mechanical hackamore/ bitless

Im considering going bitless and maybe getting the bitmore bridle by steve jefferies and australian design or just getting a mechanical hackamore...do hackamores give much control...i understand they are good for stopping and not for turning is there another cheap bitless thing that I could try out? Its for my standy who is rather annoying and in a bid for him to behave n calm down was hoping this may help...also slow him down easier that kind of thing...any suggestions would be great...thanks

There are 2 types of hackamore (kind of): traditional hackamore (reins attached to knot under the chin) and sidepull (reins attached to the sides like in usual bridle). First one indeed is great for stopping and not so good for turning, 2nd one is other way around. When I started my horses I used sidepull with wide leather nose. However it does NOT have a good stop in it. Personally I'd stay away from mechanical hackamores. They are harsh (yes, yes, yes it all depends on hands, but what's the point of using mechanical hackamore if the horse is controlled in say halter with reins attached).

Yeah my horse doesnt exactly do great in a halter...stops but wont turn unless I really pull on it...really wanting a bitless bridle like the bitmore but they are expensive and I don't want to waste my money if it doesnt work..ive made my own version but havent tried it yet

You can make a sidepull (kinda) out of a rope halter. Just tie the lead between the 2 ropes that cross the nose and then around the knot at the side. Make sure that the halter is big enough to allow for the extra layer. It makes it ugly and a little cumbersome but it works in a pinch.

I use just a traditonal bosal seem to have great control .. I use a mechanical when working barrels seem to get plenty turn out of it may vary from horse to horse seems so much better then a bit

You can try a little S or beetle hack. Both have lots of stop and some turn.

A single rope nose side pull has more stop than a double rope or leather nose.

Have you had his teeth looked at? What about his back and your saddle fit? A sore back or ill fitting saddle can cause a horse to be "high strung."

Have you tried one of the cross under bitless bridles? Dr. Cooks bridle (bitlessbridle.com) has a 30 day risk free trial so if you don't like it you can send it back for a refund.

I believe both Dr. Cook and the Nurtural Bitless have nylon and synthetic bridles that sell for pretty cheap, but if you're looking for a nice leather one i'm not too sure.

I'm not a fan of mechanical hackamores. There are too many moving parts, confusing signals, and can be extremely harsh. That's just my opinion though.

I've used side pulls before and like those. As well as traditional hackamores and bosals.