Riding without a noseband...

[_MizElz_]

Just wondering what people's views on this are?

I've recently taken Ellie's noseband off completely - she's not a strong horse, and I tend to only have a plain cavesson on very loosely for hacking - she doesn't need anything stronger. Occasionally when jumping she can try to evade contact - again, she's not strong but she has tried in the past to cross her jaw - and as such, she's always gone well in a Mexican grackle for jumping.

I've schooled her a couple of times this week without a noseband, and she went beautifully - much better than she was going back in the summer (or indeed, ever - schooling is not Ellie's favourite pastime!). I have to bear in mind the fact that she has not schooled for a couple of months anyway, so it could just be that she's had a secret personality transplant....or that she was so excited by the prospect of popping a small fence at the end of our schooling session, that she decided to behave impeccably for me (for once)

But....it reminded me of a letter that was sent into H&H last year, where a lady stated that her horses go much better without a noseband. Does anyone else think there is any truth in this? I'm not making any real judgements yet as I haven't done enough proper 'work' without a noseband to say whether I feel she goes better consistently without it...but I just thought it might make for an interesting discussion!

Interestingly, there is also someone I know who 'wouldn't be seen dead' on a horse without a noseband, although she was reluctant to explain why....

 

[vallin]

TBH if it's a loose cavesson it does naff all. My girls wears a loose cavesson, purely because it breaks up her head a looks smarter (yes I'm vain when it comes to my horse, not sure what happened to personal vanity though :rollseyes: lol) and then if she's being a pratt I stick a flash on just to remind her that opening in gob and charging through the bit isn't acceptable behaviour. It maybe that if it was loose it was just annoying her by slightly rubbing/moving about, and without it it just doesn't irritate her so she is softer (though I could be talking complete cr@p!) Hope that makes some sense! lol

 

[Tinypony]

I never use a noseband of any type. I wouldn't use one for additional control, or to strap the mouth shut, and other than that they are just decorative and I think horses' heads look nicer with less stuff hung off them.

 

[Serephin]

I have been wondering about this - I was told that my boy needs a nose net in summer when I bought him - he does fling his head about a bit, but more to do with flies I think, than pollen, cos I took it off once over winter and he was proper diva-ish about the flies without it on. Anyho, my point is I need a noseband to put the nose net on, but I was wondering if I took the noseband off all together it would solve the head tossing attributed to invisible flies - he snatches he head up when I do up his noseband, which is only ever loose as it goes on the first hole so isn't tight. So I am wondering if he is trying to tell me something....

Might take it off next time I ride and see what happens. Years ago I used to ride my mare in as little tack as I could get away with, so took off noseband and she used to be ridden in a grackle!

 

[MrsMozart]

Yup, ridden the Dizz without a noseband, though she was just as batty without as with . GM is without one at the moment as she had sharp teeth at the top (sorted now).

 

[_MizElz_]

Some people say she looks common without one I personally don't think she does - but then I think she's beautiful and could never look common!

Frenchie - I agree that a loose cavesson does nothing, which is why I am never too bothered about using it! It's more there for 'correctness' if you know what I mean?

 

[MrsMozart]

According to something I was reading the other day, three's no need for the throat lash either.....

 

[S14Tobin]

Completely agree, unless it's a 'purposeful' piece of kit, take it off - less to clean, less to bother the horse. I don't ride with one, I don't need one, so why bother? He looks common anyway! ;-) tend to think if a horse NEEDS something, i'd far rather look into why he's doing what is necessitating it - if that makes sense! (ie if he's going round like a flounder with his trap open, and someone says 'stick a drop/flash on', there's a reason, it's not because he suddenly got inspired from watching Finding Nemo!

 

[katherine1975]

My horse caught her noseband on a gate and broke it, since then I have been riding without one. It was only ever loosely done up and I do think she looks smarter with a noseband but don't think they are at all necessary. Since the noseband broke I have been riding without one and will continue to unless we go to a show!

 

[Tinypony]

See? They look lovely without a noseband. Why would we want to "break up" their beautiful heads?

 

[Allover]

I take them off if they are not needed, i think the horses look much nicer!

Please excuse the ridic face i am pulling, i was concentrating!!!

 

[Ranyhyn]

I don't know why I keep one on Ed, apart from his gallumping roman nose! Again like most of you its so loose it doesn't do anything!

 

[Allover]

I don't know why I keep one on Ed, apart from his gallumping roman nose! Again like most of you its so loose it doesn't do anything!

Roman noses are beautifull

 

[Ranyhyn]

I do tend to agree sometimes, especially when paired, as Ed's is, with a white blaze and hogged mane

 

[vallin]

Frenchie - I agree that a loose cavesson does nothing, which is why I am never too bothered about using it! It's more there for 'correctness' if you know what I mean?

