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Re: [RC] Bitless Bridle/Mech Hack - Zephyr Arabians--- Kristen A Fisher <kskf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: So can you explain why the mechanical hackamore give more control? I have seen a lot of people use them and know they have some leverage, but don't have a good idea of how they work. It has the leverage & "nutcracker" action of a curb bit, just without the bit through the mouth. Like curb bits, the amount of pressure is determined by the length of the shanks; mechanical hackamores are available in a wide variety of styles and levels of severity. The degree of "whoa" can also be altered by the material across the nose (wide, skinny, soft, hard) and the choice of curb chain or curb strap. But, even a mild mechanical hack -- like the "Little S" or the "Beetle" or the "jumping hackamore" -- can have quite a "whoa" on them in comparison to a non-shanked bit. Here's a Little S: http://www.sportack.com/images/ASH04.jpg As you can see, the shanks are quite short, so this is about as mild as mechanical hackamore leverage gets. However, most Little S hackamores are made with that stiff nose, which does offer some "bite" across the nose (some sellers do offer them with softer/milder materials as well). The Little S works well for endurance because of the design the shanks don't hang below the mouth and make it really easy for the horse to eat & drink while wearing it. Here's a Beetle: http://www.barrelracer.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/hackbeetl.jpg It has a tad longer shanks than the Little S, and I've never seen one without the stiff single rawhide nose. Here's the one that used to be called a "jumping hackamore" or "English hackamore" but I rarely see it called that anymore (and is always sold in the "western bits" sections of catalogs not English anymore): http://images.auctionants.com/5-105278.jpg It's got 6" cheeks, so similiar leverage to the Little S, but this one always has that wide, padded nose. This is the mechanical hackamore that I've used the most & use on my gelding (I also wrap the chain in vetwrap to help prevent pinching). Then, on the other end of the spectrum from those three relatively mild hackamores, you have this: http://www.moonrakerqh.com/tack/gfx/bit-25-1000.jpg That one has 8" to 9" shanks (lots of leverage) and a rubber wrapped bike chain nose (lots of bite). You won't find many horses that will run through a hackamore like that (I'm sure they exist, but I wouldn't want to ride them!). There are a WIDE variety of mechanical hackamores out there. And, like any bit, they are really only as harsh or as mild as the hands they're in. ~Nicole Zephyr Arabians http://www.zephyrarabians.com KattWmn Web Design http://www.kattwmn.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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