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Show wnoN Wednesday, July 3, 1374 by Linda Powell 13 Bosals and Hackamores . The past two articles have been centered around controlling horses with bits, and the varieties of bits available. There is still another method of controlling a horse by using nose pressure. There are two types of nosepieces available, the bosal and the hackamore (also known as the mechanical hackamore because of its metal shanks). The bosal works on the sensitive lower jawbones. By applying pressure here the horse will respond to the bosal because the jawbones have only a thin layer of skin for protection and is, therefore, very sensitive. The bosal is made of a rawhide core, usually covered with braided rawhide which adds to the severity potential of the bosal, also. The bosal comes in various sizes to properly fit each horses head. Great care should be taken to adjust and fit the bosal to the horse or else the effectiveness will be lost. To properly fit a bosal it should be placed above the soft cartilage of the nose, resting on the hard cartilage. It should not sit on the soft cartilage of the. nose because it will hamper breathing and could permanently injure the horse. The sides of the bosal should touch the lower jawbones, when pressure is applied, otherwise it should be free of the lower jaw. The bosal has a weighted heel knot which alleviates pressure on the nose when the tension on the reins is released. This heel knot is important in the proper balancing of the bosal on the horses head. There are varieties of the bosal. The lighter and more flexible bosal, the less severe it is. The harder and heavier the more severe it is. When selecting a bosal you should take great care in that you get the one you need. You want the one that your horse will work with best. The bosal works better with reins made of soft cotton rope, preferably thick ones of at least inch. This gives the rider more ability to put a handle on a horse (control) especially in the early stages of training. Also, because they are soft and flexible they do not slide through your hands which makes them easier to work with. The softness of the reins is important, also, in that it will keep them from binding and causing contact with the horse to be impaired. The hackamore is a popular kind of nosepiece, also. In western riding it is most often see in gymkhana (games) events. This hackamore places pressure on two areas, the curb groove and the nose. It is a more streamlined design in that it has the metal cheek pieces, . ran Page whereas, the bosal does not. The cheek pieces or shanks come in various lengths. The longer the length, the more pressure can be applied. The material and design of the nosepiece also can vary the severity of the pressure. For instance, a flat, wide, noseband is very mild in comparison to a rounded, narrow noseband. The pressure is not distributed over as great a surface, therefore, it is more severe. The degree of severity is as follows (least severe to most severe) : 1) flat, wide noseband with sheepskin cover, 2) flat, wide and smooth noseband, 3) braided rawhide noseband and 4) laced noseband with steel core Of course the severity and control can still be altered by varying shanks or cheek piece lengths and the kind of curb strap used. With the hackamore we use regular leather reins as with a bit, they can be split or single roping reins . The main differences between the bosal and the hackamore are: The bosal works on the lower jawbones and cartilage of the nose whereas the hackamore works on the cartilage of the nose and the curb groove. Each has the same potential for severity so it should be stressed that the hands of the rider are very important. The most important quality of the hackamore and bosal is that there is virtually no way of hurting a horse permanently. Of course there is always an exception in the case of a nosepiece being adjusted incorrectly and used by a heavy handed rider. Also with a bosal or a hackamore you have the ability to move the nosepiece 1 to 3 inches either way if the horse becomes sore. This will help the horse be more responsive and in less pain. Another good thing is that in the case of a young horse putting up a fight you can really get after him without the danger of hurting his mouth permanently. Most hackamores have a uniform design and as far as quality goes they are pretty alike. In the bosal, however,' there is one important thing to look for press the sides of the bosal together just above the heel knot then release, if it returns to its original shape and size you have found a good one. Most important the success of the bosal and hackamore is dependant upon two things : 1) the proper adjustment of the bosal and hackamore 2) the proper use the hands upon the means of control. 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