Why would you try a hackamore bridle?

[Green Bean]

As the title suggests, I am looking for the reason you would try a hackamore bridle (not other bitless bridles, just interested in hackamore) with your horse. And if you tried it, was it successful or if not, reason for you not considering it being a success. Just pondering at the mo, so would appreciate all views?

 

[Caol Ila]

I've been researching this myself. I think Foinavon might like bitless but it's a rabbit hole. I tried him in a sidepull once, and it felt like I had no connection, minimal steering, lots of bracing through his neck, and if he did one of his big spooks, I might have ended up in the next county before stopping. I've considered hackamores because he went well in the Myler Combination bit, working off the noseband more than the bit itself.

There are three kinds of hackamores. English or mechanical hacks, bosals, and Indian hackamores. The mechanical hackamore is the kind with the metal shanks. It gives you a lot of brakes, but it's not meant to be ridden with a direct rein or on a contact. It can be very harsh if used in the wrong way.

Bosals are a bit gentler, but the nosepiece has to be fitted properly (they are not common in the UK, so not many people know how to fit them), and they are a faff because they have the extra mecate rein. Most English saddles don't have good points to tie that up and out of the way, but you could make one from the front D rings. I had one for Gypsum (sadly sold) many years ago, when we lived in CO, and I must have found some way to tie up the mecate to an English saddle, as I've never owned a Western one. Bosals don't ride on a constant contact, either, but you can direct rein. Lots of trainers over there use them to start youngsters, and most English-trained horses who don't know how to neck rein will be fine and perfectly ridable in a bosal. A lot of people at my barn, who jumped or did dressage in snaffle bits, used them for trail riding.

Indian hackamores seem to be this: https://buckarooleather.com/blogs/buckaroo-johns-blog/what-is-the-indian-hackamore-1. I've never seen one in real life, much less ridden in it.

If I still lived in CO, I might have tried him in a bosal because they are easy to buy in the US, and it's not difficult to find someone who knows how to fit it to your horse. As far as the mechanical hack goes, that might be something to try in the future, maybe. The horse has to be educated enough to work reliably off seat, legs, and an indirect rein, and he's definitely not there yet.

 

[Peglo]

My friend rode her horse in a hackamore. I’m not sure what her reasoning was (maybe a bit funny to put a bitted bridle on) but from what I remember he went well in it.

 

[pistolpete]

I’ve used them went ok. A friend rides her Welsh D mare in one and she is really good in it. Hate seeing them poorly fitted and going near eyes.

 

[ponynutz]

I'd love to try it on any but as far as I'm aware you have to be incredibly soft in the hand given the pressure put on their poll is worse than the pressure put on their mouth.

Can definitely see some horses preferring no pressure on the mouth!

 

[Snowfilly]

I used an English hackamore for an Arab who needed something a little stronger than his normal scrawbrig in exciting situations aka when leaving the floor to jump.

He hated his mouth being touched and we owned him from weaning to death, he just didn’t like it. So that made us look for bitless.

The side pull never worked brilliantly for him, he didn’t like the sideways pressure. The scrawbrig worked liked a dream but there’d be occasional break failure so the English hackamore worked better and was also allowed SJ without hassle, I didn’t fancy trying to explain bosels to them.

He went well in it but would hype up when he saw that and his boots because he knew they were jumping gear! I very rarely needed it but it was useful coming down to a big double just to be able to hook him back a little.

I would sometimes ride him in a Headcollar and the hackamore, leaving the hackamore reins loose until needed like a pelham with curb reins. That also worked well in the friend but not ideal for competing.

I never looked at the German hackamore because he didn’t need that leverage.

I start most of mine bitless and swear by a scrawbrig for general use for a lot of horses. Also less tack cleaning, no swilling off nasty slobber!

 

[palo1]

I have used a hackamore on a rather 'fussy' arab but he hated it. He can be delightful in an Indian bosal though he can also be a bit wicked and that is something that a horse can run through. They also need to be well made or you risk rather unpleasant rubbing/lack of effective release. Much is in the schooling I think!!

 

[stangs]

I used a hackamore on a pony who was fussy in the mouth but could be strong. But I don’t like them. I prefer using a sidepull (worked well for a horse who had tooth problems, preventing consistent contact with a bit) or a headcollar (helped with a horse who had a habit of going BTV).

 

[Miss_Millie]

I ride my horse in a flower/wheel style hackamore. It's on the 'mildest' setting, so is really more like a side pull, but you can change the reins to different parts of the wheel for different pressure settings. She's much happier bitless - I tried her in several bits.

