The secrets of the California hackamore men are made public in this book. The knowledge of this almost vanished art is made available to every horseman! Heretofore jealously guarded as a trade secret of a handful of skilled descendants of the old California vaqueros. Ed Connell, one of the most skilled of hackamore experts, hands the horse world its rarest gift in history. The complete hackamore training method has been set down in writing.

Hackamore Reinsmanis a valuable reference manual for the professional horse trainer as well as the amateur. Complete coverage of handling the reins ... both snaffle bit and hackamore methods; the turn on the hind feet; the set and turn; the sliding stop; starting the colt on cattle; the spin; foot position; riding a balance; correcting bad habits; keeping the horse light; and every other phase of making the finished, flashy-reined cow horse.

Profusely illustrated with more than fifty accurate line drawings by Randy Steffen.

This is a book no horseman can afford to be without!

(softcover, illustrations, 105 pgs.)

Excerpt from the book:

The fine points of handling the hackamore have been handed down from generation to generation by the early Spanish Californians, who took great pride in their horses. They maintained the art in the business of breaking horses on the American continent. It is fast dying out except in a few places that still keep up the old traditions and system of handling horses.

Today's old timers who learned the business from the early Californians are about all one, or are too feeble to ride anymore, and young people coming up who are working with horses have not had the opportunity to learn first hand from the people who have the knowledge.

If horses were in use today as they were a few years ago, there would be many good horses and many good horsemen, but now the topnotch horsemen are few and far between.

In recent yeas, due to the influx of people from other states, the methods of handling hoses have been changed all over the country. Where a few years ago the hackamore and snaffle bit were used in different states and localities, the grazer bit and new devices have replaced them, and vice versa.

Considering all the fast methods and new equipment used at the present time and comparing the new with the old, the best all-around horses for rein and cow work are still being made with the old time methods. Although it requires extra time and patience on the part of both riders and management the results are worth it.

The secret of making this kind of a finished stock horse lies in the way the reins are handled.