Mechanical hackamore and British Showjumping

[Caol Ila]

A friend of mine who rides bitless entered a little unaffiliated SJ show, held at our yard. She had a mechanical hackamore with flower shanks on her horse, not that it matters. She was riding in a 50cm class. Also, not that it matters. The show organizers DQ'd her immediately, telling her that they were following BSJA rules, and as per British Showjumping regulations, the bitless bridle was not permitted. When I saw her a wee while later and she told me this, my first reaction was surprise. I thought that not only were hackamores kosher in British Showjumping, they were also kosher at FEI showjumping. I am 100% sure that I have seen GP riders using hackamores, you know, in the Olympics. However, we had a look at the rules and could find nothing expressly permitting bitless bridles (but nothing plainly prohibiting them, either). BE expressly lists hackamores as being legal to ride in for the SJ phase, but we couldn't find an equivalent BSJA rule.

Can anyone who knows more about arcane SJ rules than us direct me to something official that might help my friend argue her case with the organizers? Today is obviously water under a bridge, but when the next show rolls around, she'd really like to do her 50cm course. And maybe in a year or two, I'd like to do the same on Hermosa (might have to stick a sidepull on because the Western hackamore is definitely too out there), so I do kind of have a dog in the fight. Also, we are pretty sure they were just wrong, and it's worth pointing that out.

 

[DabDab]

Bitless bridles certainly always were allowed on horses under BS. The only thing they weren't allowed for was pony classes. Maybe as it was a 50cm, they were running under pony rules? (Trying to be generous)

 

[dixie]

I’ve jumped in a hackamore in BS classes.
It was about 20 yrs ago but looking at photos nowadays it send anything it’s pretty much allowed BS.
Was it maybe pony club rules ?

 

[dixie]

 

[maya2008]

Adults (incl adults on ponies) are allowed to ride bitless. Children are not. Your friend needs to query this with the organisers for any future SJ trips.

 

[SEL]

I have a friend who jumps her TB in a hackamore and she was definitely jumping under BS rules at the weekend from her FB update.

Unaffiliated DQ is really petty no matter what they thought the rules were!! Although I think some people seem scared of bitless - I was asked recently if I 'even rode on the roads in that' when tacking up the microcob in her hackamore.

 

[Caol Ila]

I’ve jumped in a hackamore in BS classes.
It was about 20 yrs ago but looking at photos nowadays it send anything it’s pretty much allowed BS.
Was it maybe pony club rules ?

He said specifically it was a BSJA rule.

I have a friend who jumps her TB in a hackamore and she was definitely jumping under BS rules at the weekend from her FB update.

Unaffiliated DQ is really petty no matter what they thought the rules were!! Although I think some people seem scared of bitless - I was asked recently if I 'even rode on the roads in that' when tacking up the microcob in her hackamore.

People are scared of bitless. The show organizers are also our yard managers, who think we're a bit bonkers. But for day-to-day stuff, we do our thing without any bother from anyone, even if people might quietly think we are weird hippies.

The pony rule that dixie posted could be interpreted to mean bitless isn't permitted, especially if someone already didn't want to be proven wrong, though it does say hackamores are legal in the Pony Gold classes. It's a bit convoluted. You have to read the legalese pretty closely and think about it, probably harder than he wants to. It would be easy for someone to quickly scan that document and say, "Nope, not legal." Is there anything permitting them in really clear language, like BE has?

Or could she email the powers-that-be at BS and ask for clarification of the rule?

 

[shortstuff99]

Hackamores are allowed at British riding clubs too.

I can't find BEs rule book online but I'm sure that they banned hackamores (or talked about it) which is maybe where it has come from?

 

[Caol Ila]

I found the FEI's rulebook. They are very clear and easy to understand. Might not help, though, because the FEI isn't BSJA.

 

[SEL]

Or could she email the powers-that-be at BS and ask for clarification of the rule?

I agree the language isn't clear.

They are clearly excluded from those pony classes but not clearly included for the other classes

I'd email if I was her. Then if she gets the response she needs she can just blame it on the confusing handbook

 

[Caol Ila]

BS seem to be relying on the "if it's not expressly excluded, it's included" theory of jurisprudence. That lends itself to confusion and misinterpretation, in law as well as horse show rules.

 

[LEC]

Allowed in all jumping disciplines. You would need to check for eventing xc though but definitely allowed sjing.
Side pulls are not allowed needs to be standard hackamore

 

[Caol Ila]

Allowed in all jumping disciplines. You would need to check for eventing xc though but definitely allowed sjing.
Side pulls are not allowed needs to be standard hackamore

Does it matter what kind of shanks it has? So long as they're under 17" (which is the FEI rule).

 

[DabDab]

Allowed in all jumping disciplines. You would need to check for eventing xc though but definitely allowed sjing.
Side pulls are not allowed needs to be standard hackamore

I saw someone BS jumping in a sidepull approx 6 months ago...they may have been eliminated later I suppose, but I understood that all forms of bitless were fine just so long as it was a 'traditional' bridle setup (I.e. not a headcollar)

 

[LEC]

Tbh the rules look like anything goes as long as English bridle/saddle and used correctly. Many many more rules around hind boots!

https://www.britishshowjumping.co.uk/_files/MH2022V3.pdf