Do you like to see a horse with no noseband?

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Erehwemos

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I sometimes take Ellie's noseband off, purely as it doesnt really serve a purpose and I dont like using needless tack, especially when its hot
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The other day we were out hacking and a lady walking her dog asked me whether the fact that Elz has no noseband meant she was very well behaved? I thought for a moment and then said yes, really - she doesnt cross her jaw, open her mouth or get at all strong, so in essence, she doesnt need one. The lady then said she thought it was lovely to see a horse without as surely the less tack the better - which I agree with (hence why I no longer use a martingale).

There does appear to be a divided opinion on nosebands, however - Mum for one doesnt like it when I take Elz out without one, as she thinks it looks untidy. Just wondered what everyone here thinks?
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This is Ellie without her noseband on:

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I ride without. He's only in a cavesson, and as he doesn't need a martingale, it's purely decorative IMO. I like him without, and like to see horses without, however if I see a horse with a grackle I hope and assume they need one, rather than their owner thinks they look nice strapped up! I'm all for starting with the bare basics and working up to what you need. My mare arrives with a flash and a martinglae, they got taken off so I could look at what she needed, I still have the unused sabre martingale here. She never wore it!
 
Yeah I like to see them without nosebands, mainly because I grew up riding ponies without them so that's what I'm used to really.
 
i like to see them with nosebands as i think they look a bit roman nosed without.

but all of mine are in cavessons anyway so hardly have their mouths strapped shut.
 
I don't like seeing them without nose bands but I think that is just because I am not used to it. I tend to have looser fitting Cavessons then no nose bands at all.
 
I don't really mind tbh, mine doesn't really need his cavesson, but it sometimes doe sstop him opening his jaw wider than I'd like when we have a disagreement!
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I used to ride in a flash when he was younger and a mexican for jumping (the latter purely cosmetic
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) but now I rarely need anything. Sometimes he will argue and open his mouth, but thats maybe 2% of the time, and I don't think its worth wearing unecessary tack for that 2%. For the record, I also have no martingale or breastplate - couldn'e be ars*d cleaning them more than anything!!
 
Yes! Agree with the others about starting with almost nothing and working up. I often take the noseband, or at least the flash, off share horsey as he is fine for what I do without. If left on it is only laziness on my part and they are done up too loose to do much at all so would be better off.
 
Yes.

Depends on the horse though, some look like carthorses without a good cavesson to break up a heavy head.

All my bridles are western though, no nosebands for those.
 
i agree withe having the bare minimum... but i think it looks really western, not having a noseband, so i just have loose cavesson on mine.

i also think it can make horses look slightly roman nosed...

so, i guess i put a noseband on for cosmetic reasons... the shame.

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All of mine will go quite happily without nosebands and when I'm riding "at home" I'll frequently go without. But tbh most of the time I leave them on (although so loose as to be ineffective) because they're a requirement for dressage, and I'm too lazy to keep swapping things about - except when I actually clean the bridles which, I confess, isn't nearly as often as it should be. The only nosebands I own/use are plain cavessons.
 
I don't like the look of them withouth a noseband. Plus despite the fact my nosebands are so loose they might as well not be there, they are tack needed in a competition so I leave them on.
 
I don't like the look of a horse with no noseband, and I ride with one, but really I don't think it being there affects my ponies way of going so I keep it on anyway.

But my loan pony came with a flash and a martingale, when I asked the owner why she said it was purelky cosmetic, first thing I did was take off both to see how he went and it was soon clear, and still is after 5 months, that he didn't need either.
 
Well Cairo's western bridle only has a browband.

Farra is at the moment only ridden in a head piece - she was going through a stage of throwing her head around when we got her and we took the browband off the bridle - had already taken off the noseband and whilst this was not the problem, she was fine it just the head piece so we kept brow and noseband off.

Bridle never moves and she is never strong (to date) and does not need anything more than this and a snaffle.

Only thing is that sometimes people put the bridle on back to front, easy to do unless you look for the throat lash.

I will be putting the browband and noseband back on Farra's bridle this weekend as she is doing her first ever show but will then take them off again If nothing else, less to clean.
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Chancer - well his show bridle has a 2" noseband to break up the white blaze and it really suits him. His everyday bridle has a flat noseband on it - but he does not really need one and maybe next time I clean it I will leave it off.

What I hate is seeing flash nosebands done up very tightly so they dig into the face. These and gags seem to be very fashionable and often not needed.
 
