Traditional Vaquero Hackamore Training
By
R. E. Smith
Copyright©2005
FROM HACKAMORE TO BIT
(This lesson is presented to
show you the way to the Bridle horse.
You will not actually be ready to use the information contained herein
for at least another two years. I
present it only because it is part of the complete process, and I want you to
know the full story. Consider the first
four lessons your foundation work, and consider this lesson your “doctorate
degree.”)
Setting a high standard for all aspects of your
hackamore training, and your determination to advance your horse to the level
of the bridle horse means you are committed to several years of training.
The next couple of years will be devoted to the
riding of the hackamore horse, and you’ll do that before you utilize the
information in this lesson. I will be
available to help guide you from time to time, but essentially, there will just
be hours and hours of training and hundreds of miles of riding. You will be riding on a level you did not know
existed when you started this journey just four
lessons ago.
We examined the first and second level of
riders. At the first level, the rider is
just a passenger who reacts to the horse’s movement. At the second level, the rider recognizes the
movements that precede the problems created by horses that are out of
balance. By now you should be riding on
a third level, recognizing the horse’s movements instantly. You should be comfortable with movements,
able to read them and immediately adjust the balance and position of the horse.
Your horse should now be capable of doing jobs
that are difficult and technical. Your
horse should now attract the attention and admiration of other riders. You should now be riding a horse that is
truly your partner.
Because you have respect and affection for your
finished hackamore horse, you have decided to take him to the next level: the
bridle. Because he has achieved a high
level of performance, he deserves to carry the silver bit.
Now you must become familiar with the two
reining techniques that allow you to wean him from the bosalita and introduce
to him the bit he will carry. (Now is the time to view and review Tape Five. You are going to spend a long, long time
finishing your horse. Review the tape
often.)
You have ridden him in a 3/4-inch bosal, a
5/8-inch bosal, a 1/2-inch bosal, a ¼-inch bosal, and now the 1/8-inch bosalita, and he has performed to your standards. Now you must choose a bit that will remain a
part of your horse’s life.
I personally use a medium port curb bit for
this process. I am not afraid or concerned about the traditional spade bit, but
they are very expensive and hard to find.
At this point in my horse’s training, he could be controlled with a twig
in his mouth; therefore it is my choice as to what curb bit he will carry. A heavy engraved silver medium port, medium
length shank, with traditional
If, however, the spade bit is part of your plan
there are several good bits available.
If the training has been correct, the spade is no more aggressive or
inhuman that any other bit.
I pick a bridle and bit and fit it on to my
hackamore horse, fitting it over the bosalita headstall. I do not attach any reins to my bit, but
position it correctly on the bars of the horse’s mouth. I pay close attention to the fit of the curb
strap and the bridle. Now that the
bridle is in place, don’t use it.
Continue to ride your horse using the bosalita
hackamore and riding with the exact same cues used throughout the training
process. You will notice that when your
horse first carries the bit, he may raise and lower his head at times, learning
the most comfortable position in which to carry the curb bit.
Iron and copper mouthpieces help create saliva
in the mouth, keeping it soft. Aluminum
and other metals tend to dry the mouth.
With a little time, you’ll notice your horse will carry his head in the
position adopted during the hackamore training.
Once your horse is quite about accepting the
bit, and demonstrates a head carriage that is comfortable and quite, it is time
is time to attach the romal rein to the bridle.
Pick a romal that suits you and attach it to the
bit, laying the reined portion on the horse’s neck in front of the horn so that
no tension is applied to the bit. Lay
the romal portion of the rein over the right side of the horse’s neck.
Caution: you are still riding with the
hackamore.
Let the movement of the reins create movement
on the bit and ride until you notice the horse is not reacting in any way to
the movement of the bit.
When the movement of the bit without rein
pressure is of no concern to the horse, you can pick up the romal reins and
carry them in such a way that you are approximately 25 per cent of any hand
movement with the romal and 75 per cent of any hand movement with the
mecate.
Test your horse by lifting your hand and moving
it about to see if there is any reaction contrary to the training you’ve
given. When such movement creates no
negative reaction, increase the amount of romal rein use and decrease mecate
use to 50 per cent. Pay close attention
to the horse’s reaction to any use of the romal. Make sure you are not overriding any of the
training provided by the hackamore.
In short time, you should be able to lift the
romal rein by itself and ride the horse with cues from your hip and leg. When this is the case, you are riding a
finished bridled horse.
To stick with tradition and reward your horse
for the years of learning, take the rein off the bosalita and tie the mecate in
the same fashion as it was tied for ground work many years earlier. Tie it so the mecate protrudes through the
bottom wrap of the mecate on the bosalita leading back toward the left side of
the saddle. Wind the mecate into a
small circle and tie it loosely to the left side of the saddle. The mecate should not restrict the horse’s
movement in any way.
Now you are riding your hackamore horse as a
graduated bridled horse in the tradition of the Vaquero.
Because you can feel the movements of your
horse, the experience of going from the mecate to the romal is very
special. The feel and reaction of the
four reins in your two hands is incredible—you will be able to appreciate it,
but you won’t be able to describe it.
The horse will react so true to each rein that you will feel his
progress. At this point you have joined
a fraternity of dedicated horseman who receive respect for their skills—skills
only truly known among their peers.
The fraternity of reinsmen is small.
Congratulations on your commitment and
congratulations on improving your horsemanship skills.
As a student you can e-mail me (hackamorecourse@earthlink.net) anytime for assistance or
advice. I truly hope we get an
opportunity to meet.
Thank
you; ride balanced and good luck.
R. E. Smith