# Hackamore



## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

In my opinion, they are not more harsh than a bit. They are if you are hauling on the reins, but any bit is harsh that way.

Many people use hacks because their horses don't like bits, have mouth problems, or simply respond better to a hack.

Some people just don't "believe" in bits.


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

I don't think its more harsh, it's just a bit that demands less contact to be effective than a snaffle. A hackamore makes them more responsive by acting on a different pressure point than the mouth. This point really lifts the poll and can really put on the breaks if used too aggresively. But I don't believe that if someone braced on a hackamore they would hurt a horse anymore than bracing in a snaffle, it just produces a different response. If your horse is willing to go forward, or is too forward a hackamore can be a nice relief from heavy bitting.


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## SabreBaby (Jul 27, 2009)

I've heard that you can break bones in a horse's nose with a hack, but I use a hack on my goofy mare, and she works the best in it. I'd say it's no more (if not less) harsh than a bit.


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

I would think it is less harsh then a bit. I mean, unless youre yanking on it ect.


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

Um, I thought there were was more than one type of hackamore and that they are quite different in severity?


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## cheply (Jul 27, 2009)

Sorry, Another question I just thought of... these should probably go in the tack forum... but... 
Another sortof funny things I found my barn does...

All of the lesson horses share tack! (Aside from bridles) 
Like... there are 5 different english saddles and my instructor told me to just grab any one of them.... 

They don't look to be the same size though...

How could all of those saddles fit each horse properly?


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

Umm welcome to lesson barns? Saddle fitting issues can be helped with proper padding, but more importantly it shoud fit you as best it can rather than the horse. Trainers don't have one saddle for every horse, they usually have one and pad accordingly. Some horses with saddle issues can be ridden in the horses owners saddle if it is fitted to them and fits the trainer well. Saddle fit can be a problem for horses, and there are certain trees that are better for multiple horses, but they are expensive and aren't really intended to be just for one horse, unless the horse really demands a custom fitted saddle.


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

I've never been to a lesson barn where saddles were shared. They should not be. I wouldn't be riding there personally.


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

When you pull back on the reins it mkaes the chin strap pull up which mkaes them stop. So i guess it can be harsh


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

ponyboy said:


> Um, I thought there were was more than one type of hackamore and that they are quite different in severity?



Well, there are hackamores -- and there are hackamores. And the two are about as different as night and day. 
Confused? 
Let's simplify: a hackamore is essentially a halter equiped with some means of directing the horse without the use of a bit. The main differences between a hackamore and a bit and bridle are that a hackamore has something that goes over the nose and doesn't have anything that goes in the mouth. 
The word "hackamore" is an Anglicized version of the Spanish word "jaquima" -- which, in turn, was derived from the Moorish word al-hakma -- and refers to a device that works off the nose, chin and poll. I don't think it's any accident that "jaquima" is so similar to the Spanish words "jaque" (to threaten or hold in check) and "jaqueca" (headache). 
There are two basic types of hackamore: mechanical and non-mechanical. To my way of thinking, mechanical hackamores are generally rather harsh -- usually capable of inflicting severe pain and even permanent damage on the horse if not used correctly. Non-mechanical hackamores, on the other hand, tend to be fairly gentle -- often operating by simply allowing the rider to swing the horse's head to one side or the other. To illustrate, here are some examples of both types of hackamores.... 


Mechanical Hackamores








*Mechanical Hackamore*
Used with a curb chain (not shown). The long shanks act as a lever, causing the nose piece and curb chain to exert pressure on the nose and jaw. A hard pull on the reins can break the horse's jaw.








*Stop-N-Turn hackamore*
An extremely severe hackamore! Should only be used by an experienced rider with very gentle hands. Even a slight twitch of the reins can produce painful pressure on the jaw and nose.








*Little "S" Horse*
by Reinsman Inc.
The least harsh of the mechanical hackamores on this page. The rope nose piece and chain curb mean a bit more "give," but if the curb is tight, a hard pull on the reins could still injure the jaw.








*Bosal*
A fairly gentle control; works by swinging the head to the side, and putting pressure on the nose when pulling back on the reins. Reins attach above the knot under the chin.








*Side Pull halter*
Arguably the most gentle hackamore on this page. Works like a regular halter, allowing the rider to swing the head to the side without pressure on the mouth, nose or jaw.non mechanical^^^


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

morgan - Always remember to post sources when you're quoteing from articles.  It's copyright infringement otherwise!

Cowboy Bob's Questions and Answers - page 181 - Can you tell me about hackamores?


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## cheply (Jul 27, 2009)

Well none of those looked quite like Hailey's.

and


ponyboy said:


> I've never been to a lesson barn where saddles were shared. They should not be. I wouldn't be riding there personally.


I haven't been to one which shares either.. but I have also never been to a lesson barn where I felt safer, or where the horses themselves were in as good conditions as these ones or where I actually made any real progress riding.
So, I am staying. haha.


