Re: Sliester Hackamores

[Rayna777@aol.com]

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a Sliester Hackamore in response to a real scary runaway 
situation with my horse.

I have been riding for 25 years, on hundreds of horses, a lot of them horses 
no one else would ride. ( I don't do that anymore, 37, two kids, and a few 
grey hairs has taught me something) But I can honestly say I have never been 
so scared on the back of a horse as I was that day!

I have ridden this horse, Rayna for 4 years now, been competing for three.  
She's a great mare, a lot smarter than me sometimes.  She had been voicing 
her opinions loudly about the bit I was using for about three weeks, but I 
wasn't listening.  She has always tossed her head alot, but she was getting 
worse all the time. 
I decided she was just being stubborn.  Stupid me.  Well, I went for a ride, 
alone, with one of those "stop and turn" bits that a lot of people use.  She 
was dreamy.  Nearly perfect.  For about a mile and a half.  Then she suddenly 
dropped her head, stretched out and took off like a bat out of hell, straight 
up the road,( gravel) and showed no sign what so ever that I exsisted in the 
same dimension as she did.

I spent a mile and a half pleading, pulling and panicking, until she stopped 
at the trail head where we normally go.  Thank God!  I think I would have 
been killed if she had tried to make that corner at that speed, or we would 
have met a logging truck, and you would have all been watching a remake of 
"The Horse Whisperer" sometime soon.

Anyway, I had brought a bit with me, but when I went to put it on, I saw her 
mouth was bruised on the bars!  Boy, did I feel like an idiot!  So I went out 
and bought myself a Sliester Hackamore, in black to match my biothane 
headstall, and now Rayna and I are BOTH in heaven!

I like the hackamore becuase it's well-balanced, well-made, and the shanks 
don't flip up if the horse thows their head.

I emailed Teddy at runningbear, and am having a biothane-neoprene lined 
noseband made, as Rayna has very delicate skin, and rubs easily.

I have never seen a Sliester with shorter shanks, but with a light hand, and 
maybe a little looser curb, I think it's plenty mild.

I use a rubber chain gaurd over a biothane curb strap, not because biothane 
rubs, which it definitley does not, but because the strap is narrow, and the 
keepers pinch sometimes.  This set up has turned Rayna back into the 
dreamboat of a trail horse that she was when I got her.

I can't say enough good things about the Sliester Hackamore in regards to my 
horse.  I wouldn't buy anything else.

One word of caution:  I bought a used one, and discovered the rivits were 
corroded very badly.  Be sure to check this if you buy or borow a used 
hackamore.

Well, I'm off to camp with my horse for three days, then a ride next 
weekend.... See ya on the trails!

Julie and Rayna


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