Hackamore Bits - People's Opinions

[jaspejoo]

After Recently making the swap to a Hackamore from 4 years of owning my headstrong ISH, I have found a miraculous improvement in his jumping, flat work and his immunity to bits while out hacking. He started to develop a nasty habit in a bit where he literally tugged the reins out of your hands and pulled you flat to his neck, so took the brave leap to bitless!

I have to wonder, with the new development on how the action of snaffle bits can put a horse through so much pain and can cause mouth sores in the roof of the mouth, why it is that lots of competitions you enter don't allow bitless bridles and hackamores?

Such as in dressage you can only use a snaffle, for BE (as far as i'm aware) you can't use a hackamore...i have to say i'm not sure about trailblazers showjumping and BSJA, but does anybody know what the rules in these are?

Does anybody else have an opinion on the matter or is there something blindingly obvious that I am missing about how a hackamore can be bad?

 

[ThePony]

A hackamore can still be very harsh - it isn't a miraculous soft solution to a horse who is tricky in bits, it still needs handling with sensitivity.
For dressage the idea is that the horse is submissive to the aids, including acceptance of the bit. A single joint snaffle can be horrid for the horse (though there are some that get on with them), but there is an almost endless choice of different snaffle bits to suit and be comfortable for most mouth shapes.
Any bit or bitless solution can be harsh, pretty much any can also be soft when handled gently - comes down to the level of training of the horse, the mouth conformation and the hands on the end of the reins.
I've seen hackamores at bsja so assume they are allowed for that, not sure about other disaplins.

 

[Cadfael&Coffee]

I'm pretty sure I've seen an eventer doing the xc at a BE event in a hackamore

 

[Fransurrey]

You'll find that there are a few people with similar opinions/experiences. I accompanied a friend to a local ODE, once, where she was eliminated for riding in a bitless (she was expecting it, just wanted to prove a point and get out and about). They allowed her to continue, but neither of us could understand the issue then and that was 6 years ago. He was perfectly well behaved, in his sidepull.

I don't compete, but have ridden bitless for 8 years, now, only putting a bit in when I'm riding and leading (only have one sidepull). I am in two minds, though as to whether or not I should back Chloe with a bit - she hates the snaffle, but is perfect in the sidepull!

 

[ThePony]

I wonder if the eventing rules are like that because they believe that you don't have as much control in a bitless? Not saying I am of that opinion, but perhaps that is the case?
Tbh though those I have seen in bitless BSJA aren't very good adverts for the idea! Last lady I saw got totally towed around her round before belting out of the arena and straight through a packed collecting ring without even a hint of control - in those circumstances it is just dangerous and rather rude I think - if you can't control your horse then you really shouldn't be out and about in busy arenas as it is an accident waiting to happen - not a situation that is exclusive to those riding bitless though!!

 

[jaspejoo]

Well i'm glad some other people agree with me! I just got my copy of BE rules through and although being completely impossible to understand, i think you are allowed hackamores. And i have to agree with you "ThePony"...when people are out of control, I can understand why they don't allow hackamores, but it seems silly when there are some people out there that have even more control in them! I actually seem to have brakes with my pony in a hackamore and it's either that or a pelham with two reins for cross country which he is almost oblivious so and he is so much happier with being tacked up and things since i've made the swap...it's mad how much difference a bit can make!!!