Bosal tutorial

[rgerbitz]

Hello Tom,

A bosal is part of a set up called a hackmore that is used as an aid in suggesting what direction a horse might travel in.

The third horse back shows how it is worn on a horse.

There is also some thoughts on the hackmore here if you want to know some more about it.

Rob

Edited August 25, 2008 by rgerbitz

[carr52]

Hello Tom,

A bosal is part of a set up called a hackmore that is used as an aid in suggesting what direction a horse might travel in.

The third horse back shows how it is worn on a horse.

There is also some thoughts on the hackmore here if you want to know some more about it.

Rob

Thanks Rob, Boy ole Ernie sure has had an interesting life. Looks like a true cowboy. Again thank you.

Tom

[rawhider]

Thanks so much for the tutorial, Alan. I'm just finishing up a bosal for a lady, and I wish I'd seen this on the noseband before I built it. Can't wait to try it out!

[millwright]

Hey Alan, You've done a heck of a job with this tutorial. You've laid all the steps out well and made it look simple. Problem is, I'm simple minded and can't get a handle on how you've started the braid for the noseband. The u1 o1 until all strings are used from top to bottom? I'm trying to put a noseband on a piece of rope, as my core, to be used for a tiedown headstall. I've gone u1 o1 etc. then what do you do with the last string? There's no more strings to go under or over.

Here's more problems I have starting the braid. All my strings are on the top of the rope/core. When do you wrap the strings around the core and cross them to start braiding? Do you get to a point where you can go u2 o2 like a regular pattern or do you continue u1 o1? My main problem is simply getting started though. I tried the twist method, like Grant shows in his book, but can't manage that very well either. Your way looks easier and more practical to me.

I probably don't need to tell you this, I'm sure you can tell by my post, but, I can't braid a lick compared to you and the others here. I'm using some latigo string/thong for this noseband, six strings, and still practicing with nylon cord and string just to learn the braids. I have B. Grant's encyclopedia but haven't seen anything like what you've done here in it so I don't have a refrence. Any help's appreciated, Bret.

[Alan Bell]

Hey Brett, The answer to both questions is the same. The last string is the one that goes around the core and starts to pattern again on the first string. the you work that down tight and even and start to braid the rest of the length in the u1, o1 pattern. The U2 O2 comes when you reach the end and that is why you have to start with the string in thirds not in half. after the turn back you only use half of the strings to go back up so they nee to be 1/3 longer than the other half of the strings. They interweave back up to the top and then the extra on both ends should be about even and everything interweaves back to the middle and gets hidden around the noseband so as to not make a big lump in one spot. Hope this helps. I'm simple minded to and inherently lazy so I like to find the easiest quickest way to get things done right the first time so i don't have to keep doing it over! If I was smarter I wouldn't be cutting off bad knots and having to redo them!!!

Vaya con Dios, Alan Bell

[millwright]

Hey Alan, I've got the braiding down for the noseband cover and just completed my 3rd one. Thing is I've done better with my string width this time and the braid looks pretty good (for my braiding) but I have holes around the nosebutton and side buttons where the diameter is bigger than the core.

Could you elaborate on your method for creating pairs and the interweave on your noseband. Thanks, Bret.

[millwright]

I forgot to mention that I used a gaucho braid pattern on the noseband. How would the interweave be different than the herringbone? Anyone?

[rgerbitz]

I forgot to mention that I used a gaucho braid pattern on the noseband. How would the interweave be different than the herringbone? Anyone?

I have only done it a couple of times, but the interweave is the same. Follow the same strings around and "make pairs and split the pairs.

