Notimetoride
Well-Known Member
Could an experienced saddler or someone in the know please explain exactly how their action on the horse differs and which might be better for a horse who gets its tongue over the bit.
Difference between flash and drop nosebands ?
- Thread starter Notimetoride
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spacefaer
Well-Known Member
In theory, a drop noseband stops the horse opening his mouth and crossing his jaw. It is quite an old fashioned noseband that wasn't seen much rexently until Carl Hester started using one!
The flash noseband obviously sits higher on the horse's nose, and helps to prevent the horse opening his mouth.
Neither would stop a horse putting his tongue over the bit if fitted correctly, as they should never be fitted that tightly.
If you have a horse that does this, I would look at how the bit fits, and at the mouth confirmation, as he is expressing his displeasure/discomfort by drawing his tongue back.
Does he have a particularly thick and fleshy tongue, or a low roof to his mouth? Does he have a lozenged bit and the joints are pressing on the edges of his tongue?
The flash noseband obviously sits higher on the horse's nose, and helps to prevent the horse opening his mouth.
Neither would stop a horse putting his tongue over the bit if fitted correctly, as they should never be fitted that tightly.
If you have a horse that does this, I would look at how the bit fits, and at the mouth confirmation, as he is expressing his displeasure/discomfort by drawing his tongue back.
Does he have a particularly thick and fleshy tongue, or a low roof to his mouth? Does he have a lozenged bit and the joints are pressing on the edges of his tongue?
Notimetoride
Well-Known Member
Hi Many thanks for your reply. She has a lovely soft Elevator bridle that I currently use with a loose crank noseband. Her bit is a Neue Schule (cant remember exactly which one) loose ring snaffle with a lozenge. She gets rather carried away with herself at competitions and has a real tendency to nap, and becomes quite mouthy as an evasion and can get her tongue over the bit. She also tucks her chin right under (overbends) as an evasion too, as this leaves me with little brakes. She is a Sec D and I know they have a tendency to do this. At home and when there are no other horses around she does none of this and will work beautifully for me (currently aff prelim and unaff novice). Although I am not keen on strapping her down I have put a flash on her as I already have one, and she went well in it (I am extremely careful that it is fitted perfectly with no caught whiskers etc). But I was wondering whether to purchase a drop noseband instead as I have heard these can be more comfortable.
oldie48
Well-Known Member
I've got a horse that can get a bit busy in the mouth, I prefer a drop to a flash as I think it's a kinder nose band and I find he goes better in it. No doubt someone will post that every horse should go nicely in a cavesson and that it's the rider's problem but if your horse goes nicely in a different nose band then why not use it? Off now to find my tin hat!
FelixPatches
Member
I have a 3/4 Welsh cob and he is exactly the same. Interested in what you say. I did try a NS bit on the advice of a bitting expert but he didn't like it so now he is in Myler comfort snaffle. I am not entirely convinved it's right but it is better than the (many) other bits I've tried. I've tried flash and drop and he hated them. He seemed to quite like the Micklem bridle (you don't say if you've tried that) but recently seems to have gone off that too. So now we are back in the cavesson and later this week I am hopefully going to try out a Kate Negus bridle on him. Back, teeth, saddle all checked etc. A lot of the time it is my hands/elbows not being flexible enough, magnified at competitions I suppose. I wish I could get to the root of it, as I hate to think of him being sore. So, watching this thread with interest!
smja
Well-Known Member
The flash noseband originates from showjumping, with riders wanting the action of the drop but needing something to attach a standing martingale to. Flash (also known as Aachen) nosebands can also look better on a horse with a long face, which adds to their popularity.
As spacefaer says, neither would stop a truly determined horse getting their tongue over the bit if they're fitted properly.
Another thing to consider is the height of the bit in the horse's mouth - for example, mine prefers his to be higher than the textbook fitting - if it's in the "correct" place he's extremely fussy in the mouth, reluctant to take a contact, and can sometimes get his tongue over. Slightly higher, he's much more relaxed. It depends on their mouth conformation and the bit used.
As spacefaer says, neither would stop a truly determined horse getting their tongue over the bit if they're fitted properly.
Another thing to consider is the height of the bit in the horse's mouth - for example, mine prefers his to be higher than the textbook fitting - if it's in the "correct" place he's extremely fussy in the mouth, reluctant to take a contact, and can sometimes get his tongue over. Slightly higher, he's much more relaxed. It depends on their mouth conformation and the bit used.