I have a nice Quarter Horse mare that I ride low level. We have no plans of showing, just enjoying the ride. Thought it would be nice to try a hackamore on her. Mostly because when I bought her I found out her tongue had been cut. She goes pretty nicely in a Myler comfort snaffle. She also goes well in a rope halter so I think a hackamore would be an easy transition.
Anyone have any advice on type? There’s everything from the leather loop attachment to the mechanical types. I don’t need a lot braking power but of course control always comes in handy in some situations.
I like the look of the Zilco Flower hackamore. Dover has an HS hackamore too. Whenever I read reviews they are all super positive so I guess there is no wrong choice. Thoughts?
I like to do some work in a light weight bosal. (Rawhide nose and and horsehair “reins”). A bosal and some other “bitless” bridles may not stop a full out runaway. But beyond a heavy anchor what will?
A bosal communicates with the horse in a completely different way than a bit or a rope halter. If your horse is one that gets rattled by big changes it may cause a setback in her training. If you have no experience with a bosal have a trainer help you fit it and give you a few lessons on how it works
Or were you thinking of an english hackamore?
Some of the ones for endurance riders fit arab size heads well, but not larger heads, so measure your mare then call and ask questions.
I’m not an expert, so hopefully someone who understands the different functions can chime in, but you might want to consider what exactly you’re looking for in terms of control/aids.
For example, when my horse broke his jaw a few years ago, I used what amounted to a noseband with D rings on each side for reins to attach, a glorified halter. BUT, we were in an enclosed area (both the arena and the property were fenced), so I had no concern for brakes. Plus he’s not one that’s tough to stop anyway. First ride in the hackamore, I went for a gallop in the field, said whoa and gave with the reins, and he stopped. He’s not a fan of much pressure, and he doesn’t need it, so this worked well for us. We were able to school up to 2nd level dressage in this (and probably would’ve been fine with much of 3rd, but he was OK to go back in a bit at that point), but he’s very respectful of halt-halts.
If your horse can be strong, you might want something with a bit more action that this. I believe different hackamores/bitless bridles put different types of pressure on different spots, so this is where someone with more knowledge can advise you better than I can.
Thanks Nestor. I believe my mare is like your horse. She is not difficult to ride in a snaffle. Brakes are not an issue. I am somewhat conflicted with the tongue relief bit shifting the pressure to her bars. Is that good? Her tongue was cut by previous owner (western) and she was taught as a four year old to avoid contact. My vet believes she does not feel any pain but sometimes in a tighter frame she does act like the bit bothers her or is it that her training to avoid contact is still there? Argh!
She’s super sweet and I just want what is best for her.
Here is a very good explanation of how a Mechanical Hackamore
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip8fBax6paI
The Zilco flower is a MH it just has a soft faux leather nose and flower shaped shanks that allow the amount of leverage to be adjusted.
You might ask this question in the Western or another forum that uses hackamores instead of dressage to get more responses.
I agree that the Western and Endurance sections will have more to offer here. That saud, I’m using a Little S hackamore with a leather noseband right now, the Reinsman one which is higher quality and a bit more expensive. It’s milder than many mechanical hackamores. So far so good.
Check out Spanish serratas. They are lunging cavesons, but you can ride in them too. I started my last horse for the first 30 days or so in a serrata before transitioning to a snaffle. I’m considering riding my new mare in it for a while as well so she can get used to carrying a bit and moving out more (similar situation where she was started western and being ridden in a shank as a 4 yo)
I really like the Micklem bridle bitless setup. IME, it allows for more subtle/nuanced aids/communication with the horse than a standard side pull or halter. It also doesn’t involve poll pressure or leverage which some horses find uncomfortable and/or can make some horses curl behind the vertical. I also find hackamores with leverage make bending aids very difficult for the horse to understand as they are not designed for direct rein aids.
“Her tongue was cut by previous owner…” I’m just sitting here trying to digest this. Holy cow!
But that said - I think what you are looking for is a bitless bridle, not necessarily a hackamore. (Not a big fan of mechanical hackamores). ^^ What Ieheath says above. ^^ Ditto!
Ok, as a dressage rider who spends most of her time with show jumpers where the hackamore is common, what problem is it that you are having that you are looking to solve? When we put a horse in a hackamore, or a hackabit, it’s because we are addressing a specific issue.
The reason to change a set up is because something isn’t working.
If your mare doesn’t seek contact, that’s most likely a training issue, not a pain issue. The solution is–often–add leg.
If you only want bump around, I don’t think it’s a big deal that she doesn’t seek contact, but also hackamore is not for teaching a horse to seek the bit.
What does your trainer say?
I have a Zilco Flower hackamore and my mare goes beautifully in it! I tried just about every hackamore/bitless combination on the market and had terrible results. I love that the flower hack can be rotated for more or less “bite” if needed. I changed the curb strap out for a curb chain and my mare is as happy as a clam. She had a mouth issue as well that prevented us from using a bit. Wish I had switched to the flower hackamore years ago! I have 95% of the same feel and conversation ability using the flower hackamore as I did in any bit. Can’t say that about mechanical hacks or bosals.
Have you missed the part where the OP said her horse’s tongue was cut by the previous owner/rider?
And avoiding contact can totally be a pain response to the aids.
There are different way to train a horse to seek bit contact, I’ve used a hackamore before for this purpose quite a few times actually.
In the Op’s case, I think it’s more to relief her mare from having something in her mouth, being conscious and empathetic to her cut tongue more than anything, and Inbelieve it would be a great idea to try a hackamore.
No I didn’t miss it.
Well then, I’m glad the OP is thinking outside of the box for the well-being of her horse.
Thinking outside of the box is great.
Did you miss where I asked her what her trainer said?
It is important that whatever steps are undertaken be done with clear forethought and (at least one) well-educated perspective.
Having a previously injured tongue does not mean the horse can’t be ridden in a bit.
The OP’s veterinarian does not view this previous injury as causing the horse any issues. Did you see that part?
I know lots of honestly poorly trained horses who “go great” in rope halters or with no contact. It’s a classic old dealer trick to show how “well trained” dobbin is, because dobbin never learned to go on contact.
I’m not here to slag the OP, and I don’t care if she isn’t particularly interested in resolving what is most likely a training issue, but if she is, that’s why I said hackamores are for a specific purpose, and asked what her trainer thought.
But, again, if OP just wants to bump around, I don’t think it really matters.
@Lilykoi can you explain what you mean by her previous owner had cut her tounge? I’ve seen horses with tongue injuries take even a double bridle just fine. Of course, these were accidental injuries (normally fence/ stall mesh related) amounting to a small chuck of the side of the tongue being removed.
I believe it is done by tying the horses head into a position with the reins while a bit is in their mouth. They are left like that for however long the trainer likes. She has a deep straight groove across her tongue where the bit lies. When I tried her as a 4 year old she was in a single wire. I thought it was a lot of bit but I when I tried her I rode her Western without contact. It took me a long time to find a bit she liked.
She is doing well and we are making great progress.
I am not familiar with using hackamores but thought I might get some good info here. I think the Zilco Flower might be just what I want. Just looking for a fun alternative.
