Cavesson noseband. fashion or use. ??

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POLLDARK

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As the title really. What use is a cavesson, except to give a finished look we have come to expect, if it is fitted correctly . ie not too tight or low. The only purpose I can see for it is if you use a standing martingale. They seem to make no difference to a horse at all.
 
But having a cavesson on also shows that your horse has no need of a flash, grackle, cross, drop or any number of gadgets to keep it's gob closed :) All of mine are ridden in cavessons - they need nothing more.
 
POLLDARK said:
As the title really. What use is a cavesson, except to give a finished look we have come to expect, if it is fitted correctly . ie not too tight or low. The only purpose I can see for it is if you use a standing martingale. They seem to make no difference to a horse at all.
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True, apart from, as you say, attaching a standing martingale to. The reason the flash was invented was to be able to use a standing martingale with a noseband that had a similar action to the drop. However, some people prefer their horse in one as they think it breaks the horse's face up and looks better, which it can do with some. It's also more traditional in this country to have one. Makes no difference, but then, neither does nail varnish, for example, but I prefer to wear it. On the piebald, I use a drop for dressage and a grackle for jumping/hunting, both to stop him crossing his jaw, a cavasson for showing as it's part of the kit you need to show (tradition again) and no noseband for every day as it's one less thing to clean/fanny with and he doesn't need one for hacking/schooling.
 
EKW said:
But having a cavesson on also shows that your horse has no need of a flash, grackle, cross, drop or any number of gadgets to keep it's gob closed :) All of mine are ridden in cavessons - they need nothing more.
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I think OP meant if your horse needs nothing more then why bother having a cavesson on anyway.
For me it's just to finish the look, I think bridles look odd without a noseband!
 
My New Forest doesn't wear a noseband except for dressage & showing & my youngster only has one so he gets used to the feel of it for the same reasons. It just seemed odd that we use something we don't need because of tradition really. Thought I must be missing something.
 
EKW said:
But having a cavesson on also shows that your horse has no need of a flash, grackle, cross, drop or any number of gadgets to keep it's gob closed :) All of mine are ridden in cavessons - they need nothing more.
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Completely agree with this. I hate nosebands that keep the mouth closed. Horses should never need them if they are happy with their bit.
 
if iours dont need a noseband they dont have one. However we had a horse in last season who would concenntrate so much on gurning and crossing her jaw she would literally fall over her own feet. We tried a flash and she wouldnt go forwards at all. Took flash off and just had the cavesson and it was enough to stop her doing quite so much with her mouth without stopping her going forward. Perfect.
So, yes there is a reason for using them, its not just fashion.
 
I would say its more for tradition than fashion, but correctly fitted its not doing anyone any harm. It makes most horses look nicer.
When leading little kids about on ponies where I used to work we clipped the leadrope onto the nosebands.

We I work now everything has a cavesson noseband, no horses go in anything else! :)
 
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