Riding without a noseband

F

Flowerofthefen

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 August 2020
Messages
4,311
Visit site
I have an ex NH horse who was always been ridden in a flash or grackle in his racing days, quite tightly from what I've been told. When I got him I rode him in a cavesson. He constantly chomps on the bit and is unsettled in the mouth. I've tried a flash, a grackle, an anatomical bridle, nothing helps. I've recently been riding him without a noseband and the change is quite remarkable. Very settled, no chomping. Unfortunately we do dressage so need a noseband ( daft rule!) What do I do??
 
Have you tried an anatomical bridle? Sometimes it's not the bit round the nose that's the problem, it's the bit that comes down the cheeks.

Edit - sorry just saw anatomical bridle on your list. Ignore me!
 
Snowfilly said:
Cavesson as loose as you can? And try to fiddle about with the height of it, some of them haven’t read the book about which height it ought to be and prefer higher than you should.
Click to expand...

It may also be worth trying thicker and thinner nosebands to see if that makes a difference.
 
Snowfilly said:
Cavesson as loose as you can? And try to fiddle about with the height of it, some of them haven’t read the book about which height it ought to be and prefer higher than you should.
Click to expand...
I've had it realise but it seems to annoy him. I havnt tried varying the height so I will try that, thank you.
 
Annagain said:
Have you tried an anatomical bridle? Sometimes it's not the bit round the nose that's the problem, it's the bit that comes down the cheeks.

Edit - sorry just saw anatomical bridle on your list. Ignore me!
Click to expand...
Lol! For a start I thought he went better in the anatomical bridle but I forgot it once and popped my normal bridle on and he was just the same.
 
Nari said:
It may also be worth trying thicker and thinner nosebands to see if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...
Good shout! Thinking about it, now you mention it, his showing cavesson is a lot thicker and I don't seem to get the issues with it, but then I am asking more of him in dressage as opposed to showing.
 
Is your noseband one on a separate strap or a twin-buckled one that goes onto the headpiece?
If the former, thread it over the headpiece (like you would a drop noseband except the cavesson part goes back under the cheek pieces. It means that there is no ridge under the headpiece)
I'll see if I can root out a picture of mine if it would help
 
You are right, it is a daft rule!

I rode my last horse without a noseband for years because he had a sarcoid on his face that sat right in the way. Once it was more settled, I did use a very broad cavesson and we never had an issue with that. I think the width makes them more stable so it might be worth persisting with his showing cavesson?
 
Can you get a bodyworker who does fascia manipulation or any cranial work? Sometimes when they get some nice micro releases in the face, it can help with the years of tension and help him deal with it all a bit better!
 
I hacked my old share without a noseband at the end of her life. She wore a bit with metal pieces each side (full cheek?) and one got caught in the noseband. So I took off the noseband.
The odd thing is that all my pics of her show her in a plain snaffle.
 
LegOn said:
Can you get a bodyworker who does fascia manipulation or any cranial work? Sometimes when they get some nice micro releases in the face, it can help with the years of tension and help him deal with it all a bit better!
Click to expand...
I did this a couple of years ago and it didn't help. He doesn't have that sort of thing regularly though so that might be worth thinking about, thank you.
 
catkin said:
Is your noseband one on a separate strap or a twin-buckled one that goes onto the headpiece?
If the former, thread it over the headpiece (like you would a drop noseband except the cavesson part goes back under the cheek pieces. It means that there is no ridge under the headpiece)
I'll see if I can root out a picture of mine if it would help
Click to expand...
Thank you. He has got that sort of piece.
 
Could you have something made. Ie a chamois leather nose band with a buckle/velcro attachment in an unintrusive position. Something really light in weight, for appearances only.
 
This is my pony's bridle. The noseband fastens on the inside of the bit/cheekpiece/headpiece bit, then threads through the browband outside the headpiece and over the top of it. As you see, it is very neat.
 

Attachments

  • 20230127_181409.jpg
    20230127_181409.jpg
    225.7 KB · Views: 42
catkin said:
This is my pony's bridle. The noseband fastens on the inside of the bit/cheekpiece/headpiece bit, then threads through the browband outside the headpiece and over the top of it. As you see, it is very neat.
Click to expand...
Lovely pony!! My bridle is similar as in the strap of the nose band goes over the headpiece rather than under.
 
This bridle doesn't have a noseband but I'd bet the farm it is not legal for dressage.

IMG_1734.JPG

Here's a possibly stupid question. If you had a bridle of a similar design - the cross browband - but brown or black and with no bling, would it be dressage legal?
 
  • Like
Reactions: tda
I don't think this horse would cope with a dressage show, but my other one would (if I ever get her out of the Western hackamore).

If I showed up in a plain brown or black bridle with the medieval cross browband, would anyone notice? Or would it be like the classic social psychology experiment where someone wearing a gorilla suit runs through the classroom, and then the lecturer asks the students, "Did anyone see the guy in the gorilla suit?" Almost no one has.

If there was ever a reason to get her going in a snaffle bit, this is one. (I would, of course, have a normal bridle on hand, just in case the TD spotted the gorilla suit).
 
I find it funny in racing that very few flat horses are ridden out with noseband and yet the national hunt lot go mad for riding out in grackles and have them skin bulgingly tight. I don't get it.

We use a grackle on all bar 2 of our jumps horses to help with their wind in a race - it stops them being able to open their mouth wide enough for the tongue to go back and choke them. We don't do them up overly tight either unlike some yards. Most of ours are ridden out at home without a noseband too except for some horses on work days or ones that are pigs and cross their jaws.
 
Caol Ila said:
I don't think this horse would cope with a dressage show, but my other one would (if I ever get her out of the Western hackamore).

If I showed up in a plain brown or black bridle with the medieval cross browband, would anyone notice? Or would it be like the classic social psychology experiment where someone wearing a gorilla suit runs through the classroom, and then the lecturer asks the students, "Did anyone see the guy in the gorilla suit?" Almost no one has.

If there was ever a reason to get her going in a snaffle bit, this is one. (I would, of course, have a normal bridle on hand, just in case the TD spotted the gorilla suit).
Click to expand...
Wear a gorilla suit during your dressage test and I guarantee you no one will comment on the bridle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top