Art of Hackamore Training

Benny Guitron is the fifth of Felix Guitron Sr.'s six children. Young Guitron, inspired as a youth by the great horsemen of his day-Jimmy Williams, Harold Farren, Red Neal, Don Dodge and perhaps most significantly, vaquero trainer, Tony Amaral Sr.-became fired by a dream. Determined to achieve his dream, Guitron set out to be like those horsemen and to train horses in ways honorable to tradition. Al Dunning is credited with 32 world-championship and reserve-championship titles. The knowledge and passion he shares in his clinics, videos, and lessons have molded not only average students, but also some of today's most successful professional horse trainers. Dunning's ability to reach people comes from his love of horses and out of respect to the mentors in his own life.

Chapter 1: History of the Hackamore [braiding origins, early Californios and dons, preparing hides, cutting and beveling strands, braiding considerations] Chapter 2: Hackamores and Mecates [hackamore construction, hackamore artistry, the hackamore blueprint, training considerations, the mecate] Chapter 3: Tying the Mecate [tying method one, Benny's tying method, Al's tying method, considering the horse when tying mecate] Chapter 4: Training in the Hackamore [practical application, training psychology, why use the hackamore, fitting the hackamore, understanding the fiador, grasping the mecate] Chapter 5: Introducing Your Horse to the Hackamore [checking-up laterally, longeing and giving, vertical flexion on the line, the hard-set, ground-driving] Chapter 6: Key Points Under Saddle [prepare to ride, hitch mecate to horn or tie coils to saddle, lateral flexion and "slow-riding," vertical flexion, the headset, connecting the horse's feet to his face, elevating the heav Key Points Under Saddle [prepare to ride, hitch mecate to horn or tie coils to saddle, lateral flexion and "slow-riding," vertical flexion, the headset, connecting the horse's feet to his face, elevating the heavy horse, the big release, introduce neck-reining] Chapter 7: Build Your Horse's Hackamore Skills [athletic circles, in-and-out circle exercise, teach the turnaround, sliding stops, the one-rein stop, fencing your horse, developing the slide, stopping in the open] Chapter 8: Overcoming Challenges [the lead rope as a training aid, give your horse purpose, horseback longeing] Chapter 9: Working Cattle [Introducing horse to cattle, pushing and rating cattle, turning cattle on fence, common problems, focus on goals] Chapter 10: Vaquero Methods: Snaffle, Hackamore, Bridle and Variations [quatro riendas or four-rein riding, los dos riendas or riding with the two-rein, spins.