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Glossary: Bosal

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Bosal

• Bosal - A piece of equipment put on a horse's head to communicate with it while it is being ridden. A bosal, when used with a hanger and mecate, is called a hackamore.

The three main parts of a hackamore are: The bosal. The bosal goes around the nose of the horse and has a knot at the back, underneath the horse's chin. 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.

Above: A hackamore.

Bosals are traditionally made from rawhide braided over a core also made of rawhide. The knot at the back of the bosal, beneath the horse's chin, provides weight so that when a rider touches the mecate the shift in weight is noticeable to the horse. Bosals come in a variety of diameters, with the largest diameters usually used on the greenest (most inexperienced) horses and the smaller diameters on more advanced horses.

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You can shop for bosals here.