Can I Use Any Bridle With a Hackamore Bit?

A hackamore is an piece of tack that attaches to a horse's bridle as a substitute for a bit. This device helps a rider control his horse. Whereas a bit is worn inside of a horse's mouth, a hackamore goes over the bridge of a horse's nose. Hackamores are most popular with Western riders, but they can also be used by English or endurance riders. In fact, Boomerang and Disney Way, two of the world's greatest show jumpers, wore hackamores instead of bits.

  1. Hackamores

    • A hackamore could be a good choice for you if your horse has an extremely sensitive mouth or an injury that prevents it from wearing a bit. Some horses that refuse bits can be ridden with hackamores. A hackamore is comprised of a leather band that goes over the bridge of a horse's nose and attaches to metal shanks or cheeks at the sides. The hackamore may have a curb chain that fits under the horse's jaw. The longer the shanks on a hackamore, the harsher it will be on the horse wearing it. The hackamore functions by exerting leverage pressure on your horse's nose.

    Bridles

    • You can use a hackamore with an English or Western bridle. Hackamores attach directly to head stalls. If you can remove the nose band from your bridle, you can attach a hackamore. Some bridles do not have removable nose bands. If this is the case, you can still attach a hackamore but it won't function properly because the bridle will be applying the wrong type of pressure. The hackamore should attach to the head stall at the same spot where the nose band would have attached.

    Safety

    • Some riders mistakenly believe that hackamores are more humanitarian or less harsh than bits. This is completely untrue. Whereas a bit applies pressure to a horse's mouth, a hackamore applies pressure to a horse's nose, poll and chin groove. Both hackamores and bits can be dangerous when used improperly and hackamores have even been known to break horses' jaws. A hackamore is not a license to pull on your horse's face. Make sure that if you use a hackamore, you keep your hands soft and quiet. Otherwise, you risk injuring your horse and making it unresponsive to your signals.

    Fit

    • One of the most important ways to keep your horse safe in a hackamore is to fit the device perfectly. The nose band of the hackamore should rest between the horse's cartilage spot and the spot where the English cavesson nose band would have rested. If you place the nose band of the hackamore too low on your horse's nose, you risk cutting off the horse's breathing. If your hackamore has a curb strap, it should be adjusted so that the cheeks rotate at a 45-degree angle. You should always be able to comfortably insert two fingers between the curb and the horse's chin.