Bits, bosals, hackamores, and sidepulls

Table of contents

Some backstory
Bits
The Bosal
Mechanical Hackamores
Which is best
Sidepulls and other bitless options
Combination devices
What to consider when choosing a bit or bitless option
Poll: What do you use on your horse(s)?
How I learned about bits
Shopping

A history of this blog on bits, bosals, hackamores, & sidepulls

For me, only the “bit” part of bits, bosals, hackamores, and sidepulls has been important. Then, about a year ago, I decided to dive into endurance riding with my Arabian mare Lady.  Or anyway, with the urging of a friend who boards my mare, I decided to wade slowly into it.  After all, that’s what Arabians do best, (very) long distance racing, and I had no other plans for Lady.

After an intro ride through which we ambled (my ideas of training for races include NOT racing until your horse is ready to win), I joined the American Endurance Rice Conference and received a bumper sticker, which I put on my car, and a rule book, which I read.

The fun of online fora

Once I became a member of AERC, I also joined their public Facebook group.  The AERC wall is an amazing testament to the ability of horse people to disagree with each other, and of course I have been unable to resist participating in some of the discussion.  On the whole, I have learnt far more than any meager amount others may have learnt from my comments.  One of the things i have learnt is that people come to endurance riding with all levels of horsemanship.  Most people, no matter what their prior experience, come eager for information.  (Facebook page for newbies)

There have been many posts asking for suggestions on what I’ll call headgear–ie bridles, bitted and bitless; hackamores of various types, and even halters.  Some people want to know about bits, others want to know about bitless options.  Many people ask very good questions, and the comments on a facebook post just do not provide the best place to answer.  And of course, there are bound to be at least two opposing opinions on any topic.  Since this is my blog, I get to do the instructing opining (opinionating) uninterrupted (although naturally I welcome any and all comments).

Caveat

Before I begin, let me make it clear that I am no expert.  I have never even seen some of the things endurance people put on their horses’ heads. That is, I have not seen them in person, much less ridden with them.  I’ve seen plenty of pictures since joining the AERC Facebook pages.  I have used many bits, and I have ridden many horses, and what I say here will be based on my experience with them (my horsey About me).  Hopefully if I make any mistakes, someone will be kind enough to point them out.

A very brief history of bits

People have been using bits for millennia, far longer than we have been using stirrups (Charlemagne is often credited for spreading the use of the stirrup in Europe, but it had been around since the 8th century and came from Asia, where if I am not mistaken it had been in use since the beginning of the Common Era). Evidence of metal bits (mostly bronze) from the Bronze and Iron Ages, around 1200 BCE, comes from Mesopotamia, specifically the Luristan region (now Iran).  Before then, different materials such as bone and wood were used.  (An interesting article on the double bridle provides some background.)  Now, most bits are probably stainless steel, but sweet iron, nickel and copper bits have been used, and plenty of mouthpieces are rubber or plastic.

Snaffle or curb?

Generally bits are categorized as either snaffles (direct pressure on horse’s bars, tongue, and lips) or curbs (indirect pressure applied via leverage, usually with a shank, that works on the poll, chin, roof of mouth).  The mouthpiece of a bit can be unjointed, straight or curved, metal (I prefer copper), plastic, or rubber.  In general, more joints means a milder bit, but with one joint, the tongue can be pinched (although I’ve ridden hundreds of horses with a simple single-jointed D-ring bit, and never had a tongue problem). Curbs often have raised ports in the center; the higher the port, the more severe the bit.  Longer shanks also means more leverage and more potential severity.

Some snaffles also have raised mouthpieces or ports to relieve tongue pressure. This Myler bit is an example of a high port snaffle. I prefer this one, (Myler Mullen Low port) because it has a lower port, but it really depends on the horse.

The bosal

The bosal has been used traditionally to start horses in the Vaquero tradition.  It is usually made of rawhide, and consists of the nosepiece, which should fit snugly to avoid chaffing, a crownpiece or “hanger”, and the mecate, or reins.  The bosal ends in a “heel nut” to which the mecate is tied.  (Note that this is the primary difference with mechanical hackamores and sidepulls, all of which have reins that connect at two separate points and can offer a more direct sideways signal.)