Rob

[Alan Bell]

Hey Bret, The gaucho interweave is different because you are following the SAME string around and making pairs and at the ends of your knot you are adding bites. The finished product with another color will produce zig zag lines running the length of the piece instead of around it. I have not done one with the gaucho braid the full length of the nose band because you will run into this problem. With the herringbone interweave, where the diameter gets larger on a noseband you add interweaves and the can bury the ends because the interweave will end with an under or it can end in the middle of a knot by crossing under and not exiting the knot while the gaucho interweave exits the knot with an over and comes back in with an over adding a bite to the end of the knot. Most braiders make the gaucho pattern happen just inside of the side button knot where the nose band is slimmer and then change back to herringbone for the larger diameter sections. So you might have a nose band with a herringbone pattern at each end then, moving toward the middle of the knot put a gaucho for an inch or so then back to the herringbone to meet in the middle and then you can add a contrasting interweave where the diameter is larger. Hope this is making some sense.

Vaya con Dios, Alan Bell

[millwright]

Sounds like I need to re-do the noseband and go with the herringbone pattern.

I'm not sure I understand how you switch back and forth between patterns. If you start your turnback with over 2 then you have a herringbone (right?), then it seems like you'd have to continue the same pattern throughout the braid, o2, u2. How do braiders transition between the two patterns?

[Alan Bell]

Simply do an under one instead of under two, where you want to switch the pattern from over to under.

Vaya con Dios, Alan Bell

[lilpep]

hello every one i have been a member for a bit but havent contributed alot i just watch since i am just a novice and i'm active duty overseas. i just wanted to introduce my self as a matter of coutesy befor i comment. Alan over all this is agreat tutorial but i havea little question or doubt. i have been really into Turks heads for a bit and at the beggining of the side button interwieve you said the foundation for the interweave was "six bit casa" if im not mistking that looks more like a pinneaple instead of a casa am i wrong? i dont do manny interweaves so im not sure. can you clarify this? i want to learn more about the interweaves and this kind of through me off a little as i followed the step by step. but great job a appreciate your time and effort to post this because it is not easy i know.

[Alan Bell]

Hey Lilpep, sorry for the delayed response and as a matter of returned curtesy let me thank you for your service to this country!. I don't really know all the ins and outs of the naming of all the different types of knots although I should! But if I am not wrong the foundation is a 'casa' or house which houses the interweave. So the pineapple is an interweave pattern I did weaving into the 6 bite casa. The pineapple is a herringbone pattern with nested interweaves meaning I didn't exit the casa (making a new bite) at each end rather I went under how ever many strings to start the next direction. I hope this makes sense (and is correct) and if it isn't correct then it should be! LOL Let me know!

Vaya con Dios, Alan

[Lookas]

Heloo Alan!!

Hello everybody!!

This is my first post here, so i say BIG hello:)

My name is Łukasz and am from Poland.

I try to learn bride the bosal and this tutorial is very helpful form me. But i have a question. Can You explain me ( with pictures please) how you make this big turkhead at the end of bosal? If i understand well it is only 8 strings?

Regards

Lookas

PS. I hope You understand my pur english:)

[rhona]

Allan,

What a beauty!! Thank you so much for taking the time and photos and for sharing all these with us!!

I've always wanted to learn how to do some braiding..this skill has always been so intriguing to me!! One day... I promise myself! Thank you again!

Rhona

Baguio, Philippines

[Annie B]

Hello Alan,

I am new to this web site. I have been braiding 7-8 years and thought I was doing fairly well. I have a bosal that someone is interested in, but decided to change the heel knot because of gaps. Now, for the life of me, I cannot do the heel knot. It has been maybe a year since I have braided a bosal, but in the meantime I make horsehair tassels as ceiling fan pulls so that I can practice the heel knots.

