From the Judge’s Chair

One of the perks of being involved with judging a major event is the time you get toyou spend with your judging teammates.At this year’s National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, one of the teammates was the cow horse legend Bobby Ingersoll. Traditional training methods are important to him, from the snaffle bit to the hackamore, two-rein and the finished product, a bridle horse.

Bobby wrote this “History of the Hackamore” in his room one night while we were in Fort Worth, Texas, because he thought it was important knowledge to pass on to all of us.With his permission, I’m going to share it with you.

“The use of the hackamore is important to the horse in his training and bridling.The art of the hackamore is a Spanish tradition handed down from many years ago by the Spanish Vaquero horsemen on the West Coast. They started their horses in a hackamore; today most horses are started in the snaffle bit.[The hackamore was used] to save the mouth on young horses so they would later have a softer mouth for their bridle years at an older age.

“The hackamore is a nose band that fits on the bridge of the horse’s nose.It is made of a braided rawhide or leather, and works on the nose and under the chin of the horse. The reins are made out of twisted horse mane hair that they called the mecate. The mecate gives a good balance to the hackamore and signals to the horse with a light feel to his nose and the chin.Unlike a snaffle bit, you have very little leverage.

Riding in a hackamore is about quick contact and release. It takes a lot of slow time to put a horse in the hackamore. The hackamore is a must for putting the horse straight up in the bridle at an older age and expect the horse to have a soft mouth forever.” —Bobby Ingersoll

Traditions are passed on through generations by word of mouth.Thanks to Bobby for sharing this with all of us!

Until Next Time,

Bill Enk NRCHA Director of Judges