Hackamore Fitting

I'm in FL. We have a few tack stores around my town, but they are all slim pickings! The closest one to me had about 15 bits today, that's where I got the rubber hackamore. I'm definitely taking it back tomorrow, the owner said she can order whatever, I will make a request. She has the best prices around here.

That's cool prob a lot warmer then Indiana rite know ;) kelp me posted of what you think of it :) like I said my daughters pony is a totally different pony w it :)
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Bits are only painful in the wrong hands/improper use. Stating so, I feel, is a bit uneducated.

The softest, mildest bit a horse can use is a loose ring snaffle. If not a loose ring, then a french link.

Hackamores can be just as dangerous/painful for a horse as (if I remember right) it relies on facial and poll pressure. There are a lot of nerves in a horses face.

If you are yanking, pulling and being heavy handed on the bit, of course a horse is going to fuss.

A well trained horse can be ridden in the mildest bits. Not "deal" with it. It gives clearer instruction, and some actually quite prefer bits verses hacks or bosals. Some are indifferent. Some can't handle bits because of how their face is structured.

I think maybe you should do more research on bits and bitless riding.

I have a couple of hackamores with that style of shank. I see the hackamore is sitting low on his face. By the looks of that bridle you've run out of "shortening" capability so will have to use another one but if you got it moved up some more I think you'd be happier with the fit. Also, when the hackamore is raised you'll probably need to loosen the curb strap so that it will fall into the chin groove better. The ones I have have a fleece lined leather nose strap and when they were knew they were on the stiff side. I had to invest time into oiling them and working the leather back and forth to soften them up - once that happened they lay on the face better and that may be something you have to look at as well.

With regard to his head tossing when he is wearing the bit, I don't know what you're using for a bit but some horses have a low palette (roof of the mouth) and the wrong style of bit (most commonly a bit with a port or sometimes any thicker mouthpiece) makes it uncomfortable. This may be something to consider and investigate as well.

Finally, I use my hackamores for trail riding on horses that have already been schooled in a snaffle bit and work off my legs and weight. This style of hackamore does not lend itself very well to the intricacies of direct reining which is frequently required when working with green horses. Otherwise, the horses and I like them.

Metal bits in the mouth = Less Horsemanship, more pain, and a lack of partnership between horse and rider.

Any horse can be saved from the bit if they are prepared and set up for success. The result= a happier horse. Any well known professional trainer will say that the most supple horses they have come across are hackamore horses. This is because the horse is not being forced to act as asked, but rather does because he was taught. I can say the word "left" and my horse knows to turn left. I say "right" and he turns right. I can say "whoa" and he knows to stop. Right now, he knows 25 verbal commands. 80% of the time I don't have to touch the reins to his neck. My gelding is 5, he's got a lot of learning to do, but I set him up for success with confidence in him 100% of the time. I'm not his master, we have a partnership. We have to, I am putting my life at his discretion every time I climb on his back. I'm not going to put a bit in his mouth and force him to do as I say, I just don't see the point. I'm not afraid of him, and I certainly don't want him to fear me. I want respect, and I show him respect in return. A loose ring snaffle and a French link snaffle most certainly are not the kindest bits. Technically the kindest bit is a Myler combination. It's designed to apply nose pressure first, then mouth. And the joint is completely enclosed so it cannot be bent in half. Snaffles pinch the tongue no matter how you pull it. Try putting the snaffle on the soft part of your arm, or better yet on your tongue, let someone else pull back as if trying to stop a horse, or pull for a turn. It hurts. When a horse is in training, he doesn't have a bit in his mouth he has a halter on. The halter applies nose and poll pressure. So, the horse is always confused and upset when that first bit is put in his mouth, he has no idea what is going on but he still tries to choose the right answer. When the horse doesn't give to the first light tug, the trainer tugs harder, and harder until he does what is being asked. The horse learns what to do. Why not keep that same halter concept, and stay off the bit? This makes more sense to me. Snaffle bits shut off the horses air passage, drive into their tongue, pinch them, tension in the mouth puts tension throughout their whole body.

Here is a great description of how a snaffle works for a horse. Fast forward to 3:40, where Dale Myler demonstrates the snaffle concept on a girls arm. This is the most informative information you could ever receive about snaffle bits. And if you use them, I DEFINITELY recommend you to watch the whole thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqGXCWVSS0Y

Here's a link to a video of how the bit effects the horse in light or heavy hands:

It is still of my opinion, and that of others on this forum, that bits are only harmful in the wrong hands. A french link is a favorite of many, especially for horses who do not prefer the nutcracker action of a regular snaffle.

And again, I think spouting that bits are "painful" is uneducated.

Different horses have different preferences. And there are many different bits to accommodate, it depends on the horse and the bit in use.

I tried the bits before I knew anything about horsemanship. Everyone has to start somewhere right? My poor gelding, would just toss his head and toss his head the whole time it was in his mouth!

I never even considered oiling that short shank hackamore I have. I literally bought it, put it on him with a halter I bought online (bad online purchase), and didn't like the way the hackamore itself sat. It is fleece lined, but the fleece is a dark brown so it is hard to see that it's there. It has a buckle in the center, that extends or retracts the shanks, and it's all the way extended. It still sits real high on his face, and the leather is pretty thin so I'm not sure if I could stretch it.

From my personal life experience, the only time I found bits to be acceptable was when I was uneducated.
Metal bits in the mouth = Less Horsemanship, more pain, and a lack of partnership between horse and rider.

I'm not going to force the issue, but I wouldn't suggest offering it to every person on the street.

I know a lady in real life that I respect, who is going bitless. Yet her horse's brakes are a bit to be desired for because he needs a chin strap. He tends to go dangerous speeds (I and others have experienced this) without. Whether or not bitless options offer what he needs, is not sure.

Point being... Some horses may need a bit due to that they don't understand bitless pressure. Or they just take advantage. Especially for novice riders who don't know how to use seat or leg, or how to use it well.

Other horses, as I stated before, prefer bits, and there is a gentleman on this forum who has a horse exactly like that.

I'm not trying to bash bitless riding, I ride bitless recreationally when bareback, and pretty much only then (unless a horse is fitted with bitless tack). I just prefer that people understand that bits aren't evil nasty things made to harm horses (well... Some contraptions out there I can't even think as to WHY they were made) but are tools for the horse.