A hackamore is a bridle with no bit. A mechanical hackamore is a bitless bridle with shanks. A bitless bridle without shanks is called a side pull. Rather than pressure being applied inside of the mouth, the hackamore places pressure over the nose and other points of the head.

One may also ask, are bitless bridles better? Because The Bitless Bridle exerts minimal pressure and spreads this over a large and less critical area, it is more humane than a bit. It provides better communication, promotes a true partnership between horse and rider, and does not interfere with either breathing or striding. As a result, performance is improved.

Similarly one may ask, what is a bitless bridle called?

A variant on the bosal design that is sometimes called a bitless bridle, but more often placed within the hackamore family, is called a sidepull. It has a noseband, usually of rope, rawhide or heavy leather, with reins that attach at the cheekpieces.

Is a Hackamore better than a bit?

The hackamore has more weight, which allows for more signal before direct contact. This allows the horse a greater opportunity to prepare. With a snaffle bit, you can do as much as it takes to get the job done, whereas the hackamore helps you can learn how little as it takes to get the job done.