The bosal works by applying pressure to the horse’s nose, cheeks, and chin.  Thicker bosals are less severe, and knots or protuberances on the noseband are placed there to apply pressure to nerves.

I’d love to get a good bosal hackamore, but I’d want help fitting it, and the good ones are too expensive for a PhD student.

On fitting a bosal

Jenni Grimmett’s blogpost on using the bosal

Mechanical Hackamores

Mechanical hackamores have little in common with bosals beyond the pressure exerted on the nose.  I don’t remember having used one, so these comments are based on observation, not experience.  The first thing I would do when considering such a device is ask where it is going to exert pressure.  All of the above pictured hacks (and others, as far as I know) are, like curbs, leverage devices.  

Mechanical hacks are leverage headgear

Like curbs, the longer the shank, the greater the leverage (i.e., the more force the same pressure on the reins will exert).  Pressure will be applied on the nose (narrow nosepiece = more severe, and lower down on face = more severe) and on the chin via the curb strap or chain (chain is more severe, narrow is more severe).  Pressure is also applied to the poll of the horse, depending on the length and angle of the purchase (the part of the shank that is above the nosepiece and to which the crownpiece is attached.  At least, it is the purchase on a curb bit.)

Bit, Bosal, or Hackamore: Which is best?

Hackamores are NOT gentle alternatives to bits.  They are alternatives to bits that may be more or less severe, just as bits may be more or less severe, depending on the bit and the hands that hold the reins.  As always, good hands will make all the difference.  A bit or hackamore is only as severe as the hands that hold the reins.  A mechanical hackamore can have more stopping power than a snaffle bit, but I have seen a racehorse get away with her jockey and run three laps in a long-shanked mechanical hack: she figured out in about two strides that all she had to do was pick her head up and stick her nose straight out.

A mechanical hackamore would be a good option for a horse that doesn’t like a bit but needs a bit more control than a sidepull.  I see a lot of endurance riders and happy endurance horses using mechanical hacks.  I would consider using one with my mare, who is very trained, and might like to eat more freely.  However, I still don’t know how well a hack will work for picking up a tripping horse.  (feel free to leave comments on this question!!)

Sidepulls and other bitless options:

I see sidepulls as an improvement on halter with lead-strap tied to both sides (something most of us have done to ride in from the pasture or when too lazy to tack up the horse).  They are all variations on ways to control your horse by pulling on its head, without leverage.  I start horses by longlining and then riding in a snaffle, but if I were to start without a bit, I’d use some version of a side pull, because if the horse already knows how to lead well, it is very intuitive to follow the pull of the rope on the side of its face.

Safety first!

Although you can find specialized sidepulls that exert force on pressure points, if the horse wants to ignore one, it will. This is why I’ll probably ALWAYS use a snaffle the first time I get on a horse with intentions of riding forward and controlling.  I can lift a horse out of a buck with a snaffle; doubt a sidepull would work as well.  I can stop a galloping horse with a snaffle; I KNOW a sidepull won’t work at all to stop a serious runaway.  However, if we are operating under the assumption that your horse is trained, then a sidepull seems like comfortable headgear for a trail ride or endurance.  The horse can drink and eat, and can be tied directly from it.

These days, there are lots of sidepulls to choose from.  As always, a narrower nosepiece means more severity. Just like with the bosal hackamore, protuberances that exert force on pressure points also make the headgear more severe. However, a horse that doesn’t yet have good brakes may not be not a good candidate for a sidepull on the open trail (a closed arena doesn’t present that much of a problem). Most people simply do not have enough strength to stop a horse from running through a noseband.

Combination headgear:

Myler combo bit

“Bits, bosals, hackamores, and sidepulls” was inspired by a post on the AERC page about a Myler combination bit (pictured to the right).

This bit works like a hackamore by putting pressure on the nose, but it also has a mouthpiece that can work as a snaffle (if the reins are attached to the largest ring–in this case, the noseband/curbstrap won’t exert pressure) or as a curb.  The middle ring will exert some pressure on poll, chin, and nose, and the lower ring will exert the most pressure.  There are many options similar to this one (e.g., the Happy Mouth “Shaped Mullen Mouth Hackamore bit” … in some senses an oxymoron of a name).

Why use combination devices?

