A bosal (, , or ) is a type of

noseband A noseband is the part of a horse's bridle that encircles the nose and jaw of the horse. In English riding, where the noseband is separately attached to its own headstall or crownpiece, held independently of the bit, it is often called a cavesson ...

used on the classic

hackamore A hackamore is a type of animal headgear which does not have a bit. Instead, it has a special type of noseband that works on pressure points on the face, nose, and chin. Hackamores are most often seen in western riding and other styles of r ...

of the '' vaquero'' tradition. It is usually made of braided rawhide and is fitted to the

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

in a manner that allows it to rest quietly until the rider uses the

rein Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding. They are long straps that can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, and attach to a bridle via either its bit or its noseband. Use f ...

s to give a signal. It acts upon the horse's nose and jaw. Though seen in both the "Texas" and the "California" cowboy traditions, it is most closely associated with the "California" style of

western riding Western riding is considered a style of horse riding which has evolved from the ranching and welfare traditions which were brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, as well as both equipment and riding style which evolved to meet th ...

.Price, Steven D. (ed.) ''The Whole Horse Catalog: Revised and Updated'' New York:Fireside 1998 p. 158-159 Sometimes the term ''bosal'' is used to describe the entire classic hackamore or ''jaquima.'' Technically, however, the term refers only to the noseband portion of the equipment. Bosals come in varying diameters and weights, allowing a more skilled horse to "graduate" into ever lighter equipment. Once a young horse is solidly trained with a bosal, a

bit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represente ...

is added and the horse is gradually shifted from the hackamore to a bit.

Description

Over the horse's nose the bosal has a thick, stiff wrapper, called a "nose button." Beneath the horse's chin, the ends of the bosal are joined at a heavy heel knot. The bosal is carried on the animal's head by a headstall, sometimes called a "bosal hanger." The

system of the hackamore is called the mecate. The mecate ( or ) is a long rope, traditionally of horsehair, approximately 20–25 feet long, tied to the bosal in a specialized manner that adjusts the fit of the bosal around the muzzle of the horse, and creates both a looped rein and a long free end that can be used for a number of purposes. When a rider is mounted, the free end is coiled and attached to the saddle. When the rider is dismounted, the mecate is not used to tie the horse to a solid object, but rather is used as a lead rope and a form of

longe line Longeing (US English, classical spelling) or lungeing (UK English, informal US) is a technique for training and exercising horses. It is also a critical component of the sport of equestrian vaulting. The horse is asked to work at the end of ...

as needed. On a finished horse, a bosal with a properly balanced heel knot and mecate generally does not require additional support beyond the headstall. If needed, however, additional support can be provided by one or two accessories. The first is a throatlatch known as a fiador. If a fiador is used, a browband is added to hold the fiador to the headstall. Less often, the bosal may be further supported by attaching the nose button to the horse's forelock or the crownpiece of the headstall, using a single thin strap of leather called a forelock hanger.

Uses

Those who advocate use of the bosal-style hackamore note that many young horses' mouths are too sensitive for a

because they are dealing with

tooth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, t ...

eruption, replacing primary molars with permanent teeth. While designed for use on young horses, bosals are equipment intended for use by experienced trainers and should not be used by beginners, as they can be harsh in the wrong hands. The bosal is ridden with two hands, and uses direct pressure, rather than leverage. It is particularly useful for encouraging flexion and softness in the young horse, though it has a design weakness that it is less useful than a

snaffle bit A snaffle bit is the most common type of bit used while riding horses. It consists of a bit mouthpiece with a ring on either side and acts with direct pressure. A bridle utilizing only a snaffle bit is often called a "snaffle bridle", particu ...

for encouraging lateral flexion. The classic ''vaquero'' and modern practitioners of the "California" cowboy tradition started a young horse in a bosal hackamore, then over time moved to ever-thinner and lighter bosals, then added a spade

, then eventually transitioning to a spade alone, ridden with

romal A Romal (pronounced ro-MAHL), is a type of long quirt attached to the end of a set of closed reins that are connected to the bridle of a horse. It is not to be used to strike a horse, but rather was a tool used to assist in moving cattle. A rom ...

style reins, often retaining a light "bosalito" without a mecate. This process took many years and required an expert trainer. The "Texas" tradition cowboy, and most modern

trainers Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...

, will often start a young

horse in a bosal, but then move to a

, then to a simple

curb bit A curb bit is a type of bit used for riding horses that uses lever action. It includes the pelham bit and the Weymouth curb along with the traditional "curb bit" used mainly by Western riders. Kimblewicks or "Kimberwickes" are modified curb ...

, and may never introduce the spade at all. Other trainers start a horse with a snaffle bit, then once lateral flexion is achieved, move to a bosal to encourage flexion, then transition to a curb. However, this sequence is frowned upon by those who use classic ''vaquero'' techniques. The combination of fiador with either a frentera or a standard headstall or hanger with browband stabilizes the bosal by supporting it with multiple attachment points. However, it also limits the action of the bosal, and thus, particularly in the California tradition, is removed once the horse is comfortable under saddle. On a finished horse, a bosal with a properly balanced heel knot and mecate generally does not require these additions. Large Bosal

In the Texas tradition, where the bosal is placed low on the horse's face, as well as on very green horses in both the California ''vaquero'' and Texas traditions, the fiador is used to stabilize the bosal by attaching it to the headstall along the poll joint behind the ears, running under the jaw, and attaching to the bosal at the heel knot, along with the mecate.R.W.Miller, pp 127-134 In the California ''vaquero'' tradition, the fiador is omitted once the horse is able to work without it; in other traditions the fiador is retained.

Etymology

The word bosal is from the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

''bosal'' , also spelled ''bozal'' , meaning muzzle.

References

*Bennett, Deb (1998) ''Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship.'' Amigo Publications Inc; 1st edition. *Connell, Ed (1952) ''Hackamore Reinsman.'' The Longhorn Press, Cisco, Texas. Fifth Printing, August, 1958. (no ISBN in edition consulted; other editions ) *Miller, Robert W. (1974) ''Horse Behavior and Training.'' Big Sky Books, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT *Williamson, Charles O. (1973) ''Breaking and Training the Stock Horse.'' Caxton Printers, Ltd., 6th edition (1st Ed., 1950). *Segovia (1914) {{Horse equipment Headgear (horse)

Description

Uses

Etymology

See also

References