From: Andrea Meldrum
Hi Jessica! I was wondering what the difference between a hackamore and a bosal was. Andrea
Hi Andrea! In English riding, a hackamore is simply a bitless bridle, and there are several different designs. The most common English-style bitless bridle is the jumping hackamore. This looks very much like a conventional headstall that ends in a leather-covered rope noseband with a flat leather chin-strap and two rings for the reins.
In Western riding, the conventions are different, and when Western trainers refer to a "hackamore", they generally mean a bosal! Any form of hackamore (other than a bosal) that works from leverage will be called a "mechanical hackamore" -- and just to confuse the issue even more, there is a third category, somewhat similar to the English jumping hackamore, called a "sidepull."
The traditional Western hackamore consists of three pieces, a bosal (plaited rawhide noseband), a mecate (a long horsehair rein, tied to the bosal under the horse's jaw), and a headstall, generally very simple, to hold the bosal on.
The bosal itself puts pressure on the horse's nose and lower jaw; the mecate is fastened to the bosal with a special knot, called a heel knot, that adds weight to the lower end of the bosal. This allows it to drop down and forward whenever the rider releases pressure on the mecate.
The mechanical hackamore is a leverage bit that puts pressure on the horse's nose, on the underside of his jaw, and on his poll. Its severity depends to a great extent on its construction -- the length of the shanks (shorter = less severe; longer = more severe), the material and design of the noseband (wide, fleece-padded, flat leather = less severe; narrow, hard, rounded = more severe), the curb strap (wide, soft, padded = less severe; narrow, hard, round, or made from chain = more severe). There are some truly vicious mechanical hackamores on the market, complete with extra-long shanks and a piece of metal under the horse's jaw -- literally a "jawbreaker."
The sidepull is commonly used for schooling colts. It has a headstall similar to that of an English jumping hackamore, and a noseband that is usually made from one, or two, pieces of lariat, attached to a flat leather strap under the horse's jaw. There is no leverage -- the reins attach to the rings that connect the noseband to the jaw strap, or to a second set of rings at the same level. For colts that have already learned to wear a simple sidepull, there are sidepulls that incorporate a jointed snaffle bit: this allows the horse to become used to carrying a bit, while the rein pressure affects both the noseband and the bit.
Jessica
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