Fiador

A bosal hackamore with fiador

A fiador (pronounced /ˈfiː.ədɔr/) is an article of horse tack of Spanish colonial origin and used principally in the New World. In English-speaking North America, the fiador is known principally as a type of throatlatch used on the bosal-style hackamore, and some bitless bridles. Its purpose is to stabilize a heavy noseband or bosal and prevent the bridle from shifting..^[1] It is not used for tying the horse.

In Latin America, the term fiador is used to describe a type of neck rope.^{[citation needed]} This fiador can be a simple neck rope or a neck collar and lead rope, or a distinct article of headgear with its own browband or with a frentera and noseband.^{[citation needed]} A related design is the "Barcoo" or "ringhead" bridle traditional in Australia, with an integral neck collar.^{[citation needed]}

Origins

17th Century print, close-up of a neck collar-like accessory to a bridle

Look up fiador in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The origin of the word fiador in its equestrian sense is obscure but appears to be of South American origin. In Spanish, the word fiador has numerous senses, all related to safe-keeping. For example, an 18th century Spanish—English dictionary^[2] 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^[3] 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,^[4] and it also appears in a 1911 dictionary of argentinismos.^[5]

The origin of this word is predated by the functional element, namely a neck collar used in combination with a halter or bridle. In or before the 17th century it was in use in the Viceroyalty of New Spain.^{[citation needed]}

Styles

A bosal style hackamore with a fiador of white nylon rope

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

North American styles

detail of the fiador tied by the heel knot of a bosal, below the mecate

In the United States and Canada, the fiador is a type of throatlatch sometimes used on a bosal hackamore.^{[6] [7]}

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.^[8]

In Mexico, a similar fiador may be used on bitted bridles. Such bridles have reins attached to the bit, and the fiador may have a long lead attached.^{[citation needed]} In Mexico and in English-speaking North America, the 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.^[8]

South American style

In South America, the traditional fiador is a neck collar that fits snugly at the top of the horse's neck, immediately behind the head. Often it has its own browband and is worn over a bitted bridle. 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]} The extension piece is either a short loop or a long lead rope.

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 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.^[9][10] 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.^[8]

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 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.^[11] Adding a fiador to a hackamore stabilizes the equipment on the head of the animal.^[12] A bosal adjusted low on the horse's nose requires the fiador for proper balance,^[13] 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,^[14] often together with a frentera. In Spain it is also used on bridles.^[15]

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.^[16]

References

Look up fiador in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.