Horse sense Nosebands Horse sense Nosebands Drop the tight noseband

Are certain nosebands over-used and too readily When a schooling issue occurs, our instructors or well-meaning friends may suggest a stronger reached for as a schooling shortcut? Nicky Moffatt bit or a tighter noseband. But before reaching for talks to riders and trainers to discover their views a ‘harsher’ piece of tack, we should be looking at why the horse is opening his mouth, crossing his jaw or evading the contact. “Of course, a rider’s safety must be he subject of nosebands, and welfare, but there are concerns over how tight considered,” says advanced dressage rider and whether they are actually necessary, they are fastened and whether they will affect trainer Serena Gordon. “If a horse is displaying is a common cause of debate within breathing or mask a physical or behavioural issue naughty, potentially dangerous behaviour and the horse world. without addressing the root cause. all health checks have been carried out, then While many years ago a cavesson using a flash or drop noseband may well break wasT the choice of most riders, it seems more and Comfort matters the habit, once the horse learns he can no longer more horses these days are ridden in ‘corrective’ As owners and riders, it is essential that we carry out this behaviour. pieces of tack that are designed to keep the ensure our horses remain comfortable when “However, I hate to see nosebands done up mouth closed. performing the work we ask them to do, too tightly and I believe this often leads to worse Many riders claim they can’t live without whatever tack and equipment we use. problems. Whatever tack we use, it must be fitted Grakles, cranks, flashes or drops, while others Most of us spend time and money making correctly, with the horse’s welfare taking priority.” feel they are an unnecessary tool and potentially sure we have a well-fitting saddle and many a cause of stress, discomfort and even pain. riders enlist help from an expert when it comes The real issue Riding your horse in one of these nosebands to choosing the best bit. But how many of us Equine behaviourist Justine Harrison has studied or similar doesn’t mean you are compromising his pay such close to attention to nosebands? research into the misuse of nosebands. 4

Most commonly used nosebands

Cavesson – the nosebands in the equestrian world, due to plainest form the fact it can easily be over-tightened. of noseband, it should sit Flash – a small approximately strap attaches to a two fingers width cavesson or crank below the horse’s noseband and is cheekbones, and secured below care should be taken to fit it higher than there should be the bit, under the the nostrils, to ensure the horse can room to fit two fingers width between horse’s chin. It is breathe properly. the cavesson and the nose. used to prevent the horse from opening Grakle – a popular choice with event Crank – this has a strap that doubles back his mouth, crossing riders and showjumpers, a Grakle crosses on itself to allow the rider to fit it tighter. his jaw or putting his tongue over the bit. The diagonally over the horse’s nose. It acts When used with a flash strap, it helps to keep cavesson part of the noseband should be by keeping the the cavesson fitted firmly enough so the flash strap doesn’t mouth closed in place so slide down, and the flash strap must be high and helps to the noseband enough over the nostrils not to interfere with prevent crossing doesn’t the horse’s breathing. of the jaw. As slip down. it sits relatively The crank Drop – this noseband fits below the bit to high on the is arguably help keep the mouth closed and prevent the horse’s face, it is one of the horse from getting his tongue over the bit. It unlikely to affect Ensure a horse’s comfort by most debated is a popular choice with dressage riders, but his breathing. checking you can fit two fingers under the noseband

