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Good post on bitless bridles




Date: Wed, 02 Jun 1999 12:21:12 -0700
From: Jasmine Cave <toppere@siu.edu>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC:  Bitless Bridles
Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990602122112.0080fa40@saluki-mail.siu.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hackamore is a word used to describe anything that goes around the nose
which acts as a bit. This is not correct. There are actually three distinct
catagories of bitless bridle. The bosal, mechanical hackamore, and the
sidepull. The bosal is usually made of a rawhide tube that goes around the
muzzel of the horse. It has a large knob on the back called the heel butt
which the mecate or bosal reins are attached. The mecate is usually made of
horsehair and are very rough, this is to encourage the horse to move away
from pressure. On the "training" bosal a rope called a fiador is attached
from the poll to heel butt is attached to limit seesaw movement on the
face, it looks like a throatlatch.  The bosal causes irritation to the jaw
as the mecate causes irritaion to the neck to encourage the horse to move
away from pressure, indirect or neck reining is normaly used. A good
quality bosal will have a balenced heel butt that will rest in a neutral
position until the reins are used. When the mecate attached behind the chin
is used, lifting one rein causes the heel butt on to raise and lift to the
side, the back of the bosal will fub the chin and the front will press down
on the nose. This encourages the horse to flex and to turn his head in the
oppisite direction as the signaling rein. When the bosal is used with
intermitten, or give and take pressure the  horse will learn to move
corectly and to flex and be light in the bridle. It is also comfortable to
the horse as pressure is only used when necissary and the horse learns to
correct himself. If ridden with constant pressure the bosal losses all
control as the horse will be unable to find a comfort zone.
The mechanical hackamore act much the same as a curb bit. It uses leverage
on the nose and a curb chain presses behind the chin and poll pressure is
also added. As with a curb the shorter the shanks the less severe and
shanks that curve back are less severe. Instead of a mouthpiece a nosepiece
is used so the wider/thicker is less severe than the narrower/thinner one.
While this type dose not have much lateral control it has brakes and
encourages the horse to lower his head and flex the same as a curb.  The
sidepull acts just like a snaffle. You have greater lateral control, but
less flex. The horse will most likely carry his head higher with this. One
of the most popular forms of the sidepull and one of the most severe is the
3/16 rope halter. The reason it is a sidepull is that there is no leverage.
The reason it is severe is just like when talking bits the narrower the
noseband/mouthpiece the more severe. Most rope halters are very narrow and
so very severe. 
	jasmine



sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.


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