I think some people have this idea that 'control' comes from a horse being bitted, when really it comes from good training on the ground, regardless of the tack you use. My mare is green but she understands my seat, leg and voice aids well enough that we transitioned very smoothly with no hiccups. And we go on longggg hacks with a lot of traffic.

 

[paddy555]

why wouldn't you try one? I can't see any great mystery about hackamores, we ride in them, have done for years. Some horses like them and some go better with a bit.

If you clip a pair of reins on a headcollar and ride you will have some idea how he will go. My first horse ever didn't get on with a bit, he went well in reins on a headcollar and so I got him an English hack and his problems were solved.

 

[nagblagger]

[QUOTE="paddy555,
If you clip a pair of reins on a headcollar and ride you will have some idea how he will go. My first horse ever didn't get on with a bit, he went well in reins on a headcollar and so I got him an English hack and his problems were solved.[/QUOTE]

Exactly this...i had an arab decades ago before equine dentists etc, he hated the bit so i rode in a headcollar at times, then Eddie Macken, famous showjumper at the time, rode Boomerang (i think) in a hackamore, (for those old enough to remember). Talked my parents into buying me one and we never looked back, even winning a local show jumping class. He loved it.
I did try one on a new forest when she had mouth problems, she went straight up on 2 legs with minimal pressure, but i had never ridden her in a headcollar so my mistake.

 

[SEL]

Because it's the only thing she likes!! Mouth issues mean a bit causes her problems and I tried a few bitless options before getting a cheap hackamore as just one more option

She does actually need a bridle for it now. We currently have one made up of 4 different bridles and a shoe lace to stop it riding up near her eyes. It's not our best look.

My only issue is she has a habit of curling her head back and with a bit I could ask her to come up and forward - she's not so keen bitless. Otherwise I forget it's on tbh

 

[Hepsibah]

I've ridden all of mine in English hackamores at one time or another. I started with it because it was readily available for me to try. I feel it was successful because my horse went well in it and seemed to understand it right away and I felt safe as well.

 

[Shooting Star]

I use a stubben English hackamore on mine if I’m expecting him to be relatively sensible as in the 10 years I’ve owned him I’ve never found a bit he settles in but he loves the hackamore and the padding of the stubben one I feel is kinder than the traditional sheepskin lined English ones.
...if however the ride is likely to be lively then I’d usually go for a bit as for me it gives more control

 

[MuddyMonster]

I used one on mine as he was difficult to bit and he was obviously happier in it than the bits we'd tried at that point.

I stopped using it regularly once I found a bit he liked (and I do have slightly more finesse of our breaks in a bit), but do still use it from time to time.

 

[Green Bean]

Gosh, thank you everyone for your insights, absolutely invaluable. My horse will only accept a double jointed snaffle, anything stronger and she has a strong opinion, even though for SJ she gets quite (read ‘very’) strong. By strong opinion I mean head in the air, bracing and bunny hopping and just generally not being accepting and comfortable. She is absolutely fine in the school to the arena, is nice and soft (after spending quite a bit of time finding the way she responds to how she is ridden - far more complicated than it sounds). I am finding though, that when she is in a situation like hacking at home where she thinks she can successfully try some intimidation like spinning or mini rearing, or appearing to panic when hacking away, I would benefit from a bit more control, I can’t get this from a stronger bit. I am thinking about a Hackamore over bit less as she can lock her neck if she doesn’t want to go a particular way. My only concern in all of this and what has stopped me thinking of a change for a while is her reaction to the Neue Schule universal (I see it as a not so strong gag). It has the double joint snaffle bit but then pole pressure from the sides. I worry a Hackamore would have the same adverse reaction from her. On reflection, after reading my response, it does come off as me being too lenient and soft on her. However, I have made so much progress with listening to her, I believe I will find a solution (I hope) in the future

 

[Hepsibah]

Sometimes just having something with a different action is what's needed. The thing that is different about a hackamore is that it sits on the face doing nothing unless you want to communicate with the horse unlike a bit which is always in contact with the mouth.

 

[Mynstrel]

We had a tb who we'd tried everything else on with little success, he was a different horse on day one in a hackamore, even to handle and in the stable so clearly a bit caused him pain. We also had a mare with a melanoma near her mouth who wasn't ready for retirement when it got to a size where a bit was a problem for her. After having a crossunder until she realised that braking was optional we tried her in a little s hack because the shape fitted round the lump and she happily worked in that. We'd definitely try one again.

