Are hackmores a softer/gentler alternative to bits?
Not necessarily. There are many different kinds of hakamores and bitless bridles (hakamore is a sub-genre if bitless bridle but people often use that word to encompass everything bitless). Most hackamores are very strong and harsh, morso than many bits, while there are still bits out there that are worse than any main-stream hackamores I’ve seen. If you’re comparing to a snaffle bit, though, then hackamores are going to be stronger.
These types of mechanical hackamores are all pretty strong, as they have leverage shanks/arms like a curb bit, and pressure is applied to the whole face. The ridged rawhide nosepiece can also be rather harsh. I ride an Arabian named Dean and he is very strong in the mouth and wants to go forward and can be hard to hold back in a bit, but I ride him in the hackamore in the middle and he responds to it much better than the bit, attesting to the strength of the mecanical hackamore. Versions of these are often used in tandem with bits to increase strength of the rien.
Bosal hackamores aren’t as strong as most mechanical hackamores but still have a bite to them, as they are ridged and often have pressure points.
There’s also cross-unders which arn’t a hackamores but are bitless. These are going to apply a lot of pressure to the face.
If you’re going for a ‘gentle’ or soft bitless bridle, side-pulls with padded nose bands are your best bet!
