Noseband - Fitting The Noseband

Fitting The Noseband

Different styles of noseband should be fitted according to their purpose. A horse must be able to part its teeth and open its mouth slightly (not visible on the outside) in order to flex correctly at the jaw, relax and come onto the bit. An excessively tight noseband will prevent this. If a horse cannot relax its jaw, it will have problems with proper head carriage, and the rider may then try to force the horse into position by pulling back on the reins or using artificial leverage devices.

Recent studies in equitation science now strongly recommend that traditional and crank nosebands be adjusted so that two fingers can be inserted at the "nasal midline"—where the noseband crosses the top of the nose. The International Society for Equitation Science has stated that tight nosebands may lead to physiological stress and mask unwanted behavior and they encourage competition rules to be amended to require horse show stewards to check noseband tightness with a standardized gauge and see that competitors adjust their equipment accordingly.

• French or plain cavesson: The headstall is adjusted so that the noseband sits roughly equidistant between the prominent cheek bone and the horse's lips. Around the nose and jaw, this cavesson should be fitted so that, depending on the size of the horse and the size of the rider's hand, one or two fingers can be easily inserted between the noseband and the top of the nose.

• Drop: This style is fitted with the strap and buckle fastening below the bit in the chin groove. Care should be taken not to allow the top part to rest below the nasal bone - if it presses on the soft tissue below this bone it can impede breathing. In general, a drop noseband is fitted so that a finger can be placed between the front and the nasal bone.

• Flash: The upper cavesson is adjusted somewhat tighter than a plain cavesson to prevent it from being pulled toward the end of the muzzle by the lower flash strap. The lower flash strap runs below the bit and under the chin groove. It is buckled so the remainder of the strap points downwards.

• Crank: Opinions vary on the adjustment of this style. Some believe it should be extremely tight, to prevent the horse from opening or crossing its jaws. Others think tight cavessons mask undesirable behavior, recommending the traditional adjustment of one or two fingers to pass between the noseband and the top of the nose. Recent studies by the International Society for Equitation Science discourage extremely tight adjustment of any noseband and recommend a "two fingers" adjustment to all nosebands in competition.