Fiador (tack)
Encyclopedia
A fiador term of Spanish colonial origin referring to a hackamore
component used principally in the Americas. In English-speaking North America, the fiador is known principally as a type of throatlatch used on the bosal
-style hackamore
. Its purpose is to stabilize a heavy noseband or bosal and prevent the bridle from shifting. It is not used for tying the horse.
A fiador-like design and fiador knot
is also used under the jaw on some rope halter
s, usually ending in a loop to which a lead rope
can be attached. This, however, is not an independent "fiador," nor generally labeled as such, it is simply an integral part of the halter itself.
, the word fiador has numerous senses
, all related to safekeeping. For example, an 18th century Spanish—English dictionary defines fiador as surety, bail; he that is bound for another. In falconry, the small long line that is fastened to the hawk's leash when she is first lured, to bring her back at pleasure. [...] also the loop of a cloak that comes about the neck to button, that it may not fall off. An early 19th century Portuguese—English dictionary also gives the senses of surety, bail, and falconry long line (creance
). By the mid 19th century (prior to 1860) the equestrian sense was in wide use in Argentina, and it also appears in a 1911 dictionary of argentinismos.
The term fiador refers to different styles of equipment in different parts of the western hemisphere
.
In the United States and Canada, the fiador is a type of throatlatch used on heavier styles of bosal hackamore.
This design crosses over the horse's head at the poll, with a knot under the jawbones, and attaches to the hackamore at the noseband
or bosal
. The knot under the jaw is usually a fiador knot
, and the fiador may have a second fiador knot at the point where it attaches to the heel knot of the bosal.
The fiador is attached to a headstall via a common (shared) browband, and its opposite end is tied to the bottom of a noseband or bosal on the bridle, leaving a small loop. Seen in some nations on both bridles and hackamores, in the United States and Canada it is used only on a bosal hackamore
. This style of fiador functions as a throatlatch, and is attached either above or below the mecate
reins. It is often made of cordage and tied in a fiador knot
under the jaw. South American styles differ from those used in North America.
, or occasionally a Matthew Walker's knot. There are two loops on the front end, and a loop and two tails on the back. The double loop runs forward to the heel knot of the bosal, where it is traditionally attached using what sailors call the bottle sling
. The double tails from the backside of the knot pass over the poll, where they are passed through the remaining loop in a becket hitch
below the left temple of the horse. The fiador can easily be detached from the headstall and, with somewhat more difficulty due to the need to untie the bottle sling knot, from the bosal.
In South America, a fiador is usually made of the same material as the rest of the halter or bridle, or of rawhide, and is fixed with a knotted button and button hole.
-style hackamore
s to stabilize a heavy bosal noseband on the horse's head. It is most often used within the "California" or vaquero
tradition only when starting young horses with a heavy bosal, but is used throughout the hackamore phase of training horses within the "Texas" tradition of Western
style riding. A bosal
adjusted low on the horse's nose requires the fiador for proper balance, and also makes it easier to handle the horse on the ground when using the lead rope end of the mecate three rein system. A horse is not tied with a hackamore, even with a fiador, but rather, the fiador prevents the headgear from falling off the horse's head.
In Argentina
, a fiador is seen on both halters and bridle
s, often together with a frentera
. In Spain
it is also used on bridles.
On rope halter
s, particularly designs that can also be used as a type of hackamore or bitless bridle
, a fiador is fully incorporated into the headgear and is not detachable. The halter is used with a mecate or reins, which are attached to the fiador loop that hangs below the chin.
Hackamore
A hackamore is a type of animal headgear which does not have a bit. Instead, it has a special type of noseband that works on pressure points on the face, nose, and chin...
component used principally in the Americas. In English-speaking North America, the fiador is known principally as a type of throatlatch used on the bosal
Bosal
A bosal is a type of noseband used on the classic hackamore of the vaquero tradition. It is usually made of braided rawhide and is fitted to the horse in a manner that allows it to rest quietly until the rider uses the reins to give a signal. It acts upon the horse's nose and jaw...
-style hackamore
Hackamore
A hackamore is a type of animal headgear which does not have a bit. Instead, it has a special type of noseband that works on pressure points on the face, nose, and chin...