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think it looks ugly without one, reminds me of pony club or something-sorry!

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I wouldn't agree that cavessons, even adjusted quite loosely are only decorative. I've certainly had horses, particularly ones with "problems", go better without them and I try it as a matter of course for horses that are resistant in their mouths. Also, many horses "work" their mouths and yawn when releasing significant amounts of tension, which can be a "break through" moment with a particularly tense horse and is obviously prevented by a noseband.

I spent quite a lot of time thinking why so few western horses - almost always trained without nosebands - have "mouth faults" (resistances in the jaw and poll) while so many English trained horses do. I think there are a number of factors (which I'll spare you all
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) but I want to know IMMEDIATELY if my young horses are developing an issue so prefer to start them without nosebands no matter what their eventual job will be. If one is needed to address a particular weakness it can be added later. I will say a drop/flash noseband is an integral part of some training systems and I have no problem with them used appropriately and with understanding, I just don't feel it's necessary to go down that route in every case.

Any horse that's going to show obviously has be comfortable in at least a cavesson but I find riding without it, fixing the problem, then putting it back on is rarely an issue.

I'm a little bit surprised how many people get completely bent over a horse NOT wearing a noseband. I've been lectured more than once on the subject.
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Surely using LESS tack shouldn't be cause for criticism? Especially if the horse is able to wear the appropriate tack in competition? Seems a bit like getting mental over people not riding in stocks all the time.
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Sorry, I didn't mean to give offence, I wasn't making a personal comment, merely relating my personal experience over the years and a fair number of horses. To each their own and whatever works.
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My yard manager laughed at Risby when I took his noseband off and said he looked like a donkey!

Unattractive it may be, but I agree with the above comments that riding without one can show up any faults. If your contact is still constant, light and overall, doesn't feel that different to riding with a noseband, then you can feel more certain your training is on the right lines. Next step - headcollar!!! (only joking!)
 
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think it looks ugly without one, reminds me of pony club or something-sorry!

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haha i was thinking along similar lines but i didn't wanna say. I don't particularly care if other people ride without a noseband but i wouldn't unless there was a good reason
 
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Next step - headcollar!!! (only joking!)

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Actually I have taken Cairo round the XC course at Harolds Park jumping the fences in one - he had a cut on his mouth and I did not want to risk a bit.

I hasten to add, Cairo is one of the few horses I would have done this on - he would stop on voice command and to be honest, most of the time would prefer to do no more than he had to. He was also western ridden so used to going by reins on the neck for steering. We were not competing, just having fun. Freaked a few folks out seeing me do it though.

I very much agree with starting babies with minimal tack - Chancer was started with the mildest bit and no noseband, same as Farra. When I tried her she was without a noseband, hencing keeping her without one. I have only used a flash on one mare and it was a temporary measure and taken off as soon as she learnt to listen to her rider and not open her mouth and set her jaw.

I am unless showing, not bothered about how they look, but how they go hence will use as little tack as possible unless I need more.
 
Its probably working on the basis of less is more by removing a noseband, but I think you have to take it on an individual basis.
Some horses will never need them but owners wear them regardless because when you buy a bridle you get a noseband..
 
I think a bridle looks incomplete without a noseband. I don't understand why you take it off though... a loose cavesson doesn't really DO anything, does it? So saying Ellie doesn't need one is a bit of an empty statement, I would've thought
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I'd rather see a horse with no noseband than with it done up so tightly the poor thing can't move, and with a flash attached that cuts off his circulation!
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My instructor rides all of her horses (classically trained) without nosebands. It looks a bit odd but there are worse things out there! Have been debating taking the cavesson off my boy for flat schooling as he doesn't need it.
 
I don't bother using a noseband unless I am jumping or competing - don't need it so why bother with extra straps even if not tight must be more comfortable not to have one on. Hacking out pony is very quiet - jumping is a different matter altogether and showing and dressage - need one on for asthetics.

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I think a bridle looks incomplete without a noseband. I don't understand why you take it off though... a loose cavesson doesn't really DO anything, does it? So saying Ellie doesn't need one is a bit of an empty statement, I would've thought
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I took it off because it's hot at the moment and therefore I like to have as few pieces of tack on her as possible, because she sweats up under her tack (dont all horses!?) and because I find that having a noseband on has no effect (because I only ever use a loose cavesson
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) I am not LOSING anything by taking it off - in fact, I am increasing my horse's comfort without compromising her way of going
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So not an empty statement at all!
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