Opinions on crank nosebands instead of a normal one and flash?

GSLS

GSLS

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 February 2013
Messages
318
Location
Ashford, Kent
Visit site
One of my horses has the flash very loose but tight enough so he can't open his mouth wide anyway so don't know if it would be better to switch to a crank?

Thanks, Emily xx
 
cptrayes said:
What do you hope the change will do?
Click to expand...
Someone said crank nosebands hold their jaw shut over regular nosebands. Neither are tight on him but if the flash was completely removed I think he would open his mouth more. I've never heard this about cranks before and thought it was just a different way of doing it up.
 
I have crank noseband on my horses bridles, but they are loose. I prefer them because mine are extremely padded and are wider and suit my horses heads. Any noseband can be done up too tight, I personally don't see the point of using a flash that is done up loosely.
 
GSLS said:
Someone said crank nosebands hold their jaw shut over regular nosebands. Neither are tight on him but if the flash was completely removed I think he would open his mouth more. I've never heard this about cranks before and thought it was just a different way of doing it up.
Click to expand...

A crank noseband would have to be done up mightily tight to prevent a horse opening it's mouth - have you tried a drop?
 
Holy moly... no matter what noseband you have you should still be able to fit 2 fingers between it and the jaw bone.

The purpose of the noseband is not to strap the horses mouth shut.
 
GSLS said:
Someone said crank nosebands hold their jaw shut over regular nosebands. Neither are tight on him but if the flash was completely removed I think he would open his mouth more. I've never heard this about cranks before and thought it was just a different way of doing it up.
Click to expand...

The reason they hold the jaw shut for some people is that the doubling back of the strap enables you to pull it much, much tighter. I personally disagree with fitting a noseband that tight, but top dressage riders are doing it, and using double cranks to get them even tighter, and padding them to prevent them scarring the horse.

I like them because they are thick and suit big heads. But even done up loosely, they can push fleshy cheeks into the teeth because of the padding on them, so if you do use one check for that.

Have you tried to work out why your horse wants to open his mouth?
 
Last edited:
Casey76 said:
Holy moly... no matter what noseband you have you should still be able to fit 2 fingers between it and the jaw bone.

The purpose of the noseband is not to strap the horses mouth shut.
Click to expand...

X 2!!!

If he is opening his mouth there is a reason, teeth, poll pain, bit not comfy, riders hands etc etc

A noseband shouldn't ever ever be done up this tight, just cos top dressage riders are doing so doesn't make it right nor acceptable, same as rolkur is neither right nor acceptable. A horse with a tight noseband is one resisting and therefore tense in the jaw etc etc
 
I'm in agreement with TigerTail - find out why he is wanting to open his mouth. Address the problem, not the sympton.
 
A crank is just a cavesson that buckles in a different way. I like them as the buckle sits centrally (and again, size, style, and what came with the bridle!) but the mechanism does make them easy to over-tighten without realising, and you wouldn't ever want to fasten either type tight enough to strap the jaw down. They sit right on the soft fleshy parts of the nose/cheek and a tight noseband there would be just horrible :(
 
fattylumpkin said:
Crank nosebands can also press the inner cheeks into the teeth even when not overtightened because of all the extra padding.
Click to expand...

I had this problem when I tried a crank (because it came with the bridle and I thought all the extra padding would make it a very smart and comfortable cavesson if I did it up loose). Maybe it depends on your horse's facial conformation but I ended up replacing it with a flat hunter style cavesson which was far easier to adjust appropriately - if a noseband is adjusted properly you shouldn't need padding to make it comfortable anyway.

I think you're right to stick with your current set up OP - a loosely adjusted flash will only exert pressure if the horse tries to open his mouth really wide which must be preferable than the more constant pressure of a crank adjusted to keep the jaw closed. Maybe you can transition him to a plain cavesson over time once you have worked out why he is trying to evade.
 
Last edited:
Floxie said:
A crank is just a cavesson that buckles in a different way.
Click to expand...

