Bosal A bosal is a piece of equipment put on a horse's head for riding. A bosal is also called a hackamore. The three main parts of a bosal, or hackamore, are:
The hanger (sometimes called a headstall, this is the part that goes over the horse's head, behind the ears). The mecate, or reins. Traditional mecates are made from horsehair but some may be made from nylon or other synthetic materials. The nicer horsehair mecates are made from mane hair, but some are made from tail hair, which is coarser.
The bosal itself. The bosal goes around the nose of the horse.
Typically, a bosal is used for training, and as the horse progresses he or she will usually move out of the bosal and into a bit. Although every horse trainer has their own way of doing things, it is common for an unbroke horse to be started in a snaffle bit, then graduated to a bosal. When the horse reaches an advanced stage in the bosal, it will often then be ridden in both a bosal and a curb bit, then ultimately ridden in a curb bit alone.
Bosals are commonly made from rawhide braided over a core also made of rawhide. You can sometimes find a bosal with a metal core, but most professionals despise these as being too rigid and wouldn't consider using this type. Bosals also have a large knot at the back, behind a horse's chin. The knot provides weight so that when a rider touches the mecate the shift in weight is noticeable to the horse. Bosals come in a wide variety of diameters, with the largest diameters usually used on the greenest (most inexperienced) horses and the smaller diameters on the more advanced horses.
