Hackamores....

[Parkranger]

Anyone use them - what are your experiences?

My boys had his teeth done but he absolutely hates accepting the bit.....he's got a very soft mouth....

So I'm thinking of giving it a go - he goes very well when long reined in a dually so obviously responds to nose/poll pressure really well.

Bear in mind he's a crazy 8 year old TB.....! x

 

[vicijp]

I have a horse at the moment who I ride in a hackamore at home because I simply cant touch his mouth at any time without fly leaps/rears. Even though ive only been using it for a couple of weeks he hunted in a rubber snaffle'grackle and was a lot happier.
Ive used it on a lot of likewise horses before with success. I find they are a lot happier with a bit in after a while, and swop back for fast work/schooling over fences/hunting. They seem to forget about the things they were ultra sensitive before.

 

[Parkranger]

Thing is he's always been touchy with his mouth - unfortunately I don't know much about his background so it's hard to know why.

When I got him he was in a straightbar happy mouth - he's in a happy mouth snaffle now but I'm thinking it may be too low in his mouth (I believe the straightbar sits higher)?

mmmm, might give one a go tonight and see how he schools in it.... x

 

[vicijp]

He sounds just the type that would take to one. The horse I mentioned before was ridden in a Kineton and a bungee (girth to bit jobbie) - has royally messed his mouth up.
I always find that it takes them a bit of time to adapt for them, I always just walk and trot on hacks for a few days before tightening it up.
If your horse is happiest/calmest in the school then 'break' him too it in there, but I wouldnt attempt anything too serious until he is well used to it.

 

[Parkranger]

thanks for the advice - he's a bit of an arse in the school at the moment but he constantly fights for his head so I end up bridging the reins the whole time I'm in the school - atleast I can try a hackamore and see if it makes a difference.

I just figure that if he works so well in a dually (straight into an outline etc) he must be happier working this way - we'll see!

x

 

[Agent XXX999]

I ride my boy in a hackamore…as he is funny in his mouth too. I think its great but you have to be quite concise with your seat/leg aids or you might have an issue with steering! Also be gentle as it can come as a shock to some horses and you may end up on 2 legs instead of four – but apart from that I think they are great and rotate between a hackamore and a rubber straight bar snaffle and a Pelham depending on what I am doing…

 

[Enfys]

Give it a try in a school. You may be surprised at how well he accepts it. I hacked and hunted arabs in hackamores and they weren't exactly ploddy types but they loved it. The mare in particular would chase me around the stable trying to get her head in the bridle.
What type are you debating using? I used the English pattern which they liked. I tried the German design and they both found it very severe and absolutely refused to move forward at all. I haven't used the Dr Cook type so can't comment on that one.
Good Luck

 

[Parkranger]

theres a girl at my yard who rides in one so I was going to give it a go - not sure which one it is!

Was going to order the Dr Cook as there's a 30 day no quibble money back guarantee ....

Re. steering, he's so unresponsive with his head - I always steer with my legs!

 

[Loopy Lu]

I've used an english and german type on my mare. She hated a bit and I found she was brilliant in either type of hackamore, though I settled on an English one in the end. She did start pratting around after a couple of months, so I found a couple of months in a hackamore then a few weeks in a bit was the best. I worked my way through loads of bits and in the end settled on a Waterford. I know they can be quite severe if you aren't careful but she totally loved it and I found that after about 12 months of doing the alternating, the periods in a bit were getting longer before the head rattling got so bad I had to move back to the hackamore, then I finished up riding her totally in the Waterford. I wasn't happy using the hackamore 100% of the time because she would start to take advantage, lean and be difficult to stop sometimes (something she had never been before), and this always happened after a couple of months in it. But I think using it in this way enabled her to accept the bit totally. So it's whichever way you want to go!

 

[KrashnBurn]

I ride my boy in one, infact have SJ and done XC in it

(although I was asked not to use it at a PC event) and he goes really really well. I use a Jefferies english type with lovely heavy weight sides.

Those cheap things you see with thin plates at the sides are not nearly as good.

 

[Gwenneh]

My old horse wouldn't take a bit, so I rode her all the time in a simple English hackamore. She was very, VERY happy with it! That's her in my avatar.