so, lets say ima jump, shell need a bit? some poeple said she may not, im not to sure though. and with the bosal how will she know to turn, if im riding english? should l use a hackamore then

A bosal and a hackamore are the same thing, except a bosal is milder. A lot of jumpers use hackamores.

A hackamore is a special noseband that puts pressure on certain points of the horse is face to let it know everything that it would if it had a bit. She would know how to turn because you would put pressure on that side of her face and she would want to relieve it by turning into it.

Yup horses can jump without bits, but it really depends on ur horse, because some just do not take to them. Hackamore is r best if u plan to do jumping.

Bosals work mostly on neck reining, but if u imagine pulling on one rein, it pulls the horses head slightly the direction u want to go, so yes u can turn.

The #1 Question Asked
--How do l possibly control my horse without a bit, pain or force?

That is the beauty & uniqueness of the Happy Horse Bosal. Using resistance free principles we do not “control” the horse but elicit cooperation to our cues. A natural partnership is then able to be developed between horse & rider.
The secret is in “The Bump”. The technique we call “the bump” is nothing more than a slight, quick pull or tug to the side with one rein. This causes the bumping of the bosal on the horse’s nose. If u r rigid but light the bosal will bump the horses nose in an annoying manner. This does not need to be harsh but consistent until the horse chooses to comply with ur cue. This is similar to a child pulling on a mother’s skirt until he gets her attention. It is an annoyance that can’t be ignored & yet the horse still has a choice, therefore learning can occur. There is no fighting due to pain, the horse is able to make the choice, & a partnership begins to develop. The Happy Horse Bosal is also perfect for pulling a horse’s head around for training purposes or in the case of an emergency. It is strong, light & padded, therefore it will not hurt ur horse in the process.

The Basic Commands

1). The Whoa or Stop
The stop or whoa is accomplished in the usual way.
* Lightly pull back on both reins.
* Hold this position until the horse completely stops.
* Quickly release. Once the horse has stopped.
* Be consistent not to release until the horse has completely came to a stop.
* It is best to ride in a controlled environment until the horse’s cooperation is achieved.
This usually only takes 1-5 minutes.
* If ur horse chooses to ignore the cue u may “bump” then cue again.
* In a short time ur horse should be working with u & not against you.

2). Backing
Backing is simple with the Happy Horse Bosal.
* Set a stop position with ur reins.
* With ur legs, squeeze ur horse asking the horse to move. The horse can’t move
for ward therefore it will choose to back.
This method of backing has 3 advantages;
1. The horse can concentrate on backing & not on the pain in it’s mouth.
2. By varying the squeeze pressure u can achieve speed control.
3. Because the horse is now taking his cues from ur legs, u can control the
direction of the back by varying the position of ur legs while backing.
* Remember we teach horses to move away from pressure, not fight against it.

3). Neck Reining
Neck Reining has never been so easy to teach.
* Hold the reins in each hand as if u were holding the handle bars of a bicycle.
* In a natural & comfortable way, set ur hands chest width apart.
* Make a hallway with ur reins.
* The horse’s neck needs to stay between the reins & in the corridor.
* To turn & develop the neck rein, shift both hands in the direction of the desired turn.
* Try to keep ur hands equal distance apart as if they were connected by a stick.
* The rein that touches the horse’s neck now becomes ur cue.
* The horse needs to move away from the pressure & stay in the middle of the
hallway you’ve made.
* If the horse does not respond to the pressure of the rein laying on the neck u will need
to bump.
* This is called “reinforcing the cue”.
* In a short time, u should be able to lay the rein across the horse’s neck & accomplish
a nice turn.

l think if you're riding English they mean a mechanical Hackamore.

http://bitsnmore.com/images/catalog/reinsman_bits_web_read/R951_b.jpg

l would change that curb chain out for a flat English type chain. l have had to use one of these for the past 6 years when my Azteca developed melanomias on both sides of his mouth & could not pack a bit anymore. The leather nose piece is just what it looks like, leather. So it is the most mild of the mechanical hackamores around.

Bosal & Hackamore are not the same. The Bosal is the first true hackamore. Now a hackamore is different. If the horses is in a bit then you could keep her in it. Why do you need to change the bit?


Here are pictures of a Bosal & a mechanical hackamore.

http://cowboyway.com/What/WhatIsBosal.htm

hacks & bosals r basically the same thing. Hacks r more western.to be quite honest, I've never met an english rider who uses one. But l think it would be great to jump in a hack. A hack puts pressure on the nose, & pulls the face to the direction u want, just like the bit pulls the mouth in the desired direction. If l can suggest, try a bitless bridle. It is completely different from a hack, & it looks more english style. l am a western rider, & use a hack, but my best friend uses a bitless bridle & her mare listens great!! l tried it on my colt, & it actually gave me more control over him than a bridle or a hackamore.

http://bitlessbridle.com/

give it a thought..they work great!!

If a bosal is being used for advanced work, & not just for training, then u have to have lateral control of ur horse using ur legs & seat. A bosal is used with wide ''plow reining'' during training. Some people choose to keep the horse in a bosal, in which case they go on to teach neck reining (western) & teach the horse to turn off of the body aids. The mechanical hackamore is not designed to be used with direct rein contact & direct lateral rein cues for turning. Again, it is best used when the horse is well trained to respond to the seat & leg cues for lateral work, & neck reining.
l think u would do better to use the Dr. Cook bitless bridle, which can be used with the kind of direct contact used in jumping, & is very effective. However, u still should have good lateral control of ur horse using ur seat & leg cues for the best results with whatever u use.

''Hackamore'' is often a very generic term meaning headgear without a bit or mouthpiece. ''Bosal'' is a specific type of hackamore.

l did not know when u asked the other day that u were intending to jump.

You CAN jump with a horse using any type of headgear or none at all, provided u have the proper level of respect & control over the horse without it.

A Bosal is a typically western type of headgear.

The degree of quickness or harshness in a hackamore is just as high a concern as if u were using a bit. There r mechanical hacks that can severely injure a horse if not used properly.

l would suggest that the rules regarding what can or cannot be used lie in the rules for each individual circuit u r showing in. While usually very similar, there r some differences - some breed shows have different requirements than open shows, for example.

Your questions about 'how will she know when to turn' shows that u lean way too much on the use of the headgear to communicate with the horse. Teaching a horse to turn is a matter of conditioning it to the proper cue. Some horses & riders require a bit to make the cue correctly so the horse interprets it while others communicate a desired turn through simply twisting their body in the direct they want and/or through pressure of the legs.

You must decide, given ur experience & knowledge in how to properly communicate & control the horse what is best to use & what the best cues r for communicating what u desire to ur horse. l would suggest to gain the assistance of a proper jumping trainer or clinician to assess ur current level, set the proper goals & then properly train & learn to meet those goals with proper communication between yourself & ur horse.

if she handles fine in a hackmore then leave her in it