Nosebands....

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charliecrisps

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I ride in a plain cavesson. Someone said i should have a flash. Hmm... well, i dont want to have any extras if i dont need them. She can be strong and can open her mouth if she is having a 'mare tantrum' to evade but she is always easy to stop. Would a flash help? What about a grackle? Drop-noseband? Not sure what the differences are? Is it really needed at all in this circumstance?
You know the classic.. someone up the yard tells you as they 'always' know best. I always take advice on board, as its free anyway! - but like to check it out first and find out for myself
 
If you dont have a problem with a cavesson then leave well alone! It should fit loosely and be there purely for show. Theres absolutely no need to have a flash fitted to it just because other people are tack divas!
 
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If you dont have a problem with a cavesson then leave well alone! It should fit loosely and be there purely for show. Theres absolutely no need to have a flash fitted to it just because other people are tack divas!

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I completely agree. I really dislike flash nosebands; yes I do have one, but bought it only because it was a bargain bridle and there were no cavessons! I never use the flash strap though; always leave it off. I used to ride my girl in a grackle when we were jumping; it certainly didnt do any harm. If fitted properly, I think they are lovely nosebands.
 
If you are having no problems with the cavesson, then leave it be as said above. I dont like flashes, as it may be clamping the mouth shut but also hiding a problem, eg, teeth, too thick a bit etc. IMO. I ride both mine in the crank, as they come with the comfort bridles, but I dont have them on tight at all, just the same as you would a cavesson, and they both go really well in them.
 
I always like to go by... 'If it ain't broke... don't fix it'
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if she's opening her mouth/crossing her jaw to evade occasionally, then i personally would use a drop, because it doesn't have to be tight at all to be effective, so she won't know it's there until she tries to open her mouth more than she should, and then it will stop her.
but if you're happy with her as she is, and your brakes and steering are as you want them, it's no-one else's business what your horse wears!
 
If the cavesson is working fine then leave it as it is. I ride mine in a cavesson for everything except for hunting for which i put him in a grackle that he goes beauifully in. I personally don't like flashes so if you find at any time that you do want something more than a cavesson I would try a grackle but if she leans on it i would try a drop noseband
 
Have you tried her without a noseband at all?

Daisy has generally been ridden in a cavesson but as I have increased her level of schooling and was introducing more lateral work she began yawwing on the bit. I toyed with the idea of a stronger noseband to stop her but then read a post on here a few weeks ago about nosebands in which someone said that they start all their youngsters without nosebands to keep them soft through the jaw. I thought that in that she only had a loose fitting cavesson that it wouldn't make any difference but it made a huge difference. She was much softer in her mouth and didn't try to open her mouth once.

Wouldn't work with every horse but definitely something to consider
 
Agree with the others, if you are not having any issues, don't use one. Too many people see them as a quick fix to verything, even if it doesn't need fixing!!
 
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