He's actually seeking information. He's getting ready to start at some ag college and says he wants to be a vet someday. (Of course, I asked if he'd done a ride around with any of our local vets and he said no. Hmmm.... Why wouldn't you do that before deciding to become vet??) He is young - 18 years old and new to horses. He just bought the horse about 2 weeks ago and has already been thrown once and dislocated his knee.

I got on bareback last night while he was there. I was riding in an english hackamore (you know the kind with the leather noseband with sheepskin padding?). He asked me "So, you like the hackamore better than a bit?" I told him that my horse hadn't really been ridden with a bit and was very distracted by it right now. He constantly tries to put his tongue over the bit. So I have been doing groundwork with the horse with him in a bridle and a double jointed eggbut snaffle to help him get used to having the bit in his mouth. (For example, when I lunge him, I put on a bridle with a bit and let him carry that while he lunges. I put the halter over the bridle with the lunge line connected to the halter. He's just getting used to the bit in his mouth and how it feels so he quits being so obsessed with it and distracted by it.) I told him that at some point, I will probably ride him in a bit but right now the hackamore works better on him.

As I am riding away, I hear the BO's daughter (also 18) telling this kid that hackamores are too severe and that she would never ride in one. This is the girl who rides her barrel horses in hellishly long shanky bits with thin slow twisted mouth pieces. Um.... so my english hackamore is too severe??? WTF?

I was under the impression that my english hackamore was pretty mild. Am I wrong here?

Last Edited By: adoptahorse Jun 25 08 6:22 AM. Edited 1 times.