So many people use them as fashion items - they were designed to be cranked up to keep the horse's mouth shut!

OP, for your quick fix sure, buy a crank noseband and fasten it as tightly as possible. However if you want to do the horse a favour loosen the cavesson, leave the flash off, work out why he's opening his mouth and address that issue.
 
Don't like crank nosebands. Think they're awful.

Mine has one, purely as it came with the bridle and was advertised as a comfort 'cavesson' bridle (he inherited it from my previous horse). My old horse needed the padding at the poll so thought I was getting the best thing for him.

I do it up as loosely as I can as he doesn't need his jaw pinned shut and I don't want to do it. I will be buying a new bridle to better suit his head when I have the spare cash. Will be more careful with what I buy in the future!
 
Its a personal bugbear of mine that people now seem to think a flash noseband is normal- even bridle makers! Whats wrong with a properly fitted cavesson? Nothing looks nicer in my opinion. If the horse gets strong and opens his mouth in resistance, if theres no physical problem by all means use a grakle flash whatever, but use it as seldom as possible and try and correct the problem in an arena, where I don't believe much more than a cavesson is ever needed except on the strongest and most resistant of horses.
 
Just an aside but if acceptance of the bit is a dressage aim I never understand the use of crank nose bands in dressage, seems a contradiction to me.
 
stormox said:
Its a personal bugbear of mine that people now seem to think a flash noseband is normal- even bridle makers! Whats wrong with a properly fitted cavesson? Nothing looks nicer in my opinion. If the horse gets strong and opens his mouth in resistance, if theres no physical problem by all means use a grakle flash whatever, but use it as seldom as possible and try and correct the problem in an arena, where I don't believe much more than a cavesson is ever needed except on the strongest and most resistant of horses.
Click to expand...

And sometimes it can help a slow horse to have a cavesson, or nothing at all! I go my old boy in a 3 ring bit and a flash...soon changed him to a dr bristol and no noseband and he was a LOT better. For jumping where he would try to get his tongue over the bit and try to run away a bit we used a drop.
 
I refuse to have my horses in non dressage legal bits and bridles.
EmmasMummy said:
And sometimes it can help a slow horse to have a cavesson, or nothing at all! I go my old boy in a 3 ring bit and a flash...soon changed him to a dr bristol and no noseband and he was a LOT better. For jumping where he would try to get his tongue over the bit and try to run away a bit we used a drop.
Click to expand...
 
I use a flash fairly loosely,it is on a crank noseband, but here's the thing, just because you CAN do it up tight, doesn't mean you have to, so I find it annoying when people assume if you've got one it's because you want to do it up tight. I actually find it a bit of an annoying and overly chunky set up, as my mare wears a hanging cheek, so I wouldn't buy another one. I don't use a flash unless I need to but my mare put her head up and bogs off with me ignoring all of my aids, so for safety's sake it's best to use one, no hauling involved.

My mare wears a full but sometimes that is a little too small around the nose, so I always have to make an extra hole or two, and on the crank bridle I have there is more room to do this since I took off the godawful padded chin thing, so it's probably looser than the normal cavesson I was using that I had to stretch a little bit. I think I'm going to try a drop.
 
Yes agree with all what you've said :) x
mandwhy said:
I use a flash fairly loosely,it is on a crank noseband, but here's the thing, just because you CAN do it up tight, doesn't mean you have to, so I find it annoying when people assume if you've got one it's because you want to do it up tight. I actually find it a bit of an annoying and overly chunky set up, as my mare wears a hanging cheek, so I wouldn't buy another one. I don't use a flash unless I need to but my mare put her head up and bogs off with me ignoring all of my aids, so for safety's sake it's best to use one, no hauling involved.

My mare wears a full but sometimes that is a little too small around the nose, so I always have to make an extra hole or two, and on the crank bridle I have there is more room to do this since I took off the godawful padded chin thing, so it's probably looser than the normal cavesson I was using that I had to stretch a little bit. I think I'm going to try a drop.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top