10/02/2026
5.5 miles on the trail today in the Indian bosal, and I think Boaz has officially given it his stamp of approval.
We’ve ridden in it a few times in the arena first, just to make sure it was a good match for him and that he understood and responded well to the pressure before taking it out on trail. Today was our first chance to really test it over some miles, and I was very happy with how he felt.
He was incredibly soft and responsive in it, and what I noticed most was how relaxed he was.
I think sometimes when people see a softer piece of equipment, especially out on the trail, the immediate thought is, “But what if something happens? Don’t you want more control?”
Today was actually a really good reminder that control doesn’t necessarily come from more leverage.
Boaz did have a spook on our ride, and I was still able to bring him back down, redirect him, and get his brain right back with me. At no point did I feel like I had less control because I wasn’t riding him in a mechanical hackamore.
If anything, I felt like I had more.
The mechanical hackamore gives me more leverage, but Boaz can also become a little more guarded against that pressure. In this setup, he seems much more willing to stay soft, listen to lighter cues, and respond instead of brace.
That’s such an important distinction to me.
I don’t want my equipment to overpower my horse. I want to develop a horse who understands pressure, stays connected to me, and can come back mentally when something worries him.
Soft doesn’t mean out of control. Sometimes a more relaxed horse is actually a much more controllable horse.
After a few arena rides and now 5.5 miles on trail, I’d say Boaz is making a pretty convincing argument for keeping this one on his headstall!
