The  hackamore is a product of Vaquero Horsemanship. It was traditionally used in the progression of a horse’s training prior to introducing a bit. However, in today’s Western Pleasure world, most trainers prefer to start horses in a snaffle and then move to the hackamore in preparation for competition. Showing two- and three-year-olds in a hackamore is more of a tribute to the past than a necessity, yet many trainers find it has a valuable place in their training regime.