JAQUIMA TO FRENO HACKAMORE TO BRIDLE IT'S THE GENTLE ART OF MAKING THE CALIFORNIO BRIDLE HORSE BY THOMAS GARCIA

Truly Be Downtown, a 10-year-old stallion, is a finished bridle horse. Here he is being ridden by owner Thomas Garcia in a two rein. "The purpose of the two rein is to give you an option to use the bosal and mecated reins when you need to be firmer and give more direction. This way, you don't touch the bridle reins nor the spade bit, and preserve your horse's, light, soft mouth." aquima to freno, he’s an old reins with iron chains and attached romal. light cues or signals that tell him what is Vaquero, from another time, It is also said that, “The hands that handle expected of him. hands as fine as the dealers of the spade must be as fine and soft as the Reno." This line from singer/ dealers of Reno.” Origins and tools of training songwriter Ian Tyson couldn’t The tradition and equipment used to train "Jbe more true. It is said that when But what exactly is a bridle horse, and the Californio style bridle horse came the cowboys of Texas met up how is one made? The term bridle horse from the Moors of North Africa to Spain, with the vaqueros of California, does not mean just a horse that is ridden then to Mexico, and in the late 1700s to they were in awe of the hair-triggered in a ported curb bit, but one that has been California. Techniques and equipment Californio bridle horses who spun, slid nurtured and taken through the steps and were refined along the way. Maneuvers and worked a cow with the slightest stages in the traditional Californio style originating in war evolved into dressage signal from the rider while carrying of horsemanship: One that, when straight and then to stock work. The end result is ornate silver spade bits guided by rawhide up in the bridle, understands the feather- a horse that carries himself in confidence and balance, with a working arch in his I like a ring snaffle due to the action head. A jaquima is used one rein at a time neck, head vertical--one that is collected inherent in it. Many people have heard with a bumping action of short pulls of and responsive to the slightest touch and the term “carrying the bit,” yet very few the direct rein alternating with a release. signal. understand what it means. Carrying the Along with the bumping action of the bit refers to the horse actually holding reins, the incorporating of aids such as The tools used in the training of the onto the bit and carrying it around. A shift in weight, the touch of the heel, bridle horse include the snaffle, the ring snaffle slides up and down along the touch of the indirect rein and leg various bosals (jaquimas), and the bridle- the radius of the rings. A horse learns pressure is used. headstall, bit and reins. A bosal is the to pick up and actually hold onto the bit rawhide noseband. The rawhide noseband with his mouth. This allows him to better There will be times when one must grab together with the headstall and horsehair feel the signal from the reins and also a hold of the horse. With a bosal, that mecate reins is called a jaquima. prepares him for the eventual carrying can be done without hurting the mouth of the spade or other mouthpiece when as could happen with a bit. As the horse Other elements of training include straight up in the bridle. advances in his training, the objective the spade, halfbreeds, and the many is to use lighter and lighter cues. That other mouthpieces, which are the most Snaffles should be of excellent quality, includes going from a thicker, heavier misunderstood bits. I am often asked why smooth in their action and not pinch the bosal to a smaller diameter and lighter would anyone put such a “harsh” bit in a corners of a horse’s mouth. I will ride a bosal. When the horse has advanced in horse’s mouth. The reason is that these horse in the snaffle usually for about 90 his training to where he performs all that bits are signal bits, not leverage bits. days. At that stage, the horse is usually is asked on a light rein with a willing They are designed for use in only a horse coming along nicely and is soft in the face. attitude--neck reins, stops, turns and rolls that has been taken through the process He should be stopping, backing, giving back, backs with poise and balance, and and understands what is asked of him by laterally and vertically, and starting to he is done shedding baby teeth and has a slight signals. Bridle horses are guided yield to your legs. mature mouth--he is ready to advance to not only by the bit in their mouth, but the two rein. by the subtle shift in the riders weight, Between the ages of 2 ½ and 5, a horse the pressure of the knee and leg and is shedding his baby teeth and replacing The two rein, jaquima and the touch of the spur, aids or ayudas in them with permanent teeth. When a Spanish. horse is teething, his mouth is sore. When bridle pressure is put on his mouth it hurts As the name implies, a horse in the two The ornate silver bits evolved from the and his head goes up in response. In the rein is ridden in both the jaquima and fact that many vaqueros only owned the Californio style of training, a jaquima is bridle with two sets of reins. Not every clothes on their backs, a bedroll and their used during the years a horse is teething. bridle horse is a spade bit horse, nor have tack. High quality, ornate, silver-mounted A jaquima used during this time allows all bridle horses of the past been spade bits and spurs were a source of pride to continued training while preserving the bit horses. When it comes to mouthpieces, the vaquero. mouth and keeping it soft and fresh for there are spades, half breeds, alinas and the bit. Mona Lisas, segundos and san joaquins. The tradition of the Californios was to What they have in common is little or no train most bridle horses on gathering tongue relief which actually makes them Progressing to the jaquima a bit gentler. A bit with tongue relief and moving cattle, with much patience. When my colt is handling well, stopping, This gave the horse a clear purpose and allows the tongue to go up into the bit turning, giving his head vertically and which means the bit rests on the bars helped it learn the ayudas and perform laterally, backing and soft in the face, I the maneuvers. There are undoubtedly