My horse goes really well in a hackamore but I was wondering if there are any bits that have similar actions? Or what is the action of the hackamore? Why does it work so well? No problems with teeth.
I suppose it would be bits with the poll pressure and curb action - such as a Kimberwicke or Pelham. I personally don’t like Kimberwickes though lol.
Myler and a few others make a bit that has a noseband which applies hackamore pressure. It’s a lot of bit.
Mikmar does too.
I’d use a hackabit if you’re looking for that action with a bit. Some places sell them as “combination hackamores.” Same thing.
A Kineton noseband might be interesting to try too. It hooks around the bit and disperses some of the pressure on the bit to the bridge of the nose and also holds the bit very quietly in the mouth. It won’t give you any curb action under the chin, but I still think it could be worth a try.
A lot of people will tell you this noseband is a trainstopper, but that absolutely was not my experience with it. I used mine on a very hot TB jumper who did go well in a hackamore, but needed the bit to refine turning and adjustability. A combination bit didn’t work well, and strong bits just caused her to go “up-and-down” with her stride while flipping her head. The Kineton held the bit so quietly that she tolerated it well (I think I used a French link), and it also provided some of the hackamore-style nose pressure that she seemed to prefer.
A word of caution - I never put a single joined snaffle with my Kineton, as I was worried that it would become similar to a Wilson snaffle with a pretty harsh nutcracker action. If you do try a Kineton, make sure to think about how the noseband might change the bit mechanics before you stick it on. 
Why a hackamore works and what else might work will vary from horse to horse. What problems were you having that the hackamore seems to have solved? What do you dislike about the hackamore that makes you want to keep looking for a bit?
Hackabits are similar in action, but depending on the problem they may not solve it. And yes, they are a lot of bit. Pelhams and Kimberwickes also work off poll pressure and chin pressure, but a) they also use bar/tongue pressure, and b) they have a lot less leverage than the hackamore you’re probably riding in. Also no nose pressure.
So, I think the short answer is - nothing is quite like a hackamore but a lot of things are similar in specific ways, which may or may not work depending on what your horse seems to like and the behavior you’re trying to correct.
OP, what kind of hackamore are you using? The name is applied to all variety of bitless bridles these days.
As a kid, I rode Western in what we called a “mechanical hackamore,” which had a leather noseband, a leather chin-strap, and quite long aluminum shanks, so the action was leverage on the jaw and nose. This was a very strong bit. I used it to teach my horse whoa, and she got very light in it, I almost never needed to do more than start to lift the reins even for a sliding stop. This was a great bit for Western reining-style riding. But it would be pointless for English riding, IMO, as you wouldn’t really want to ride on constant contact.
On my current horse I’ve used a sidepull, which is just a nose band, a bit more stable than riding in just a halter.
IMO, no bit acts like a hackamore, since the whole point of the hackamore and the reason for using one is to take the bit out of the horse’s mouth, whether you are an old-style buckaroo rider breaking a horse in a bosal, or a kid trying to teach whoa! to a pony that doesn’t really like a bit, or me recently trying to get over some problems with fussiness and lack of forward.
If the horse goes better in a hackamore, it’s because the horse hasn’t been fully trained to accept the bit in the mouth, for whatever reason. If circumstances allow, you can just ride in the hackamore forever (like I did as a kid), but if you need a bit for showing, then you need to re-adjust back to whatever is legal in your division.
[QUOTE=Scribbler;8604266]
As a kid, I rode Western in what we called a “mechanical hackamore,” which had a leather noseband, a leather chin-strap, and quite long aluminum shanks, so the action was leverage on the jaw and nose. This was a very strong bit. I used it to teach my horse whoa, and she got very light in it, I almost never needed to do more than start to lift the reins even for a sliding stop. This was a great bit for Western reining-style riding. But it would be pointless for English riding, IMO, as you wouldn’t really want to ride on constant contact.[/QUOTE]
Lots of jumpers do go in a mechanical hackamore, just as you described above, or in one combined with a bit.