. Its purpose is to stabilize a heavy noseband or bosal and prevent the bridle from shifting. It is not used for tying the horse.
A fiador-like design and fiador knot
Fiador knot
The fiador knot is a decorative, symmetrical knot used in equine applications to create items such as rope halters, hobbles, and components of the fiador on some hackamore designs...
is also used under the jaw on some rope halter
Halter
A halter, headcollar, or, less often, headstall, is headgear that is used to lead or tie up livestock and, occasionally, other animals; it fits behind the ears , and around the muzzle. To handle the animal, usually a lead rope or lead shank is attached...
s, usually ending in a loop to which a lead rope
Lead (tack)
A lead, lead line, lead rope or head collar rope , is used to lead an animal such as a horse. Usually, it is attached to a halter. The lead may be integral to the halter or, more often, separate. When separate, it is attached to the halter with a heavy clip or snap so that it can be added or...
can be attached. This, however, is not an independent "fiador," nor generally labeled as such, it is simply an integral part of the halter itself.
Origins
The origin of the word fiador in its equestrian sense is obscure but appears to be of South American origin. In SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, the word fiador has numerous senses
Sense and reference
Sinn and bedeutung are usually translated, respectively, as sense and reference. Two different aspects of some terms' meanings, a term's reference is the object that the term refers to, while the term's sense is the way that the term refers to that object.Sinn and bedeutung were introduced by...
, all related to safekeeping. For example, an 18th century Spanish—English dictionary defines fiador as surety, bail; he that is bound for another. In falconry, the small long line that is fastened to the hawk's leash when she is first lured, to bring her back at pleasure. [...] also the loop of a cloak that comes about the neck to button, that it may not fall off. An early 19th century Portuguese—English dictionary also gives the senses of surety, bail, and falconry long line (creance
Creance
A creance is a long light cord used to tether a flying hawk or falcon during training in falconry. They are used both when the bird is young, and when the bird has been taken out of the aviary for a moult or other reasons....
). By the mid 19th century (prior to 1860) the equestrian sense was in wide use in Argentina, and it also appears in a 1911 dictionary of argentinismos.
Styles
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
.
In the United States and Canada, the fiador is a type of throatlatch used on heavier styles of bosal hackamore.
This design crosses over the horse's head at the poll, with a knot under the jawbones, and attaches to the hackamore at the noseband
Noseband
A noseband is the part of a horse's bridle that encircles the nose and jaw of the horse. In English riding, where the noseband is separately attached to its own headstall or crownpiece, held independently of the bit, it is often called a cavesson or caveson noseband...
or bosal
Bosal
A bosal is a type of noseband used on the classic hackamore of the vaquero tradition. It is usually made of braided rawhide and is fitted to the horse in a manner that allows it to rest quietly until the rider uses the reins to give a signal. It acts upon the horse's nose and jaw...
. The knot under the jaw is usually a fiador knot
Fiador knot
The fiador knot is a decorative, symmetrical knot used in equine applications to create items such as rope halters, hobbles, and components of the fiador on some hackamore designs...
, and the fiador may have a second fiador knot at the point where it attaches to the heel knot of the bosal.
The fiador is attached to a headstall via a common (shared) browband, and its opposite end is tied to the bottom of a noseband or bosal on the bridle, leaving a small loop. Seen in some nations on both bridles and hackamores, in the United States and Canada it is used only on a bosal hackamore
Hackamore
A hackamore is a type of animal headgear which does not have a bit. Instead, it has a special type of noseband that works on pressure points on the face, nose, and chin...
. This style of fiador functions as a throatlatch, and is attached either above or below the mecate
Mecate (rein)
The mecate is the rein system of the bosal style hackamore used to train young horses. It is a long rope, traditionally of horsehair, approximately 20-25 feet long and up to about 3/4 inch in diameter...
reins. It is often made of cordage and tied in a fiador knot
Fiador knot
The fiador knot is a decorative, symmetrical knot used in equine applications to create items such as rope halters, hobbles, and components of the fiador on some hackamore designs...
under the jaw. South American styles differ from those used in North America.
