In my case, the most illuminating conversation of the day was with a wise woman. Terri at Outwest Saddlery in Pagosa Springs, Colorado really knows her bosals, and mecates, and fiadors. About now, you're probably wondering what I'm talking about...
A bosal is a braided rawhide noseband, a vaquero hackamore. Bosals come in thick and narrow widths and are rated by the size of the braid, a PLAIT number. The higher the number, the tinier the braid and typically, the softer the action of the bosal. There's more to it. Terri taught me that the bite of the bosal also depends on how the edges of the rawhide strands are finished. If they are smoothed down, the bosal has a much more mild action. If they are left square, it's a sharper sensation for the horse.
Yesterday, I posted a photo of Lorenzo riding Whisper in the rain and you can see that he's using a bosal with a mecate, the long horse mane hair rope that doubles as both reins and an extra length of rope to either tie or lunge a horse. Here's a snapshot of my bosal, mecate, and the leather hanger that goes up over the horse poll, behind his or her ears.
Terri taught me that it's important to have a mecate that is a similar thickness to the bosal for proper balance. So, I snapped this photo and shot it off to her via e-mail today.
If the bosal knot and mecate are not properly balanced, a fiador or throatlatch can be added to achieve this. If a fiador is used, a browband is generally added to the hanger. For more information, check out these links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosal or http://www.outwestsaddlery.com/html/mecates___bosals.html.
The advantage of starting a young horse in a bosal is that you don't have to use a bit during a period when the horse is actively replacing baby teeth with adult teeth. A bosal is also very useful for teaching flexion, although it has a limitation in that it isn't as good as a snaffle bit for obtaining lateral flexion in the horse.
Here at the ranch, we've taken to using a bosal, mecate, and hanger when a horse seems to be having trouble working well in the bit. Every horse here is up to date on dentals and we're constantly evaluating saddle fit, but occasionally, we run into some resistance that we just can't explain.
Our bosal been very useful for riding both Irish and Whisper and we're really considering starting Jetblue with this set-up in lieu of a snaffle bit. Over the next few days, Terri will help me understand the pluses and minuses of various bosals and I'll do a little more research so I can make an informed decision.
Gosh, I love learning. The following quote from freelance writer Robert Brault is one of my favorites.
"Each day learn something new, and just as important, relearn something old." ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
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