# Bit vs hackamore for young beginner rider



## CalienteCalcetines (Oct 5, 2011)

My son is 4, turning 5 next month. Just brought home his first horse(s) this weekend. I plan to start him riding on a long line (no bridle) so he gets used to how to sit & feeling the horses movements first. But trying to decide on a setup for when it's time to hand him the reins (still on the long line initially). I had planned on a hackamore, but now questioning if a simple snaffle might be better? The horse he will mostly is a very well trained 20 yr old mare, she's been used for barrel racing (4-H) for the last 10 years, and has a *very* sensitive mouth. (hence the thought of the hackamore...but I know some of those can be harsh too).
I want something that is very mild, and maybe doesn't translate every little movement of the rider to the horse? I expect that he'll probably pull too hard a couple times, and lots of "extra" movements, while he's learning. (He's ridden quite a bit at the local stables, but lead-line only, never had control of the reins, and never faster than a walk). 

The bridle she came with has a bit very similiar to this one: Weaver Twisted Wire Snaffle Mouth Gag Bit and Western Gag and Leverage Bits | EQUESTRIAN COLLECTIONS.COM except that it has smooth metal on the mouth piece, instead of twisted. With a curb chain, but no nosepiece.

(I don't plan on letting the 4 yr old use that, but if it helps to know what she was used to riding with).


I'm thinking either a plain o-ring or d-ring snaffle, or a hackamore (but which type?). I've never used a hackamore myself, and I'm not sure by looking which are milder or harsher.
TIA for any advice.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I use my mare to give lessons and pulling too hard is definitely something young kids take quite a while to get over. I've found that the kids over the age of about 7 get over pulling too hard pretty quickly but for the younger kids, it haunts them forever.
So, for my mare, I like to use a side pull. It's basically like the kid's are riding in a halter so there really isn't any damage they can do, but they still have some control. I wouldn't use one on a unreliable horse but I'd figure that any horse you feel safe putting your 5 year old first timer on is probably pretty reliable. 

Here's a link. The ones with knots on the nose are going to have a little bit more "oomph" behind them than the flat one. 
Side Pull Rope Bitless Bridle Attachment w/Curb Strap | eBay

Obviously, I'd ride her in it myself a few times before letting your child do so, just to make sure she responds to it from all gaits but she'll probably respond pretty well.

Another option is a an "Indian Hackamore" or "Indian Bosal". They sound really gimicky but I like them a lot for less than gentle handed riders.

I wouldn't go with a mechanical hack of any kind, they can be very harsh in the wrong hands (through a 5 year old probably wouldn't be strong enough to really do damage) and you can't direct rein in them. And since direct reining is something every rider should know how to do (it's the first thing I teach, neck reining comes later, much later), it'd be harder to teach that in something that's not made for it. 
I think it's great that you're keeping him on the lunge line for the first few times. That's what I do too and it seems to work so much better than just sticking them on and saying "deal!". 
To answer your question about how to tell if a hackamore is gentle or not: Basically, any hackamore with shanks (aka, mechanical hacks and the like), like a bit with shanks, should never be direct reined in. And as with any bit with shanks, shanks on a hackamore multiply the pressure exerted on the bit by the length of the shank. For instance, if you exert 1 pound of pressure on a hackamore with 5 inch shanks, you're actually exerting 5 pounds of pressure on the horse's nose. So, the longer the shank, on anything, the more pressure you can easily exert on the horse's nose - by accident or on purpose. If you go the mechanical hack route, one with very very short shanks is going to be your best bet.
For rope options, like an "Indian bosal/hackamore" or a sidepull, knots over the nose are going to give it more "bite" than an unknotted nose piece. The thinner the rope is, the more bite it has, but the wider it is (or if thin rope is joined together to make wider rope), the gentler it is. If the material the sidepull (they can also be leather) is made out of is smooth, the side pull is going to be somewhat gentler than one that is not smooth.

Hopefully that all makes sense and is somewhat helpful!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Very well said Wallaby . Nothing to add.


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## DejaVu (Jul 6, 2011)

I also really like what Wallaby said.

