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Thanks for the correction. It may be a regional thing around here that I hear it used interchangeable... they also call all foals "colts"... as in horse colt and filly colt and it drives me nuts!

 

chris

Zephyr Arabians <z_arabs@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

--- Chris Paus wrote:
> As you can see, it's more like a bosal. In fact,
> some people use the terms interchangeably. It is a
> stiff nosepiece. Reins are attached under the chin.

The only thing I'd "correct" you on is that the bosal
& sidepull are actually quite different. :)

The sidepull (as in your link) is direct rein, with
the reins attached at the sides of the face. It's an
excellent piece of equipment for youngsters to learn
to steer and for well-mannered horses. I ride my
endurance mare in one for everything except the start
of an endurance ride when she's in a bit just in case
she decides to run through the sidepull since it has
basically no "whoa" if the horse chooses to ignore it.
The nose piece can be soft or stiff, depending on the
materials it's made from. Many people are also using
rope halter sidepulls that are simply rope halters
with rings added to the sides for direct reins.

Here's a photo of my mare modeling her sidepull:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3177&item=7167803359
(The seller is the person who braided it to my
specifications; it's a sidepull-halter-bridle combo.)

The bosal is a western riding piece of equipment that
is also used for young horses. The reins attach under
the chin. I suppose it's direct rein since it's used
two-handed, but to my eye it looks more like something
to train a horse to neck rein (as that would be the
next step for a western horse). In the show ring, a
"hackamore horse" is actually in a bosal, not a
mechanical hackamore (which is yet another piece of
equipment).

Here's a bosal:
http://www.lessismorehorse.com/bosal%20black%20wide%20shot.jpg

The vosal is a variation of the bosal. Several of the
endurance tack makers offer this option. The vosals
I've seen in person have always had at least some
metal parts.

Here's a photo of a vosal:
http://madtack.net/MaxTealVosal.jpg

As Chris noted, the term "bitless bridle" now
generally refers to the cross-under sidepull.
Technically, however, any of the variations of bridles
without bits would be bitless bridles. ;)

And, of course, there are also mechanical hackamores.
These are a grey area, with some people considering
them bits and others considering them bitless.
Mechanical hackamores, unlike the others above, have a
lot of "whoa" and can be used quite harshly if not
careful. Many horses go very well in them, and in the
right hands are probably one of the best endurance
options for horses that like them ("whoa" when you
need it, but no bit in the mouth).

~Nicole

Zephyr Arabians http://www.zephyrarabians.com
KattWmn Web Design http://www.kattwmn.com

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Chris Paus

BayRab Acres http://pages.prodigy.net/paus

Lake Region SWA  http://lakeregionswa.fws1.com