13/09/2026
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🔎 GEAR FOCUS 🔎 - the get down rope 🪢
Last week one of our astute followers asked what the difference was between the FIADOR and the small rope they have seen tied under the bosal on a bridle horse - which we often call a “get-down” rope.
That’s a really good observation — and a great question because visually they can look very similar!
They actually have quite different jobs.
The ➡️ “fiador” is part of the hackamore setup - Its purpose is to help secure the hackamore and prevent it from being pulled off over the horse’s head, particularly when handling the horse from the ground.
The ➡️ “get-down rope” is for handling the horse, rather than securing the bosal. You’ll often see it later in the traditional progression, when the horse has gone straight up in the bridle but may still wear a bosal underneath.
Jeff prefers to use a full-length mecate as the get-down rope. Besides giving him a way to handle the horse without using the bridle reins, it means that if the horse needs a little more help, the mecate can be turned back into bosal reins and the horse can temporarily return to the two rein.
So although there may be a rope and a bosal involved in both:
➡️Fiador = helps secure the hackamore.
Get-down rope = a way to handle the horse from the bosal.⬅️
Same neighbourhood, different job. 😊
🙏 Thank you for asking this — it’s one of those little details that makes a lot more sense once you can see the two side by side.
For more information on the traditional approach to training horses used by the California Vaquero, resources can be found on Jeff’s websites 💻 and books 📚 and accessed no matter where you and your horse are in the world
Website
💻➡️ www.jeffsandershorsemanship.com
Online school (new cattle 🐄 sections are coming soon!)
💻➡️ www.californiabridlehorse.teachable.com
Jeff’s Hackamore and Two Rein & Bridle books on Amazon
📚🚚 https://amazon.com/author/jeff_sanders_vaquero_author
YouTube
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