My trainer always start beginners-Children and adults in just a rope halter. When they get out of the "balance on the reins" stage, she'll take them up into a smooth snaffle.

I personally would either go with either a halter or sidepull at first, just to see how he is with his hands. When he smooths out a little more with experience, move him into a simple snaffle.


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## CalienteCalcetines (Oct 5, 2011)

Thanks for the advice!

What do you guys think of the "bitless bridle"? 

Saw this: Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives (Jessica Jahiel's Horse Sense); I like most of what I've read of hers. The beta version is the same cost as a hackamore at the local tack store (there's only one that is a soft braid, that's the only one that I'd consider. One stiff twisted plastic and several mechanical / metal types). 



Wallaby -- Why do you recommend not teaching neck reining to start? 
(Truly curious, trying to do best by my son & the horse here at the same time).


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I've never actually used a Dr. Cook's myself so I have no personal knowledge of it. I have heard that some horses love it and others hate it with a violent passion. A user on here that has one, I believe, is spookychick and from what I think I've heard, her horse likes it pretty well. There were a few users in the past that tried one on their horses and experienced quite violent adverse reactions as well. 
Personally, I'd save my money and buy one of the cheaper options out there because chances are, something cheaper will work just as well as the Dr. Cook's. But that's just me and I'm ridiculously cheap. haha 
On the plus side, Dr. Cook's do seem to have a pretty good resale value so if you wanted to sell it down the road, you could probably sell it for a pretty penny...
If you like the idea of having a bridle plus the bitless noseband of your choice, just look up bitless bridle on ebay or amazon and you'll find tons of different kinds of bitless bridles. 

No worries.  I recommend teaching neck reining second because I've found that however a kid is taught to steer first is what they'll immediately revert back to in the case of an emergency. And, it seems to be harder for kid's to "get" the concept of each rein being separate, in the heat of the moment their first thought isn't "oh, if I grab the left rein this horse will go left", it's "if I pull both reins AS HARD as I possibly can to the left, this horse should go to the left". 
For instance, if the horse decides it's going to conveniently forget how to neck rein and head for that tasty looking patch of grass directly to it's right- if the rider can quickly pick up the left rein and yank the horse back over, they'll be golden, but if they instead try to use strength to pull both reins (in an attempt to combat convenient equine knowledge loss) to the left, more often that not the horse will brace it's neck against that and keep going.
Also, neck reining is a whole lot less confusing for the horse and easier for the rider when leg cues are involved. However, young and inexperienced riders take quite a while to understand and build those leg muscles they use to support a horse around corners and through turns. So, while it's not great for them to just be pulling a horse through the turns via direct reining, it's at least not removing a vital part of the turning process, if that makes sense. Obviously, leg use is a very early lesson for the kids I teach but it takes them a quite while to learn how to use leg properly because they're busy remembering how to stop and how to turn. 
Then, once they feel a little bit more comfortable with that, they get to be off the lunge line which brings a whole new set of things to think about, aka keeping the horse going, keeping it going where' it's supposed to, steering, stopping, etc. I've found that once they start to feel really confident in their ability to stop and control the horse, leg comes pretty quickly and that's when I start to teach neck reining. 

Hopefully that wasn't too much information/too confusing... 
I think you're doing really great by getting informed and trying to figure out what would be best for you, your horse, and your son. Props to you!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Put a snaffle bit on the horse, and let the young lad and horse meander around the paddock. Kids have an innate sense of how to ride. If the adult doesn't interfere, by word or action, the child soon sorts out how to get the horse to turn, stop, go forward. I do put electrical tape on the reins to show where the reins should be held and that's about it. Kids are usually quite gentle as long as there is no pressure from an adult. Stand back, keep a sharp eye on the horse and just enjoy the show. I had one 5 yr old gal who was so astute that I stood off to one side and watched. Never said a word. By her third time riding she was trotting and posting. I can't call them lessons as I only supplied the horse and tack.


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## CalienteCalcetines (Oct 5, 2011)

Not too much at all, I appreciate the advice!


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