 

[Miss_Millie]

Gosh, thank you everyone for your insights, absolutely invaluable. My horse will only accept a double jointed snaffle, anything stronger and she has a strong opinion, even though for SJ she gets quite (read ‘very’) strong. By strong opinion I mean head in the air, bracing and bunny hopping and just generally not being accepting and comfortable. She is absolutely fine in the school to the arena, is nice and soft (after spending quite a bit of time finding the way she responds to how she is ridden - far more complicated than it sounds). I am finding though, that when she is in a situation like hacking at home where she thinks she can successfully try some intimidation like spinning or mini rearing, or appearing to panic when hacking away, I would benefit from a bit more control, I can’t get this from a stronger bit. I am thinking about a Hackamore over bit less as she can lock her neck if she doesn’t want to go a particular way. My only concern in all of this and what has stopped me thinking of a change for a while is her reaction to the Neue Schule universal (I see it as a not so strong gag). It has the double joint snaffle bit but then pole pressure from the sides. I worry a Hackamore would have the same adverse reaction from her. On reflection, after reading my response, it does come off as me being too lenient and soft on her. However, I have made so much progress with listening to her, I believe I will find a solution (I hope) in the future

There's a lot to unpack here.

Rearing, spinning, head in the air, bracing, are all signals of an unhappy and uncomfortable horse. She's trying to communicate to you that something is wrong. If I were you I'd first get everything checked out on the health front - physio, teeth, potential ulcers etc - if all of that is okay, then look at the tack again. Is her bridle creating any pressure points on sensitive nerves on the face? And do you know how to look at the conformation of her mouth, to see where the grass muscle is on the tongue, how low the palette is, does she have a thick or thin tongue etc? Because that can really effect what type of bit is suitable for them, or how high/low the bit should hang in the mouth.

If you feel out of control on hacks, more leverage, whether bitted or bitless, will not help. A stressed horse will not listen to your aids and will run through your hands. My horse was the same, she was uncomfortable in her bit, which resulted in several of the behaviours you're describing. Now with a new bitless bridle accompanied by a lot of ground work, I no longer have these problems and she responds to the most gentle of aids.

Especially with locking their neck, horses can and will do this regardless of the gear they're in, if you don't do the groundwork training. I learnt that the hard way with my horse.

Keep listening to her and I'm sure you'll find the answer, good luck.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

We've got a hackamore & we use this on occasions, one of the reasons was one of our horses had plenty of teeth removed due to EOTRH (https://midwestvetdental.com/equine-dentistry/eotrh-syndrome/). This is a terrible disease, where is little known about the disease & the only treatment is to remove the loose teeth. Until the mouth of the horse has healed up a hackamore is a painless way to exercise the animal without causing any mouth pain.

 

[Shysmum]

Because Shy never accepted any bit, no matter what it was. Gone bitless and hes happy as Larry. Very little hand pressure needed, total control. Bitless can be very harsh in the wrong hands.

 

[fidleyspromise]

My mare has diastemas so I've been pondering getting one to ensure she's as comfortable as possible. I've ridden her in stubble fields, through the woods and to the beach in a halter and she's been responsive.

 

[Cob Life]

I ride one in a hackamore as she will accept a bit but she’s much happier in the flower hackamore

the other hates face pressure and is very happy in a bit so I wouldn’t try him in a hackamore as I know he doesn’t like that kind of pressure

 

[maya2008]

We have a flower hackamore for one of the kids’ ponies. If your hands aren’t perfect she gets cross and runs through a bit, whereas she respects this.

 

[Fjord]

I switched to a hackamore because I had my girl in a pelham with 2 reins and we still had issues with brakes. She'd fling her head, set her neck and there'd be a pulling contest which I'd invariably lose. This happened in all the bits I tried. I finally figured it couldn't be any worse bitless so bought a second hand hackamore and the difference was unreal. She listened, didn't headshake, we had brakes, her head was down, honestly I felt awful that I hadn't tried it years ago. I don't think she likes the constant pressure of something in her mouth and this is perfect for her.

 

[Birker2020]

I used one on my previous WB Rommy as he kept sticking his tongue to the side when ridden. The EDT couldn't find anything amiss but i wanted to see if it was to do with the bit causing an issue.

So we used it for a couple of weeks. One day we went to the local riding club boundary ride and I cantered him across the stream, and he took off the other side and bolted. It was very hard to stop him, obviously sawing the mouth only works if you have a bit and giving and taking the reins against something that feels like falling concrete slab in your hands does little to help. I had to point him towards a 12 foot hedge which stopped him.

Incidentally I used to ride Bails in a Monty Roberts Dually halter. She used to go very well in it. I was just experimenting, I don't think it was for any reason in particular. I used to hack out in it and jump her in it too, it felt better brakes than a bit. She used to ride very nicely in it at one point.