I find these contraptions very interesting.  I can’t imagine ever needing to put that much stuff on my horse, but some people love them.  I’d worry about there being so many pressure points, and you’d want to remember that as with all leverage bits, the longer the shank (affected in this case by where you attach the reins) the more severe the bit/hackamore. However, judging by comments on facebook and retail websites, many people and horses love this particular combination.

Other combination headgear alternatives involve ways to attach nosepiece, crownpiece, and chinstrap to different types of round hardware (see picture below). I had been ignorant of these options until i started this blog project, but they seem like good ways to experiment with bitless headgear. It would be important to think about how much and where pressure is applied when adjusting these options. (This article offers more detailed information on this type of headgear, as well as links to pieces on hackamores, etc., by the same author. I have not read them all.)

What to think of when choosing a bit What I think of when I look at a bit or a bitless device, and what I would advise others to think about:

1. How does it work?
   This is the most important part.
2. Can I control my horse with it?
   This is the second most important part.
3. Is it going to make communication easier?
4. Can it possibly pinch by horse’s lip in any way?
5. Is it the mildest, most comfortable way to communicate with my horse?
6. Specific to endurance: what about eating and drinking?

Note: In general, I believe a snaffle (or direct-pressure bitless headgear) to be kinder than a curb (or shanked) option. However, rough hands make a snaffle unkind, and a nervous rider may be much better off with a curb. If the extra stopping power gives confidence, then by all means, use a shanked option, but use it gently. And never sacrifice safety to some ideal of humane treatment or natural horsemanship. If you need a curb (or stronger hackamore), use one. If you need a whip, use one. Just remember to ask before telling your horse. Just like people, horses don’t like to be ordered around and nagged all the time, and they prefer to be asked rather than told.

In all cases, the key to good communication is release of pressure. But this is about headgear, not riding, so no more training advice.

Bits, bosals, hackamores, and sidepulls in brief

Bits, bosals, hackamores, or sidepulls?
Difference between bosal and mechanical hackamore: bosal mecate (reins) has one point of attachment, beneath the chin, whereas mechanical hacks have reins attached in two places, and are leverage headgear (which means pressure on poll as well as nose, chin, and cheeks of bosal, and of course, more power). Sidepulls also have two reins, and work via direct pressure. Bits go in the mouth and therefore exert pressure on bars, tongue, and skin, as well as roof of mouth in the case of a curb with a port. Have I forgotten anything?

What do you use on your horse(s)?

How I learned how bits work:

When I was eight years old, I was taught how to ride in a Weymouth, or double bridle. I mention my age because I have heard many people exclaim at the complexity and cruelty of a double bridle without understanding how it works and without ever having used one. The double bridle, if used properly, is an ideal way to obtain lightness. The snaffle (called a bridoon or sometimes bradoon) is used to lift the poll, and the curb (Often called a “weymouth” bit) is used to set the angle of the head. Importantly, the curb also provides braking power. My first horse, a 5-year-old Morgan gelding that had been a park horse, loved to grab the eggbutt snaffle my jumping trainer insisted I use in his teeth, and run bucking to the end of the arena, where he could throw me against the wall. He couldn’t get away with me (a small 9-year-old) with a Weymouth.

Although I rode that gelding on the trail in a Weymouth (he could and would have galloped for miles across much cattle country in a snaffle), I would never use one for endurance riding.  Too much stuff in a horse’s mouth.

But I’d love the opportunity to ride saddle seat again (the only real reason to use a double bridle outside of upper level dressage).

Another bit I like:

Shopping:

Very kind rubber-mouth Dee
Basic copper-mouth Dee
Very nice and expensive double joint Dee
Herm Sprenger Copper Plus Double Joint Eggbutt Snaffle
Nice (and expensive) copper-mouth D-ring double jointed bit
Zilco Flower Hackamore (Tough-1)
S-hackamore
Copper-mouth gentle grazing curb
Horses that chew the bit a lot might like rollers or crickets to play with. This mild copper-mouth curb is nice.
Myler Mullen mouth combo bit (I think this would be better than the lowport above).
Western-style Bitless Bridle and basic sidepull
English-style bitless bridle and sidepull
Nylon bitless bridle
Very mild hackamore (I used one like this with my mare… but wouldn’t if I weren’t sure the horse will stop!)
Big mechanical hack selection