# Bit vs Bosal



## Sally Sue (Feb 20, 2015)

I have some questions on whether to train my horse in a bit or bosal. Both have there good and bad sides. Now i know most people associate bosals with cruelty. But that is only on the rider's part. If he or she has soft hands either the bosal or bit works fantastic! I would like to hear some opinions if I should use a bit or should use a bosal. The type of bosal i would probably get is the rawhide one. I would definitely make sure it was not a harsh one such as ones of metal or have wire wrapped around them. In my mind if you have to use one of the harsh ones on your horse you should have trained your horse better! But thats just my opinion. Please let me know which you would prefer starting a young horse out on.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I like a bosal (rawhide core with a Mecate) or a double rope side pull. Graduate to a sweet iron loose ring snaffle (carried) and then as a half breed, then go to the snaffle for riding and go on from there. This program takes time but I like it for any discipline. 

I never found a rawhide core bosal to be cruel and have never heard that.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

We have one horse that doesn't care for a bit so he is ridden in a bosal.

Not at all cruel. I am sure it could be used cruelly but then so could a bit.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Sally Sue said:


> I have some questions on whether to train my horse in a bit or bosal. Both have there good and bad sides. Now i know most people associate bosals with cruelty. But that is only on the rider's part. If he or she has soft hands either the bosal or bit works fantastic! I would like to hear some opinions if I should use a bit or should use a bosal. The type of bosal i would probably get is the rawhide one. I would definitely make sure it was not a harsh one such as ones of metal or have wire wrapped around them. In my mind if you have to use one of the harsh ones on your horse you should have trained your horse better! But thats just my opinion. Please let me know which you would prefer starting a young horse out on.



Are you confusing a bosal with a mechanical hackamore? A bosal, that conforms to legal show rules (no metal core, plus a minium width, is in no way harsh or cruel, and in fact, old horsemen used the double on colts, to condition them to think they could not run through a bosal, as it is easier for ahorse to run through a bosal than a snaffle.

I prefer to start a young horse in a snaffle, for several reasons

First, you can get better communication and finesse with a bit
Second, I am better with a bit and in no way profess to being a hackamore reinsman, although I ma perfectly capable of riding a horse in a bosal
Having said that, once I have horse going well in a snaffle, I will often alternate riding them in a bosal and have shown many jr horses in a bosal as well as in a snaffle


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Smilie, as a three year old, shown and ridden in both a snaffle and a bosal


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## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

I think bosals are just as _"cruel"_ as bits technically speaking and have the potential to cause the same amount of damage if not more if used incorrectly.

Some points regarding a bosal: make sure it is adjusted properly and that it fits the horse's face correctly. The noseband is actually quite thick and works with a substantial amount of pressure on the bones of the face.

Regarding what to start a young horse in: I think it's really the preference of the trainer and I wouldn't knock anyone for starting a horse either way. I can see both the benefits and cons of starting a horse in a bosal vs a bit and vice versa. As long as it results in a soft, responsive horse, I could care less.

_*Personally*_? I don't think a bosal offers any benefits to starting a horse that halter breaking doesn't already teach them. Sure a bosal offers a bit more vertical pressure for backing up and stopping than a halter does, but that knowledge really does nothing to help the horse when it finally does come time to start bit training. Why? Because when a metal bit is putting pressure on the inside of his mouth, he really isn't thinking about the time when there was pressure on the outside of his face.

Just my two cents. Again though, I would never knock anyone for starting a horse in a bosal. I just wouldn't use this method myself as it seems like an unnecessary step.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Quite true that a horse started in a snaffle, can easily be ridden in a bosal, and I have often done so, as the fashion is to show jr horses , esp in western pl, in a bosal, and where either can be used
The converse is not true, as I also have often mentioned. The mouth is virgin territory , far as a horse learning to respond to those new pressure points, while bittless devises use pressure points already learned, since being halter broke
So many horses said to 'hate bits, have a too sensitive mouth, instead lack proper bitting and education
If you ever decide to show, sooner or later that horse will need to be bitted, showing western as senior horse, one handed in a curb
Does not really matter which you use to start a horse, long as it has no leverage. I just found starting a horse bittless, whether using a sidepull or something else, did not change the end result, so I just skipped that phase, and went back to starting colts in a snaffle
JMO, much easier to take head away, if needed, on a green horse with a snaffle then with a bosal


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Firstly, I've never heard the attitude that 'bosals are cruel', although I agree that anything can be, and also with the comment that perhaps you're confusing it with a mechanical so called 'hackamore', which can be rather rough, perhaps not least because they often don't give clear signals. I have not used a hard round rawhide or otherwise bosal though, and have one I made which is a soft rope core and leather braiding, which is flattened at the nose. So it's flexible, not sharp or abrasive over the nose and is effectively very little different to a rope halter... except prettier! ;-)

I always start horses bitless to begin with(usually rope halter) - agree that 'harshness' is in the hands, not the equipment, that bitless can be harsh too, but I do think there is less 'margin for error' and more likelihood of causing pain/reactivity with a bit on an uneducated horse.


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

I prefer to start my colts in a snaffle. I think there's a lot more communication and finess of cues that can be easily read and translated. I can teach them to carry a bit, get them used to one and then work on my leg cues for when I transition into bitless and/or tackless later on down the road. Really I'm killing six birds with one stone and not over exerting myself or the horse. 

Regardless I think ANY horse should be taught to ride both with a bit and without and then make the final decision of what becomes 'permanent' when the horse decides.


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