Photography by: Coralie Nairn, Connie Ellis and Photos by Jess
About the Californio Bridlehorse...
If by now you haven't already read the history of Bridlehorse traditions in B.C., that would be a very good place to start. Understanding the history of how this system made it's way North from California will go a long way towards understanding what kind of horses it creates.
The Californio Bridlehorse system, brought to "New Spain" (America) by the Spanish Conquistadors along with their Vaqueros, their cattle and their fine spanish horses, was shaped by the need to graze cattle over vast areas of open grassland. The need for both horses and horsemen that could spend not hours or days but sometimes months tending to the herds of nearly wild cattle was great and at that time the Vaquero numbers were limited.
Photo by Christa Miremadi
Facing the need for more cowboys, First Nations people who were native to the land were employed to help tend to these herds. Their gentle, respectful methods, blending with those of the Vaqueros, were forged by the influences of the climate, the sheer size of the range and land itself. All of this worked together to produce a system of horsemanship and stockmanship that is known today as the Californio Bridlehorse system.
Characterized by a slow, thoughtful process of developing well balanced, responsive, willing and brave horses who can chase down a rogue bull or slip quietly between nursing cows and calves without upsetting them, this system takes it's time and shows respect to the horse. Understanding the anatomical needs of a young horse who is growing teeth and developing physically, it begins the horses learning process in a rawhide hackamore with horsehair mecate, progressing forward only as the horse is both physically and mentally prepared to do so through the two-rein and it finishes straight up in the old Spanish spade bit, only once the horses mouth is fully mature and they have developed the balance, strength, stamina and understanding to respond to their mount through the most subtle of communication, by way of balance and signal. From jaquima (hackamore) to freno (bridle), the whole process can take anywhere from 3 to 10 years when done with the traditional attitude of Manana at heart.
This mentality of Manana is not one of putting things off out of laziness but rather one of respecting the process and the horse and taking the time needed to be sure that nothing is done today that will not benefit tomorrow. After all, the California sun is shining, the grassland is wide open and our horses are partners worthy of respect, consideration and the time they need to mature both physically and mentally.
The old Spanish spade bit, though intimidating to look at, was not only a badge of honor awarded to a horse after a lengthy education in balance and signal, but also a symbol of trust, giving the power and control of the bit to the horse himself. The tall spoon, the sway braces and the comfortable ergonomic design of the bit allows the horse to carry, hold onto and control the rotation of the bit, providing the horse with the ability to protect himself from discomfort of accidental engagement of the bit while traversing all kinds of terrain at any given speed for hours at a time while at the same time encouraging a positive physical posture that will promote the health and soundness of the working horse, preserving his mind and body.
Of course, if you're going to give the control and power to your horse, you better be darn sure that you have a fairly good relationship with him! Trust, communication and respect are at the forefront of every Californio's relationship with their equine partner and communication is done through a balance and signal system that relies heavily on the cowboy's own self control and body awareness. This amount of subtlety in communication allows the horse to be free to choose the best position for himself in any given moment as well as provides the cowboy with the freedom to use his hands for other tasks such as building a loop or roping a cow. Today, the job requirements of most horses are a little simpler but their physical and psychological needs remain the same.
Photo by Christa Miremadi
These traditional methods of starting and training a horse continue to offer a system that puts those needs ahead of anything else. The Californio Bridlehorse is a strong, well balanced, versatile partner who has learned to use his or her body in a way that is congruent with his or her anatomy and relative to his or her level of physical and psychological development. The Californio horseman (or woman) is someone who is dedicated to taking the time needed to support their horses mental and physical development, focusing on their own awareness and body control in order to communicate through balance and signal and who can use this partnership along with a strong understanding of stockmanship to work with cattle in a slow, steady, respectful manner.
There are many who believe that a true bridlehorse cannot be made without cattle and it's true, to truly embody the spirit of the early Californios in B.C., one must experience working with cattle in open country, however in today's modern world, cattle are not always accessible to all who are interested in these methods and it would be a shame to deprive the horse, the human and future generations from understanding these methods just because they don't have cattle. Whether you are able to work with cattle or not, this system of horsemanship is one worth the time and effort it takes to learn it and one that will truly benefit both the horses and humans that take the time to develop the skills brought North by the early Californios in B.C.
~Christa Miremadi
Photo by Christa Miremadi
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