I'd go with tradition, rather than correctness, but yes, though a tightly done up cavesson obviously does have an effect, same as a crank.
Ellie looks nice without one, where as Frenchie has a much longer face and looks quite odd (she doesn't wear one for longlining as I didnt have one fore that bridle) can't find a picture of her without one but this one shows the difference is head shape (please excuse my father doing his 'i'll admire her from a distance')

 

[EnduroRider]

According to something I was reading the other day, three's no need for the throat lash either.....

QR


I can see how a throat lash is going to help keep a bridle on when it is pulled off from the headpiece but agree it will make little difference in whether or not the bridle stays on in the event of a fall.

I usually ride with a snaffle, reins and slip head - no browband, no nose band and no throat lash, and no problems so far

 

[zulu705]

My older mare goes with no noseband, purely as its one less thing for me to do up!

 

[MagicMelon]

I do think a horse goes better without one. I find nosebands extremely resticting and hate the thought of strapping a horses mouth shut, surely it should be well schooled enough to not need that? I ride without a noseband at home and put on a loose cavesson for competing (purely because its "done" to do so, I dont even know if its "legal" to ride without one at BE / BSJA??).

 

[_MizElz_]

I dont even know if its "legal" to ride without one at BE / BSJA??).

I'd really like to know the answer to that! Good point!

 

[posie_honey]

i don't bother with a nose band if i dont need one - means more to clean - only put on for comps (showing) or in summer for nose net for head shaking

 

[lilaclomax]

Shadow doesn't have one and his throatlash is loose so his bridle goes straight on and off without any faffing, he is in a myler snaffle and is very happy

 

[Jenni_]

I take them off if they are not needed, i think the horses look much nicer!

Please excuse the ridic face i am pulling, i was concentrating!!!

beautiful!

arabs should never wear a noseband if they dont need it . (im never a fan of flashes and grackles etc as it is ....

i understand the tradition and some people think it balances out the head. a loose fitting one isnt invasive so why not if thats what you want.

my arab wore one once or twice if you were lucky with me. except in the hackamore - understanably.

its habit with any other kind of horse!

 

[pip6]

I only have a nose band when using my endurance bridle (basically a headcollar with attachmens for the bit) or the myler, which has it's own. Usually ride in ordinary bridle (no noseband) with waterford. Generally work with idea that horse isn't accepting bit, find out issue & work through it rather than strap mouth & add enforcement into the equation.

Can accept there are times when a horse gets hyper & manners aren't as good. 2009 I watched an endurance race (was crewing for a competitor), 127 (from memory so don't shoot me if I'm a few out) horses in a mass start, you've never seen anything like it. The atmostphere was electric & the ground just shook as they went past. Imagine the grand national start but 3 times as many horses. Can't remember anything wearing more than cavesson, rare for endurance horses to use nosebands such as grakles, take too long to get off.

 

[Feathered]

No noseband here either, straight on straight off, no faffing. Used to spend ages doing up noseband, martingale etc, may have needed it more back then (she behaves now, touch wood) so now we go for the minimalist look. If I don't need it I don't use it, even though we may look like we've dropped straight out the local trekking centre.

Any excuse for a gratuitous pic!

 

[cobgirlie]

I ride both the cobs without nose bands. Did put one back on Little Cob last time we hunted just because of 'show' and he had rub marks from it so from now on he'll be nose band-less unless doing dressage. Personally I like to see their big ugly mugs rather than hide them behind bits of useless stuff.

 

[Allover]

beautiful!

arabs should never wear a noseband if they dont need it . (im never a fan of flashes and grackles etc as it is ....

i understand the tradition and some people think it balances out the head. a loose fitting one isnt invasive so why not if thats what you want.

my arab wore one once or twice if you were lucky with me. except in the hackamore - understanably.

its habit with any other kind of horse!

Thank you, x (though she is a SF and not an arab, just in case you were thinking she was)

Agree about Arabs not wearing nosebands, it kind of detracts from what they are about, if you know what i mean!

 

[touchstone]

I tend to use one of I'm out on a long ride, simply because if a cheeckpiece were to get caught on something and break it means I can still have something to fasten a rein to. Much harder to get a horse home safely if there isn't a noseband and that happened.

 

[_MizElz_]

Thank you, x (though she is a SF and not an arab, just in case you were thinking she was)

Agree about Arabs not wearing nosebands, it kind of detracts from what they are about, if you know what i mean!

Funny - Ellie is an SF x Arab

 

[Allover]

Funny - Ellie is an SF x Arab

Just had a look at her pics, very pretty she is too

 

[Super_Kat]

I'd always put one on (even if it did nothing and I didn't need it) loosely just because I'm shallow and I feel it looks better.