Quick question for those riding hackamore sunup to sundown: what bosal diameter and mecate weight are you using when there’s 10–15 miles of trot, gates, and a green but willing mind? I’m in a 5/8 rawhide with a 22’ horsehair mecate — nice feel and clean releases — but I’m getting a faint rub on the right nasal after hour four even with clean sweat and balm; debating a 1/2 with mohair wrap or a soft rope mecate to keep the cue alive without burning hide — what’s worked for you?
I’d keep your 5/8 rawhide and trade the 22’ horsehair for a 9/16 mohair mecate — same clean release but it won’t saw on long trots, and it’s the one change that stopped a faint right-side rub cropping up at “hour four” for me. Does it spike after the right-hand gate work or stay constant the whole loop?
Try one tiny fit change before swapping gear: shorten the hanger one hole on the right and roll the heel knot a thumb-width left so the 5/8 sits dead even; that fixed a faint right-side rub for me over 12–15 mile trots. @dane_elliot91’s mohair idea is solid, but if you love horsehair, stick a thin moleskin strip under the right nasal for the big miles. Is the rub right at the seam or just ahead of it?
If it only shows up around ‘hour four’, I’d keep the 5/8 but go to a softer, oval nosebutton (rope- or soft-rawhide core) and add a thin chap-leather wrap for the long trot. That keeps the feel you like from the 22’ horsehair without the grit, and a touch more heel-knot weight helps it float instead of pressing the bridge. Is your nosebutton round and hard or already ovaled — if round, this write-up is solid: https://eclectic-horseman.com/hackamore-dos-and-donts/.