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Case study “It has become common practice for many “When a horse’s mouth is strapped shut in Make sure your owners to use crank, drop, Grakle, Mexican or this way, and his behaviour is ignored, he may horse’s noseband is flash nosebands to close their horse’s mouth,” communicate his discomfort in more dangerous comfortable for him says Justine. “So much so, that it is difficult to find ways, such as bolting, bucking or rearing. “You see a bridle with a normal cavesson noseband in tack “We should be looking out for these cranks and shops – bridles now seem to come with a flash behaviours in our horses, recognising there is noseband as standard.” a problem and addressing it by having the horse flashes used Justine believes if a horse develops a training checked over physically. Then it’s up to us to get issue he is trying to tell you something and using the right help with our schooling in order to iron everywhere” a tighter noseband can escalate this behaviour. out the real issue.” Dudley-based Ange Moore says flash She states that it is better to get to the bottom and crank nosebands have become of the problem by listening to your horse. Every horse is an individual ubiquitous. “You see them used “A horse with a specific training issue, such as While every rider will agree we need to listen to everywhere, frequently because they opening his mouth or putting his tongue over the our horse, Serena adds that sometimes a habit ‘came with the bridle’, with little thought bit, has a problem with what is being asked of him can be nipped in the bud through the use of a given to how they work,” she states. or is trying to avoid pain,” she says. different noseband. “If asked, some horse owners answer “If the horse is performing the behaviour to “It’s important to treat every horse individually,” that their horse opens his mouth, so their avoid pain or discomfort from the bit, then using she says. “I have a feisty chestnut mare who used solution is to strap it shut. a noseband that tightens around the mouth will to open her mouth wide, launch into the air and Correct schooling “But shouldn’t we ask why the horse prevent him from opening his mouth and mask run for the hills. After getting her checked over can iron out most feels the need to open its mouth in the the symptom, rather than address the cause. and feeling satisfied she wasn’t in pain, I found a training issues first place? The mouth is made up of soft, “Tightening the noseband may also magnify drop noseband gave me more control over what vulnerable tissue often lying thinly over the problems with the bit – for example, make it was a potentially dangerous situation. Very soon, bone, and it can be so easily bruised and more uncomfortable – and make matters worse. this habit stopped. “On the other hand, I once bought an older However, this goes against the standard excessively tight nosebands could impact damaged by a tight noseband. horse and I was told she needed an extremely recommendation for adjustment of the noseband, negatively on the safety of horse and rider. People need to consider how they ride. tight flash noseband to stop her getting her where the space between the noseband and the “A horse experiencing pain while being ridden Hard, unforgiving and backwards hands tongue over the bit. nasal midline should easily allow the insertion of is more likely to display flight and fear responses, or a horse that is out of balance and is “This mare gave me a horrible, ‘dead’ feeling two fingers, so jaw movement is not restricted. such as head tossing or bolting,” Orla adds. falling forward gives the horse no choice “We should look out for behavioural problems in the rein, so I immediately loosened everything. Orla Doherty of the University of Limerick, The study shows that more data needs to be but to reduce discomfort by opening the This meant she could get her tongue over the bit, Ireland, and her research team investigated collected to validate the measurement technique in our horses and then address the issue” mouth. The sad thing is, this can so easily but I learnt that she did it more often when she the level of noseband tightness being used at and demonstrate correlation between high be improved through patient and correct was stressed. equestrian competitions. pressures and animal welfare and behaviour. schooling. “Gradually, as she became more relaxed in her The team studied 850 showjumpers, and Orla and her team are currently completing “In my opinion, a well-trained horse training, she flipped her tongue less and less, so a found only 20 per cent were ridden in a cavesson the research and hope to publish results over should be light and attentive without a flash noseband was a bad idea in her case.” noseband – the majority of riders used flash or the coming year. noseband, and forcing the mouth to stay Grakle nosebands. Visit: www.equitationscience.com for closed results in pain from the bit.” Revealing studies “We are also interested in how tight nosebands more information. Researchers from Ireland and Australia have just are being fastened,” says Orla. “Of 201 young completed the preliminary development of two event and hunter horses studied, only 12 per cent Is your horse happy? methods of measuring noseband pressure, which had nosebands loose enough to fit two fingers If you’re concerned your horse isn’t comfortable in could impact on the welfare of ridden horses. underneath, and 47 per cent had nosebands too his work, or may be evading the noseband you are Have your horse’s The study was carried out on the basis that tight to fit any fingers underneath.” using, Justine Harrison has the following advice: teeth checked regularly some riders believe a tight noseband enhances bit She says that in addition to the possible l Look for signs such as opening the mouth, by an expert pressure, allowing rein aids to be more effective. physical damage this could cause, using head tossing, pulling the reins out of your hands, teeth grinding, crossing of the jaw, poking the tongue out or putting it over the bit, the horse Case study rubbing his face on his leg – or on the rider once you have dismounted – and tail swishing. l If your horse is demonstrating any of the above “I lack control signs, go back to basics and ride him in a plain without my flash cavesson bridle – or even consider a modern “As she has always had the flash bitless bridle – to see if there is an improvement noseband” noseband, I’m unsure whether it’s in his behaviour. covering up a training issue or whether l Check your tack fits and nothing is too tight or Anne Goodman from Manchester says she knows I’m not in control without it. rubbing your horse’s face. The noseband should her 15-year-old mare Nonya Business has “To make sure she is comfortable, be fitted correctly with at least two fingers gap always worn a flash noseband. I ensure it’s not so tight that it interferes between it and the horse’s face. “When I tried my mare out, she had with her breathing and when I’ve finished l Have your horse’s mouth regularly checked by a flash on, and I didn’t ask why at the time, riding I loosen it straight away. a registered equine dental technician or your vet. which was a little naive of me perhaps,” “If I had a young horse to break in, I’d Horses may have been caused pain where a tight says Anne. make sure all possible training methods noseband has applied pressure to an underlying “When I’ve taken it off, however, I do had been tried before using a flash, but I tooth issue which the rider wasn’t aware of. notice a lack of control, especially when feel it’s better to keep things as they are l Always question why something is happening she throws her head up. She tends to work for my older horse as she is happy in her and enlist the help of a good trainer who can offer The aim of some better with it on. work and a flash gives me more control.” nosebands is to you constructive schooling exercises to improve prevent the horse your horse’s way of going. g opening its mouth

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