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Yes, the bosal, sidepulls and Dr. Cooks Bitless are all different. The 
Dr. Cooks
crosses under the jowels and also puts pressure over the nose and on the poll.
The sidepull only puts pressure over the nose. My horse goes in anything
bitless, but acted confused by the Dr. Cook.

Then there is the Gwana PonyBoy bitless that crosses under the jowels 
and puts a
 single rope strand of pressure over the nose (strong), but does not 
pull on the
poll. It works great for us and looks good too (looks like a rope 
halter, which
it is also).

If your horse tries to avoid nose pressure by pulling and tugging on 
the nose or
throwing the head up, definitely use a running martingale for the start of the
race. If not, they can toss the reins over their head, even at a walk, and you
are helpless.

Terry
Free the feet!
uoting Zephyr Arabians <z_arabs@xxxxxxxxx>:

> --- Chris Paus <paus@xxxxxxxxxxx> 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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