I've used an english hackamore with a leather chin
strap for years. My ex-racehorse had the same reaction to a snaffle that
was described earlier - lean on the bit and run right through it. The
english hack is cheap, hangs on any bridle, and has a nice wide nose piece and
with the leather chin strap is quite mild. I place it up high enough on
his face to not obstruct his nostrils at any time.
I tried the Dr. Cook's thing, but it made him
uptight - I don't think he liked the feel of that much poll pressure.
CAVEAT: When I compete (and I have made a vow I
will be back out in 2005) I'm in the back half (if not last) and we don't
ever do 5 meter circles - or even 10 meters. I can make him side pass,
shoulder-in, whatever, but primarily through leg cues, not reins. We can
do a version of a rollback, if the trail demands it, but I don't attempt to do
the kind of precision riding like dressage or reining with that kind of
bit. Rev is not a precision riding kind of horse, anyway. I get the
impression that the bitless bridle, with the poll pressure, transmits signals
better than a hack.
Having said that, though, my personal belief is if
you ride the same horse over the course of several years, they pick up more
through your seat and legs than you know you are transmitting. Basically,
they end up waiting for the hand cue for permission to start the manuver. .
.
