Re: RC: from bit to Hackamore/Vosal etc-head carriage

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Ray...

It's hard to generalize here.  There are lots of factors involved.  You
should, of course, have taught the horse to "give" to pressure.  In the
words of John Lyons, (and others) the reins are your "communication
line" to the horse, not the brakes. You can do some serious damage with
a long shanked hackamore just as you can with a bit.

In all the horses I have ridden for any length of time, I can honestly
say that I have seen nothing but improvement when I substituted a
hackamore for a bit.  Some disciplines require you to use a bit, of
course.  IMHO, by removing the bit, you take away a distraction....and
possibly some discomfort, especially if the bit is adjusted too high,
too low, or there are teeth/ mouth problems. The horse is more relaxed
and reponds better.  If a horse decides he's gonna run away with you, it
doesn't matter whether you're using a bit or a hackamore...you can't do
anything about it.  You control his mind...not his head. I want to ride
in the lightest head gear I can get away with....have been known to ride
the 2nd half of a 50 in a rope halter.

Others advantages of a hack, especially in Endurance, is the freedom to
eat and drink easier. I want my horse to relax, stick out his nose and
go on a loose rein, giving him the option of dropping  his head in order
to stretch his back.  I don't ride "collected" or have my horse "on the
bit" any more that I absolutely have to, even at speed. It's much easier
to communicate with your body. For example, you should be able to go
from a walk to a trot to a canter and back to a walk without using ANY
rein cues. If there is no pressure on his head or mouth, then the head
position will be what's comfortable for him, which after all, is the
goal...a relaxed, balanced, comfortable way of going....from his
perspective.  I may cue him lightly with the reins to ask him to slow
going down a hill, or through a bad spot, but the longer I ride him, the
more he reads my mind. I "think" about what I want him to do, and he
does that. Of course, I am inadvertantly cueing him....he reads my body
movement....horses can recognize an unbelievably tiny cue.

I like the Arabian S-Hack because it's small, lighweight, gives me
enough leverage to get thru the ride start, and doesn't hang below the
horse's mouth....he can slurp up the water in a hooprint if he wants to.

However, the start of a ride is different...he may be under control and
"asking" to go, but he will be "asking" with a lot more energy!  <grin>
It's been my experience that when you're holding the horse back at a
ride start, a hack tends to make the horse "tuck" his nose and arch his
neck, whereas in a bit, some horses will throw their head up when you
hold with a lot of pressure.  IMHO, the former is preferable...less
likely to stumble (he can see where he's going) and has better balance. 

No really good answer.....depends on the horse....and most of all, the
rider. Hmmm.. I think I have filled in the background with so many
details the foreground went underground! :)

Jim, Sun of Dimanche, and Mahada Magic

guest@endurance.net wrote:
> 
> Ray O. rno2m@virginia.edu
> What is the general result of takng a bit out of the horse's mouth re head
> position,and forehand balance? "All other thing being equal,etc",what are
> the changes-other than brakes?
> 
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-- 
Richard T. "Jim" Holland
Three Creeks Farm
175 Hells Hollow Drive
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
(706) 258-2830
FAX (706) 632-1271