My first problem is that the rawhide wants to slip down from the top of the heel knot. I have been using Gail Hought's instructions. I'll probably end up having to do 4 or 5 interweaves to cover the heel. Is there a step by step tutorial somewhere? Can I just do an 8-bight herringbone? (I actually tried it 3 times and I'm messing that one up too.) Any advice about this would be greatly appreciated. Ann

Finally, we come to the last bit the heelknot. When I started braiding I read where the heel knot builds itself. That as you start braiding THAT's when you decide what the heelknot will look like and how many bands of color it will have and I have found this to be the truth. You can kinda plan but once you start things can change a bit so I sill not really get into the braiding aspect of it, if you can do the side buttons then you can do a heel knot they are just larger and with more passes but fundamentally the same. I do a floral tape build up for my heel knots. I like a fairly heavy heel knot as this speed up the action of the bosal specifically the release and that is what matters to the horse! Add the foundation and then do what you feel. Hopefully the client is pleased with the end results. And hopefully this was a little bit of help to some of you and of interest to the rest. I'm in New Orleans now and will have to wait till I get back to Mi Casa to add the hanger and there are several ways to do that but I'll just save that for another day.

Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell

Bob Marley - No More Trouble

[roo4u]

hi anne...alan hasnt been visiting with us much lately. hopefully he will get a reply to you soon....you might want to try to pm him, then they notify him via email that he has a message...might get a quicker reply that way. i havent done too many bosals but some things to consider are string size, heel knot foundation and shape. in the tutorial alan mentions he uses floral tape, it is a bit tacky and will help the lace stay in place while you are building the foundation of your knot. you may want to start a topic also and let some of the other braiders give you some advice. good luck!

[Aggiebraider]

Ill throw in my .02 here (worth exactly that much lol). I would definitely do an 8 bight or even more. At the braiding workshop I was at a couple weeks ago, I asked Nate Wald about a problem I was having with interweaves on my pineapple knots. He said the problem was that I was doing a 6 bight and you are limited by where you can place interweaves and what they will look like with a 6 bight. With an 8 or larger, you can put an interweave in anywhere even if its just a single row of one color. Seems much easier to tie an 8 bight exactly like you want.

CW

[rgerbitz]

Hello Ann,

Getting the foundation on can be a tricky at times. I have found that if I start out with my rawhide strings a little wetter than usual it helps to hold them in place. I often just try and get the foundatuon knot on in any way I can then go through and tighten and straighten everything up making sure all is even before continuing on to the interweaves. 8 bights are the handiest to work with on most heel knots.

Rob

[Annie B]

Hey Thank you,

I am going 8-bight and sometimes 10. I reworked the foundation the way Nate suggested, wrapping it with excess kangaroo and one wrap of tape. CW, I think you saw my bosals at the workshop. My strings may be too dry and I will try them a little softer. Yesterday may just have been a bad day. ann

Hello Ann,

Getting the foundation on can be a tricky at times. I have found that if I start out with my rawhide strings a little wetter than usual it helps to hold them in place. I often just try and get the foundatuon knot on in any way I can then go through and tighten and straighten everything up making sure all is even before continuing on to the interweaves. 8 bights are the handiest to work with on most heel knots.

Rob

[Annie B]

Thanks CW,

I finished the bosal and all turned out well. I had 4 interweaves and added a 5th at the center to close up any remaining gaps. Tried something different this time. When I started the first interweave, I stayed higher up when going under the x at the top. That worked out well and I didn't really need a ring knot. Thanks for the help and advice.

Ann

Ill throw in my .02 here (worth exactly that much lol). I would definitely do an 8 bight or even more. At the braiding workshop I was at a couple weeks ago, I asked Nate Wald about a problem I was having with interweaves on my pineapple knots. He said the problem was that I was doing a 6 bight and you are limited by where you can place interweaves and what they will look like with a 6 bight. With an 8 or larger, you can put an interweave in anywhere even if its just a single row of one color. Seems much easier to tie an 8 bight exactly like you want.

CW

[Aggiebraider]

Annie Great job on the bosal. I posted that earlier reply without even reading who I was replying to lol... Guess next time I should look and know who Im talking to.

CW

[ljensen]

I wanted to say thanks to Alan for taking the time to create this tutorial. I finished my first bosal over the weekend and I sure did a lot of referring back to this tutorial throughout the process.

Thanks again,

Logan

[fredz]

Wouahhh.... Great tutorial !!

Many thanks !

[DonW]

Wheres the heel knot?