Editing Horse tack (section)

===Hackamores and other bitless designs===

{{Main|Hackamore|Bitless bridle}}
[[Image:BosalHorse.jpg|thumb|upright|A bosal hackamore]]
A ''[[hackamore]]'' is a headgear that utilizes a heavy [[noseband]] of some sort, rather than a bit, most often used to train young horses or to go easy on an older horse's mouth.  Hackamores are more often seen in [[western riding]].{{r|price|p=158}} Some related styles of headgear  that control a horse with a noseband rather than a bit are known as [[bitless bridle]]s.

The word "[[hackamore]]" is derived from the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word {{Lang|es|jáquima}}''.''  Hackamores are seen in [[western riding]] disciplines, as well as in [[endurance riding]] and [[English riding]] disciplines such as [[show jumping]] and the stadium phase of [[eventing]].  While the classic [[bosal]]-style hackamore is usually used to start young horses, other designs, such as various [[bitless bridle]]s and the [[mechanical hackamore]] are often seen on mature horses with dental issues that make bit use painful, horses with certain training problems, and on horses with mouth or tongue injuries.  Some riders also like to use them in the winter to avoid putting a frozen metal bit into a horse's mouth.{{r|price|p=153}}

Like bitted bridles, noseband-based designs can be gentle or harsh, depending on the hands of the rider. It is a myth that a bit is cruel and a hackamore is gentler. The horse's face is very soft and sensitive with many nerve endings.  Misuse of a hackamore can cause swelling on the nose, scraping on the nose and jawbone, and extreme misuse may cause damage to the bones and [[cartilage]] of the horse's head.