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## ragazzabella023 (Aug 8, 2009)

I ride my horse in a hackamore and a couple of different bits. I believe that the hackamore is no more harsh then bits, but then again its how you ride and how you use your hands. If you hackamore is extremly tight on the nose and the chin you may run into problems.


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

Morgan is right, there are several kinds of hackamores out there, some being very gentle, some being very very harsh. With the range of severity/gentleness of bits AND hackamores, I don't really they're comperable at all.Some horse's just won't (or physically can't) tolerate a bit and are pretty happy with a hackamore. I know people who use them for their jumpers who are very very strong but so sensative they they don't do well with a stronger bit.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> morgan - Always remember to post sources when you're quoteing from articles.  It's copyright infringement otherwise!


Was thinking same thing. Got to be careful about that stuff.

I personally, after having used one the other day, don't like them. They're kind of confusing. The hack I used was a two in one bit and hack. With ONE rein. Don't they need 2? It was confusing because I didn't WANT to pull on the horse's mouth, I wanted to use the nose. So it seemed like I was giving unclear signals :/


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## cheply (Jul 27, 2009)

Oh that's weird. The one I use has perfectly normal reins. It looks like a normal bridle but with a missing bit and a chain for the chinstrap


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

Is it more like this?








This is an english Hackamore. The ones morgan posted were mechanical(german) and then, the western bosal & sidepull, of course.


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## cheply (Jul 27, 2009)

Yes thats* exactly* what it looks like. Same.... curb? is that what its called? and everything! haha


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## smarcik (Aug 24, 2009)

I used to use english hackamore with short shanks and my horse really liked it- he had mouth problems and he couldn't wear bit. Now I use a bit like this:


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

The SPanish train their Andalucian stallions with a Cerreta - a fiersome apparatus which often leaves a scar on the nose of the horse. Some trainers, when basic training is completed, follow it up with a hackamore of various patterns. But in Spain a lot of men ride horses invariably stallions which you'll see happily mixing with each other at the ferias (fairs), A Spanish trained horse is obedient and is very often a horse which is a delight to be ridden for any purpose by a skilled rider.

Monty Robert's "Dually" halter works by pressure on the nose,

Personally I have a rope training halter, bought years ago in some Western tack store, which works by pressure on the nose and the poll. I use it especially for training work on the ground.

On a well schooled horse, the bit should be seen as a communication aid, not a set of brakes. So if you take the bit away, then you lose a degree of communication.

However if you are going to feed the horse up with high energy rations and then take it out on a hack with a group of horses for a burn up, then the horse will get steamed up. And then the rider might be gratefull for a more powerful stopping bit or perhaps at least the leverage from a running martingale. 

Bits and bitting is a very specialist subject but many horse behavioural problems are caused by incorrect bitting and 
poor hands. It is worth getting to understand some of the principles. 
There a good website www.sustainabledressage.net which discusses bitting. And the Myler Bit company explains their ideas on their web site. 

Barry G
Barry G


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Saddles.
An "english" cut saddle which doesn't fit the shape of a horse's back will do significant harm to a horse's back and give rise to behaviourial problems. Always check before mounting a horse's back for saddle sores or white scars from previous sores. 
The footprint to carry the rider's full weight is small compared with the footprint of a Western saddle. 
The use of thick numbnahs or pads helps but may not eradicate the problem of a poorly fitting saddle.
Ideally every horse should have a dedicated saddle which is regularly checked by a saddler to make sure it continues to fit the horse.
The Australians make WOW saddles which can be adjusted for width but the saddle still has to fit lengthwise.

Maybe horses with similar breeding have similar backs but there will be different muscle development - calling for different width fittings. A teaching establishment should always show the pupil what is important about saddle fitting. It is very questionable to think that saddles can be interchangeable in the way you describe.

One of the big advantages of the Western saddle is the way in which it spreads the rider's weight across the horse's back over a thick blanket.

Barry G

Barry G


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## IheartPheobe (Feb 15, 2009)

cheply said:


> Sorry, Another question I just thought of... these should probably go in the tack forum... but...
> Another sortof funny things I found my barn does...
> 
> All of the lesson horses share tack! (Aside from bridles)
> ...


Thank god for our barn. Every horse has their own saddle.  
As for your hackamore question: the hackamore puts pressure on different parts of the horse (their nose, not their mouth, ect.) so obviously, you wouldn't put too much pressure on them. But you can hurt a horse in a bit, too. It's really no different.


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## omellika (Aug 27, 2009)

TroubledTB said:


> Umm welcome to lesson barns? Saddle fitting issues can be helped with proper padding, but more importantly it shoud fit you as best it can rather than the horse. Trainers don't have one saddle for every horse, they usually have one and pad accordingly. Some horses with saddle issues can be ridden in the horses owners saddle if it is fitted to them and fits the trainer well. Saddle fit can be a problem for horses, and there are certain trees that are better for multiple horses, but they are expensive and aren't really intended to be just for one horse, unless the horse really demands a custom fitted saddle.


In Estonia, every horse has their own tack. And most of the saddles, fit to everyone. Beaucause little kids ride with little ponies :lol:


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