Lyle and the Bosal

Dear Reader,

As some of you know I re-started Lyle in the Rocking S low port, three piece snaffle bit by Reinsman Bits. I had wanted to get him into a bosal. But this could not be done right away because he was not gentle enough when he came back to me.

However, he has gentled down with Allen Pogue's training method and also with being ridden. For this reason, I will now introduce the bosal to Lyle. Steve Guitron will be making a custom bosal for Lyle. It is similar to the old style bosal. However, it is braided around a cotton rope core and not raw hide. The cheek pieces of this bosal are the exposed cotton rope. The nose piece and nose buttons are of raw hide, as is the heel knot. It is hung with a tradition bosal hanger. I will be using the tie back string so that the hanger does not come too close to Lyle's eyes. The macarty for this bosal is tied in the traditional way. This bosal has good lift and a good crisp release. I am looking forward to using it. I used to use a traditional bosal many years ago. But for Lyle I was looking for something a little softer than the old style bosal. I will let you all know how Lyle does in this new style bosal and what I think of it. One more thing that I like about this new style bosal is that it does not need a theodore tie back. For that reason, the lift and release are better. I am looking forward to using the new bosal. As promised, I will tell you how it works for both Lyle and for me.

Sincerely,

Penny Johnson

Kootenai Curly Horses

Bonners Ferry, Idaho