Construction
In North America, a fiador is usually made from rope or cordage. Materials used may include horsehair, rawhide, cotton sash cord, or nylon. Cotton or nylon rope of approximately 6 mm diameter is the most common material. It runs behind the ears, over the poll of the horse, then joins under the cheeks with a fiador knotFiador knot
The fiador knot is a decorative, symmetrical knot used in equine applications to create items such as rope halters, hobbles, and components of the fiador on some hackamore designs...
, or occasionally a Matthew Walker's knot. There are two loops on the front end, and a loop and two tails on the back. The double loop runs forward to the heel knot of the bosal, where it is traditionally attached using what sailors call the bottle sling
Bottle sling
The bottle sling is a knot which can be used to create a handle for a glass or ceramic container with a slippery narrow neck, as long as the neck widens slightly near the top....
. The double tails from the backside of the knot pass over the poll, where they are passed through the remaining loop in a becket hitch
Becket hitch
A becket hitch, including the double becket or figure-of-eight becket hitch, is any hitch that is made on an eye loop, i.e. on a becket. A becket hitch has the same structure as the sheet bend, which joins, or "bends", the ends of two ropes together. The becket hitch, in contrast, fixes a rope to...
below the left temple of the horse. The fiador can easily be detached from the headstall and, with somewhat more difficulty due to the need to untie the bottle sling knot, from the bosal.
In South America, a fiador is usually made of the same material as the rest of the halter or bridle, or of rawhide, and is fixed with a knotted button and button hole.
Uses
In North America, a fiador is used most often on some bosalBosal
A bosal is a type of noseband used on the classic hackamore of the vaquero tradition. It is usually made of braided rawhide and is fitted to the horse in a manner that allows it to rest quietly until the rider uses the reins to give a signal. It acts upon the horse's nose and jaw...
-style hackamore
Hackamore
A hackamore is a type of animal headgear which does not have a bit. Instead, it has a special type of noseband that works on pressure points on the face, nose, and chin...
s to stabilize a heavy bosal noseband on the horse's head. It is most often used within the "California" or vaquero
Vaquero
The vaquero is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that originated on the Iberian peninsula. Today the vaquero is still a part of the doma vaquera, the Spanish tradition of working riding...
tradition only when starting young horses with a heavy bosal, but is used throughout the hackamore phase of training horses within the "Texas" tradition of Western
Western riding
Western riding is a style of horseback riding which evolved from the ranching and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West...
style riding. A bosal
Bosal
A bosal is a type of noseband used on the classic hackamore of the vaquero tradition. It is usually made of braided rawhide and is fitted to the horse in a manner that allows it to rest quietly until the rider uses the reins to give a signal. It acts upon the horse's nose and jaw...
adjusted low on the horse's nose requires the fiador for proper balance, and also makes it easier to handle the horse on the ground when using the lead rope end of the mecate three rein system. A horse is not tied with a hackamore, even with a fiador, but rather, the fiador prevents the headgear from falling off the horse's head.
In Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, a fiador is seen on both halters and bridle
Bridle
A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit....
s, often together with a frentera
Frentera
A frentera is a part of some halters and bridles, usually on a horse. It is a cord, strap, or chain on the face of the horse that is attached to the crownpiece or browband and runs down the horse's face to the noseband or bit rings. A frentera can be split at the top to pass on either side of the...
. In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
it is also used on bridles.
On rope halter
Halter
A halter, headcollar, or, less often, headstall, is headgear that is used to lead or tie up livestock and, occasionally, other animals; it fits behind the ears , and around the muzzle. To handle the animal, usually a lead rope or lead shank is attached...
s, particularly designs that can also be used as a type of hackamore or bitless bridle
Bitless bridle
A bitless bridle is a general term describing a wide range of headgear for a horses or other animals that controls the animal without placing a bit in the animal's mouth. Control is maintained by means of some sort of noseband or cavesson. The term hackamore is the most historically accurate word...
, a fiador is fully incorporated into the headgear and is not detachable. The halter is used with a mecate or reins, which are attached to the fiador loop that hangs below the chin.