Fiador (tack)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A fiador (IPA: /'fiədɔɹ/) is an accessory on some hackamores and bridles, and use of its characteristic fiador knot is also sometimes seen on certain designs of halters. It is used as a type of throatlatch. A fiador runs from the poll, under the jaw, and attaches at the noseband or bosal. It is generally characterized by the presence of the fiador knot used at the point where several cords come together.^[1]

Contents 1 Styles 1.1 North American styles 1.2 South American style 2 Origins 3 Construction 4 Uses 5 References

[edit] Styles

The fiador has distinct styles in different parts of the western hemisphere.

[edit] North American styles

In Mexico and in English-speaking North America, the fiador has two distinct styles.

The most common style of fiador is attached to the bridle headstall via a common (shared) browband, and its extension piece always is tied to the bottom of a noseband on the bridle. Although in Mexico this fiador is used on both bitted and bitless bridles, in the United States and Canada it is used only on a bitless bridle known as a hackamore (jaquima). This style of fiador functions also as a throatlatch, and its leading function is provided by the "leading rein" of the mecate. This style of fiador is often made of cordage and tied in a fiador knot at the throat.^[1]

A lesser-known variation on the fiador, sometimes called a neck rope^[2] or get down rope, consists of a long rope with one end tied in a fixed loop (usually with a bowline knot) around the horse's neck and the other end passed through the bridle throatlatch or noseband, or both, if present. This style is used rarely in the United States and Canada outside of limited use in the Californio spade bit tradition, but is very common in Hawaii.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] South American style

In South America, the fiador often has its own browband and is worn over a bitted bridle; the extension piece is either a short loop or a long lead rope. The browband, if present, is the only part of the fiador to touch the bridle, and the fiador is not in any way attached to the bridle.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Origins

The word "fiador" in Spanish has numerous senses, all related to safe-keeping.^{[citation needed]} In the equestrian sense, it refers to the component incorporated into a bridle or halter, but always fitting closely around the neck and having a portion by which the horse can be held. {[fact}} Although this equestrian sense sometimes is regarded as originating in Mexico,^[3] it may have originated in Argentina. The word appears in a 1911 dictionary of "argentinismos"^[4] and the fiador is described in wide use in Argentina prior to 1860.^[5]

In paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) culture, describes the neck rope as a paniolo derivation from the mecate and fiador used in North America but provides a traditional Hawaiian name (kaula ‘ā‘ī) only for the neck rope.^[2]

[edit] Construction

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.

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 6mm 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 knot, 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.^[6][7] The double tails from the backside of the knot pass over the poll, where they are passed through the remaining loop in a sheet bend near the left cheek of the horse.^[1]

[edit] Uses

In North America, a fiador is used most often on the bosal-style hackamore to stabilize the bosal on the horse's head. It is most often used when starting young horses with a heavy bosal within the "California" or vaquero tradition, and used throughout the hackamore phase of training horses within the "Texas" tradition of Western style riding.^[8] Adding a fiador to a hackamore stabilizes the equipment on the head of the animal.^[9] A bosal adjusted low on the horse's nose requires the fiador for proper balance,^[10] 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 often used on both halters and bridles,^[11] often together with a frentera. In Spain it is also used on bridles.^[12]

In Australia, a fiador and frentera sometimes are used together on a bridle without cheekpieces.^{[citation needed]} On rope bitless bridles, the fiador is used with a mecate or reins are attached to the noseband and the fiador forms a free loop, left hanging below the chin, to which a third rein can be attached.^[13]

[edit] References