Riding without a noseband

[Denbob]

As title really, he gets very itchy as he starts to get hotter and it becomes hard to keep him focused and he starts to jog and get frustrated.

Do I need a specific bridle for going without, or can I use a normal set-up just removing the cavesson itself?

 

[Dave's Mam]

I just take the noseband off.

 

[pansymouse]

Just take it off, you don't need a specific bridle. I never used a noseband when I rode bitted, now I only have one because I ride in a hackamore.

 

[Cragrat]

Just remove the noseband

None of mine wear a noseband unless we're competing. They just don't seem necessary.

 

[webble]

Just take it off. I have actually done the same but with the browband because mine got such an itchy head

 

[Horsekaren]

Silly question! but what is the point of a nose band? i ride in one but this has made me think... why?

 

[Dave's Mam]

Silly question! but what is the point of a nose band? i ride in one but this has made me think... why?

Many are to keep the mouth closed to a degree, or to prevent evading the bit by crossing the jaw. Others are purely aesthetic.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I take them off-can't see the point in having them on and having to clean them

 

[Denbob]

Oh awesome, thank you everyone!

 

[happyclappy]

Myself and my hubby have always removed our nosebands, even for driving. Even sometimes not used browbands

 

[PapaverFollis]

Thinking about it... What does the browband do anyway? Apart from aesthetic things. Stabilise the headpiece?

 

[Cowpony]

The original purpose of the noseband was to stop the horse getting a horrific jaw injury if it fell whilst hunting.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Browbands keep the headpiece more stable and thus the bit more stable- especially if you have a horse that likes to chomp or play with the bit. But they aren't necessary pieces of kit.

I hate seeing horses mouths strapped shut with flashes, grackles, drops etc when just some basic schooling will probably fix whatever problem you are having!

Don't get me wrong they have their place but most are misused massively. I use a grackle at work on a couple of big horses when doing a proper piece of work - they get ruddy strong! It helps their breathing too - they can't get their mouth open enough for them to get their tongue back and restrict the airway or choke themselves with. But on a normal canter day I don't use one, they are polite big lads that just get a bit enthusiastic on work day!

 

[Chinchilla]

Browbands keep the headpiece more stable and thus the bit more stable- especially if you have a horse that likes to chomp or play with the bit. But they aren't necessary pieces of kit.

I hate seeing horses mouths strapped shut with flashes, grackles, drops etc when just some basic schooling will probably fix whatever problem you are having!

Don't get me wrong they have their place but most are misused massively. I use a grackle at work on a couple of big horses when doing a proper piece of work - they get ruddy strong! It helps their breathing too - they can't get their mouth open enough for them to get their tongue back and restrict the airway or choke themselves with. But on a normal canter day I don't use one, they are polite big lads that just get a bit enthusiastic on work day!

What EKW says Because they really, really know what they doing. Cavessons are just aesthetic; if they are keeping the mouth shut you have them too tight!

 

[ycbm]

The original purpose of the noseband was to stop the horse getting a horrific jaw injury if it fell whilst hunting.

I've heard that theory but I can't see that being the real reason. I think that it was to enable the use of a standing martingale. They used to be a lot more popular than they are now and were standard wear for hunters in the past.

 

[Chinchilla]

The original purpose of the noseband was to stop the horse getting a horrific jaw injury if it fell whilst hunting.

Can you explain this a bit more please for those of us who are more than a bit naive because I don't get it? (Yup, Chinchilla's an idiot. And is aware of that fact.)

 

[Cowpony]

Well this is what I've read, I have no first hand experience. Didn't want to go into too much detail because its horrible. But....apparently if a horse fell over a jump at speed it could, if it hit the ground head first, rip the lower jaw off. The noseband was supposed to keep the mouth closed enough so that didn't happen.

 

[Cowpony]

And no you're not an idiot, its not exactly the first thing that springs to mind about the use of a noseband!

 

[Chinchilla]

Well this is what I've read, I have no first hand experience. Didn't want to go into too much detail because its horrible. But....apparently if a horse fell over a jump at speed it could, if it hit the ground head first, rip the lower jaw off. The noseband was supposed to keep the mouth closed enough so that didn't happen.

OMG. Wonder if there's any record of that ever happening? Poor horse if it ever did, that's horrendous. I suppose it could though, particularly if it got its legs tangled with the reins as it went down? horrid to think about though.

 

[Cowpony]

Yes, I don't even like thinking about it!

 

[Snowfilly]

Like the others said, take them off and there's less tack cleaning to do. We used to have a box of cavessons to put on for show days and that was that!

I also heard the thing about protecting their jaws from a couple of old horsemen...never looked too closely at it as it was so upsetting.