of the mouth alone. A Californio style will double-rein him into the jaquima. I bit with little or no tongue relief means other methods that yield similar results use a 3/8 inch bosalito under the snaffle and good handling stock horses, many in the bit is supported by the bars and the using both the snaffle and jaquima reins tongue as well, distributing the pressure a shorter time span. There are also other jointly. The colt will start to feel and ways to train the Californio bridle horse over a greater area. The shape and size respond to the jaquima reins. When he of the horse’s mouth determines what but this is the way I have learned and the is responding to the jaquima reins, I will way that has worked for me. mouthpiece is used, along with trial and take the snaffle off completely and put error to determine what the horse feels him in a larger diameter bosal. I own comfortable in. Starting the horse, snaffles five jaquimas with bosals, starting with a and jaquimas 5/8” cheek 1” nose heavy bosal down to At the beginning, a horse is allowed I start most of my colts in a snaffle, a a 3/8” two-rein bosal. Depending on the to just carry the bit with no pressure good fitting, smooth ring snaffle to be softness of and needs of the horse, I will put on the reins. The horse is guided exact. Contrary to popular belief, many determine which of the heavy bosals I by the jaquima as usual. The horse will horses were started in the snaffle then start with. learn to hold and carry the bit, roll the introduced to the jaquima. In the writings cricket and get comfortable with it before of Ed Connell and Arnold Rojas, two of Starting with a heavy bosal teaches the any signal is given with the reins. The the best known writers on the Californio horse to search for relief of weight on his weight of the bit along with the shape bridle horse, horses were started in nose and teaches him to keep his head in of the mouthpiece (especially the spade) snaffles as much as they were started in the proper position. A jaquima is a two- encourages a horse to carry his head in the jaquima. I personally have used both handed tool. It is used with a give and the proper position. methods, but feel I get a better feel and take, never an even pull on the reins. An ultimately a softer, more supple horse if I even pull allows a horse to brace and pull As the horse gets comfortable, signals start him in a snaffle. through the bosal instead of giving his are slowly transferred from the jaquima These three photos show the progression When a horse starts shedding its baby teeth, Here Truly Be Downtown shows what a from snaffle to bosal to the spade bit/bridle. I switch to a bosal. It allows me to be firm with finished bridle horse would wear: A Santa Popular belief is that old timers started their the horse, yet not bother its mouth. Here I am Barbara spade bit, a bosalito and get down horses in the spade, but in reality, they started riding a 9-year-old mare, SC Spanish Roxx. rope. A bosalito is always used under the bridle in snaffle bits. A young horse without erupting You can see that I am using aids such as a and the get down rope is tied around the neck teeth can be comfortable started in a snaffle. shift of weight to the left, along with some with either a bowline or an alamar knot. The tail In this photo, Tanisha Taylor supples her mare direct and indirect rein. My mare is getting end is run through the bosalito and used as a Mexical Sansa on her 7th ride in a snaffle. ready to cross her legs over to catch up with lead rope. A bridle horse is never led nor tied (Photo by Thomas Garcia.) my shifted weight. (Photo by Jackie Garcia.) by the reins which preserves the soft mouth. (Photo by Jackie Garcia.) to the bridle reins (just as it was from The rawhide romal reins are traditionally the horsemen who wield them with hands snaffle to the jaquima) by using both attached to the bit with chains which as fine as the dealers of Reno. It is the sets of reins. Eventually the bridle rein serve several functions: one is to balance epitome of communication between horse become the principal rein used. The the bit and reins and provide for an and rider. horse is ridden for a time with both the instant release of pressure. The buttons bridle and jaquima in place. This allows on the reins protect the reins and also This is but a brief overview of the any needed correction to be done with the provide feel and thus a stronger signal process of making a true bridle horse. jaquima instead of the bridle, once again to the horse. A horse is sensitive enough The complete process would take a preserving the mouth. to feel a mosquito land on him, so is complete book with many illustrations. sensitive enough that, when the reins are Hopefully this will spark an interest in picked up and the bit twitches, he feels it this dying art of the making of the true Straight up in the bridle and knows something is being asked of When the horse has perfected the Californio bridle horse. him. understanding of the bridle and is confidently guided by just the bridle reins, the jaquima is taken off and a bosalito A true bridle horse that has been taken n is put in place under the bridle. This through the steps, painstakingly and Thomas Garcia owns Spanish Creek bosalito is always worn under the bridle. patiently taught what is expected of him, Performance Horses and Taos Tack & Pet When leading and tying a horse, an 18- is a joy to ride. Soft and responsive, alert Supply. He can be reached at 575-737-9798. 20’ get down rope is used with a bowline with a spring in his step and a working tied around the horse’s neck and the rope arch in his neck, he responds to the is run through the bosalito. A bridle horse slightest signal, the shift of the rider’s is never led nor tied by the reins. His weight, the touch of the heel. He is the mouth is fresh, soft and responsive and picture of balance and collection. The sensitive to the slightest movement of the Spanish bits, be they spades, san joaquins, reins. or Mona Lisas, with gorgeous silver cheeks with names like Santa Barbara, Many Californio/Spanish style bits are Santa Maria, fresno or las cruces are not loose jawed, meaning there is movement only functional but a source of pride to between the shanks, bars and mouthpiece.