Hi Emmanuela! I'm so glad you asked this question, because it gives me a chance to clear up a subject that gets a lot of riders very confused. I recommend hackamore nosebands - the ones that attach to your bridle's headstall, and consist of a piece of thick, soft rope inside a soft leather covering, and a simple leather strap that fastens under the horse's chin. A hackamore noseband has two sets of rings on it, attached directly to the noseband. One set of rings is used to attach the noseband to the headstall; the other set is used to attach the reins to the noseband. That's it - that's all. It's a very simple piece of equipment, and there's nothing else involved.

A hackamore noseband has no chain, no metal or thin, hard rope under the jaw or over the nose, no metal shanks, and NO LEVERAGE. It's just a piece of leather-covered thick rope, with a strap and buckle, and four small rings. When you put pressure on one rein or both, that pressure is transmitted directly, at the same strength, to the noseband and the horse's nose.

Mechanical hackamores, on the other hand, are quite different. They have quite a few metal parts, work by leverage, and range from moderately to extremely severe. Even replacing the curb chain with a curb strap won't mitigate the severity of a long-shanked mechanical hack. They multiply the pressure exerted by the rider, cause pain - and can cause damage - to the horse's nose and jaw, and promote rider brutality because so many riders erroneously believe that "if there's no bit, it can't hurt the horse". Some mechanical hackamores can break a horse's jaw - and thanks to the leverage and design, the rider won't even need to exert a huge amount of pressure on the reins.

You didn't say where you are located in Canada, but if you have a nearby saddlery that caters to English as well as Western riders, you might be able to find this product. I would expect the Dog and Pony Shop to carry this, but that's in Ladner, B.C., so that suggestion won't do you much good if you're located in Ontario or Quebec. ;-)

You can find always hackamore nosebands in various catalogues (and on websites) in the States. The product's description will vary, but you'll typically find it under some variation of "hackamore noseband" In the Dover catalogue, this item is listed as a "hackamore noseband"; in the State Line Tack catalogue, it's listed as "Kincade Hackamore". You can also find cheap versions of this product on EBay, usually listed under "hackamore noseband". Just be careful what you bid on, because there are usually a good many mechanical hacks of every size and style on EBay, and these, too, will show up if you search for "hackamore noseband".

If you try the hackamore noseband, and decide that you like riding bitless but would enjoy the ability to have a more subtle dialogue with your horse, you might want to investigate the Bitless Bridle (www.bitlessbridle.com).

Good luck!

Jessica

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