A hackamore is a headgear that utilizes a heavy noseband of
some sort, rather than a bit, most often used to train young horses or to go
easy on an older horse's mouth. Hackamores are more often seen in western
riding. Some related styles of headgear that control a horse with a noseband
rather than a bit are known as bitless bridles.
The word "hackamore" is derived from the Spanish
word jáquima. Hackamores are seen in western riding disciplines, as well as in
endurance riding and English riding disciplines such as show jumping and the
stadium phase of eventing. While the classic bosal-style hackamore is usually
used to start young horses, other designs, such as various bitless bridles and
the mechanical hackamore are often seen on mature horses with dental issues
that make bit use painful, horses with certain training problems, and on horses
with mouth or tongue injuries. Some riders also like to use them in the winter
to avoid putting a frozen metal bit into a horse's mouth.
Like bitted bridles, noseband-based designs can be gentle or
harsh, depending on the hands of the rider. It is a myth that a bit is cruel
and a hackamore is gentler. The horse's face is very soft and sensitive with
many nerve endings. Misuse of a hackamore can cause swelling on the nose,
scraping on the nose and jawbone, and extreme misuse may cause damage to the
bones and cartilage of the horse's head.
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