# Why 'Loping Hackamore'?



## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

The little bit I've seen about these suggests that they're for helping a tense horse and is used for just every day riding. 

According to QH news, "It's very soft and comfortable on the horse’s nose and is good for everything from trail or pleasure riding to warming up in the show pen. A great tool to help stressed or tense horses relax." The website where this one is sold adds, "The 4 plait has slightly more feel than the 3 plait hackamore but is still very soft on the horse’s nose."

So with that in mind maybe a softer alternative to a bosal? That's the only thing I can figure is that it's called that because it's soft so you can lope very comfortably (for the horse) in it.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

horseluvr2524 said:


> I have seen some rope noseband western sidepulls called a 'loping hackamore'. Why is it called that? Is it used for starting horses when they are learning to lope with rider? Why not just use their normal training bit or bitless device, whatever they normally use? What is the main discipline that uses it? (Western pleasure, reining, etc.)
> 
> Please educate me


That's anew one on me, and I have ridden western for many years, in various disciplines!
I'll have to google it!

Some one just came up with a new gimmick, like happy bits, and many other things, meant to give some kind of edge to training, when in reality, the basic training gear, that is legal to show in, whether a snaffle bit or a hackamore, is the standard of any good training program
My idea was always to train, warm up a horse, is the equipment I showed him with. Can't show with that invention, so why warm a horse up with it?


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

show rules in hackmore/snaffle bit classes have legal description of a bosal that can be used, far as diameter, ect. No other bittless devises are show legal, in judged western events
Thus, this is just someones invention, advertised in AQHA News, but has nothing to do with showing AQHA.Note, it can be used in warm up, but not to show. People I know, whether cowhorse, reiners, ect, warm up with what they show in. Guess you could warm up in aside pull also- but why?

Maybe another piece of tack to add to your training collection


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Because the bitless community is so noisy these days that they needed something else to appeal to more people.

I'm all for using whatever your horse goes best in, and if you're a pleasure rider it doesn't matter - But things like that really don't have a place in my barn, so it doesn't appeal to me from a show or performance aspect. I wouldn't even run barrels in it. A lot of the sites that list loping hackamores say they are "For when you want to give your broke horse a break from the bit" - Which tells me they are appealing to riders who did not start their horses in a bit properly, because if you start them properly in it, they don't need a break from the bit IMO.

The only time I use bitless anything (Besides a hackamore on my colts) is for kids riding lessons, they ride in a side pull or in a halter until they learn to use their hands and graduate to using a bit.

I don't like starting colts bitless either, in this or anything else. I have done it in a hackamore, but to me, the risk of a fractious colt learning to pull away from my hands is just too great for me. I haven't had it happen yet, but I have had plenty of success starting one in a snaffle for the first week or two and then deciding who gets to be my hackamore horse than starting them all in hackamores and deciding who gets to be my snaffle horse.


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

My mare goes well in that type of sidepull, so I was just wondering why it is called a loping hackamore. She's been trained and will take a bit, but was always more willing and responsive bitless. Now, since trying out one of these rope noseband sidepulls, I find that she goes even better in that than an english mechanical hackamore.
Just thought it an odd name 'loping hackamore'.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I find it funny that there's all this negativity about them on here, yet one of our VERY respected members who has trained horses for years makes and uses them. :shrug: Maybe @smrobs can shed some light on their purpose and appeal?


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

They're called loping hackamores because that's what they were originaly used for- loping cutting horses.


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

COWCHICK77 said:


> They're called loping hackamores because that's what they were originaly used for- loping cutting horses.


I figured it was something like that. Thanks!


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

horseluvr2524 said:


> I figured it was something like that. Thanks!



I never seen them outside of the cutting horse world until the last few years. I think they figured they could make money selling them to the bitless crowd.

We(assistants/lopers) used them to lope/warm up cutting horses then the trainer would use a bridle to school and show in.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

There's no negativity Paige, just my honest answer. Jen uses them for ranch work primarily which I think is a good use of them if that's what the horse likes, because on the ranch there are no rules - But all my qualms with them have to do with not being able to get a horse ready to show in one and them not having the type of body manipulation needed to barrel race.

(I guess I did quip on the bitless community a little bit, but I think right now that is what most people selling them are playing on, not their original purpose.)


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

SorrelHorse said:


> There's no negativity Paige, just my honest answer. Jen uses them for ranch work primarily which I think is a good use of them if that's what the horse likes, because on the ranch there are no rules - But all my qualms with them have to do with not being able to get a horse ready to show in one and them not having the type of body manipulation needed to barrel race.
> 
> (I guess I did quip on the bitless community a little bit, but I think right now that is what most people selling them are playing on, not their original purpose.)


Didn't mean it was rampant negativity, just that the responses from you and Smilie were a little strong (at least to me). ;-)


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

20 years ago if you went to any cutting the loping pen was a sea of loping hackamores. The last time I was at the NCHA Futurity I just seen a few. Cutters are a fickle bunch and have their fads like any other discipline just their stuff isn't quite as obvious..lol
So as the fad changed I imagine the loping hackamore got marketed differently.
Again, the loping hackamore wasn't meant to school or train in it was just to lope horses down. The horse then gets its bridle to school and show in, he may even go back to the loping hackamore to get cooled out.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

What I use now is kind of halfway between a loping hack and a bosal really. They are made of rope, but they are much stiffer than other loping hacks so they do have a bit more feel like a good bosal (still not nearly as much because they can't really be "shaped", though I intend to try with a blow dryer one of these days LOL)....but they are a heck of a lot cheaper and I can make them to fit my funky headed horses LOL.

My pony greatly prefers his hack to any bit I've tried on him so that's what he's ridden in regardless of what I'm doing on him; trails, sorting cattle, or roping. My others, I make them just for sh**s and giggles and because sometimes I'm just in a mood to try something different or I just want to plod around with no real aim.


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## horseluver250 (Oct 28, 2009)

Smrobs did you make that yourself? How did you finish off the chin if you did? Been looking for something like that but all I can seem to find it a complete headstall/reins. All I want is the noseband portion.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I basically just tied the lariat in overhand knots where I cut it off, then used a paracord horn knot to lash them together. Let me go look for a decent pic. Well, this is all I've got. Doesn't look great, but it works LOL



















I've recently started tying them in a different knot instead of the overhand...but I don't know what it's called and this is the only picture I have of one. It's a LOT smaller and takes a lot less rope than the overhand does.


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## Rain Shadow (May 1, 2014)

Smorbs when you start selling those, let me know. I want one for Harley and probably another for Kenzie.


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