Uses
In North America, a fiador is used most often on some bosal-style hackamores to stabilize a heavy bosal noseband on the horse's head. It is most often used within the "California" or vaquero tradition only when starting young horses with a heavy bosal, but is used throughout the hackamore phase of training horses within the "Texas" tradition of Western style riding. A bosal adjusted low on the horse's nose requires the fiador for proper balance, 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 seen on both halters and bridles, often together with a frentera. In Spain it is also used on bridles.
On rope halters, particularly designs that can also be used as a type of hackamore or bitless bridle, a fiador is fully incorporated into the headgear and is not detachable. The halter is used with a mecate or reins, which are attached to the fiador loop that hangs below the chin.
Read more about this topic: Fiador (tack)