S Hack fit & use?

I am going to try the hack on Chivas, the RMH first, because he is the most sensitive and I have had him longer. When I pulled back on the reins from the ground trying to take the pictures, he would tuck his head & almost back up, so I think it will work with him. At the start of a ride, Chivas usually needs to be held back for a while, he is a very forward moving horse and gets some anxiety & he likes to work the bit in his mouth when nervous.

Drambuie really didn't respond to the hack from the ground at all. He is a bit hard-headed so I am not surprised! He is too aware of other horses and a bit herd-bound, so I may have some trouble with him! With all the other issues I have been having with that horse it is not a big concern right now...

I really love that I can use the same headstall on two very different horses with the S-hack!

Run your fingers down the nose bone and you will feel when the bone ends and the cartilage begins. The nose band must be positioned so it can't drop down to the cartilage or you can do damage. The S is not a good choice of hacks.

My gelding, who wears a draft size bridle normally, can get away with a normal horse size bridle with our little S.
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Cool! I let out the noseband today, I'm going to try Chivas in it tomorrow, then hopefully out on the trails Saturday!!

Thanks for the tip for adjusting on the nose.

I am surprised by your last sentence though...I thought the S-hack was a gentle option and a lot of endurance riders use them, plus several riders have mentioned horses have an easy time transitioning from a snaffle to a S-hack.

Why do you say it is not a good choice??

I am also curious about this since they seem very popular and I've heard only good things about them...

What don't you like about them?

What is your hack of choice?

I agree that I have heard only good things about the S-hacks.

Generally a nice mild hack option (when the nostband is flat) that many horses seem to do well in.

As far as training to neck rein, I just gently lay my outside rein on the neck at the same time that I apply the direct rein. Eventually, the horse figures out that both the direct rein and the indirect rein mean the same thing. It takes me a while to train them to neck rein this way. I imagine that professional trainers have faster ways of getting their point across. I have never really been in a hurry to teach neck reining though.