Question about hackamore training...

[Draftmare]

My western dressage instructor and I both have horses that are fussy about bits. We would both like to play around with bitless over the winter. She knows more than I do, but we are both going to kind of be learning and experimenting together. We plan to take things slow and start from the ground and work our way up. We also have a couple of clinics we plan to attend to audit or ride in.

I do, however, still plan to take my weekly jump lessons in a bit. I don’t want to have to stop to fix something, or feel like I am rushing things with the hack to keep up with the rest of the lesson and the expectations of my jump instructor. I have no idea how fast my horse is going to progress, but is switching back and forth between a hack and a bit, and also switching back and forth between more of a western/reining style of riding and an english hunter style of riding going to be too confusing? Does anybody do this successfully?

Right now I do switch between riding her in a dressage frame in a bit and a hunter frame in a bit without issue, but I don’t know if switching between a bit and teaching her from the ground up to be, essentially, a hackamore horse are going to be confusing.

[beau159]

I switch bits all the time on my horses. Doesn’t seem to bother them one bit.

Shotgun has a bit for English classes. And a different bit for barrel racing. And a different bit for Western showing events. I haven’t actually put a hackamore on him, but he’d probably do just fine in it too.

Red also has a bit for barrel racing, And a different bit for Western showing. And sometimes I’ll stick a correction bit on him for a few rides. And I used to use a Little S Hack for barrel racing – but use it in for winter riding so I don’t have a warm up a bit. Pretty much goes along with whatever I put in his mouth. And sometimes I 'll get a wild hair and ride him in a plain snaffle for a few rides once in a while.

I like using different bits for different events because I do think it helps them know what’s going on, but their skills are transferable. I think you’ll find that your horse transitions between the two just fine. You probably won’t get the same “frame” as easily in a hackamore as you do with a bit but go for it.

[findeight]

Depends on how broke the horse is to each riding style. If they are well finished horses, it won’t make much difference. If they are inexperienced in either, or
both, it could confuse a greenie.

A little cross training in basics is good, expecting more specific performance, like schooling a less experienced horse in a side pull one day and expecting them to negotiate a jump exercise in a bit with contact the next might not be setting the green horse up for success in either.

[csaper58]

Some horses minds can handle tack changes easily, other horses are upset by it.

Could you use one of the sidepull bridles that has optional bit hangers? You also have the option, with that style bridle, to attach a rein to the bit or not.

[Draftmare]

Right now I’m using a Dr Cook. I ordered a flower hackamore that should be here tomorrow. I also found a draft sized bosal that I’m debating on getting. I think our biggest struggle is going to be that she is naturally a horse that wants to carry herself on forehand and pull instead of push. Everything I’m reading says to never let the horse learn they can push against the bosal or hack or it ruins them to the hack. I’m hoping I can find something that will allow us to be successful in a hack while maintaining balance and her not getting on her forehand. She’s so much easier to bridle bitless, is more forward in her gaits, and generally just seems happier.

[CHT]

www.equinnovations.ca has some great bitless options. I have the braided noseband side pull for my lesson horse, and a client is buying the short shanked hack.

Bosals are far trickier than a side pull, Dr. Cook or a shanked hackamore. I would only use a bosal on a horse that does not need a direct rein to steer.

I regularly ride horses in a rope halter (reins attached to the bottom). I find it helps short cut retraining horses who have developed tension with a bit, and the retraining translates well when I put them back in a bit (or ride with both the rope halter and a bit).

The differences between training for English and western just aren’t that great. I used to think they were until I started doing Western dressage with my English mare, Izzy, and discovered how wrong I had been. I want my horse to stay between the reins and respond to light pressure. I never want to have to nag or hold her together. Now with my other mare, I regularly change between dressage, jumping and western. Usually in a side pull or rope halter, but sometimes in a snaffle.

[findeight]

If horse has a tendency to lean or pull, maybe built a little downhill? Bosal is not a good choice, they can pull right through those and you don’t ride on contact to keep the horse light like some of the other options might…that I don’t know because I never used those other bitless options much on anything. I don’t know that they would keep a horse that wants to lean balanced back.

[tinah]

Does she pull because she’s being a mule, or because her back is weak and putting her head down helps her lift the back and push off her back end?

[sonata]

My horse was a puller, bolter and was always trying to get her tongue over the bit. she succeeded. I finally gave up after trying several different bits and put her in a flower hackamore. Wish I had done it several years ago. I have a different horse now. At first she tried pulling, but gave up and it was funny when she went to put her tongue over the bit and there was nothing there. So far, no bolting and when I take her bridle off, she still opens her mouth to let the non exiting bit out of her mouth

[Draftmare]

@findeight

If horse has a tendency to lean or pull, maybe built a little downhill? Bosal is not a good choice, they can pull right through those and you don’t ride on contact to keep the horse light like some of the other options might…that I don’t know because I never used those other bitless options much on anything. I don’t know that they would keep a horse that wants to lean balanced back.

Yes, she is ever so slightly downhill. She is also a draft cross so has somewhat of a “biological desire” to pull instead of push. It’s only been in recent months that I have started to get her to lift her withers and push from behind. I’m hoping that a lot of the same work, lots of transitions mostly, will transfer to the same results bitless…

[Draftmare]

@sonata

My horse was a puller, bolter and was always trying to get her tongue over the bit. she succeeded. I finally gave up after trying several different bits and put her in a flower hackamore. Wish I had done it several years ago. I have a different horse now. At first she tried pulling, but gave up and it was funny when she went to put her tongue over the bit and there was nothing there. So far, no bolting and when I take her bridle off, she still opens her mouth to let the non exiting bit out of her mouth

Well that is encouraging to hear. My mare isn’t a bolter, but she does love to have her tongue over the bit basically from the second it goes into her mouth. She also has her mouth open in pretty much every picture I have of her, and a generally ugly look on her face.

Coincidentally, my instructor also picked the flower hack to try. Her guy clacks his teeth from the minute the bit goes in to the minute the bit comes out. Her horse has bad arabian western pleasure training to blame. Sydney has a history of having her wolf teeth and a trainer that liked to put the bit in way too low. But otherwise no abusive training.