What Are Your Opinions On Flash Nosebands?

I'd rather find the problem than mask it but each to their own. I've ridden two horses (not my own) I wouldn'f of liked to get on without a flash.
 
I don't get this whole 'if fitted correctly & used sympathetically' business. I could stick unnecessary tack items on my mare & used correctly she wouldn't know they were there because she doesn't do what they prevent. Eg holding draw reins loosely, using a drop or standing martingale, riding in a de-gogue or strong bit. Provided I ride correctly & my mare is her normal well behaved self, I know for a fact she wouldn't even register most well fitted gadgets because she wouldn't be restricted by them. But, even before mounting the simple act of fitting a flash is restrictive. And as I've used her to briefly demonstrate in the past to fans of flashes, she'll fight it just because she can feel it restricting her. Other horses more used to being restricted under saddle or more submissive in temperament may not fight it, but that doesn't make it ok imo.
 
I've never really "got" this strapping the mouth shut. Doesn't trouble with the bit indicate it's either not the right bit, or trouble with the mouth ?
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
I wish people would take the time and trouble to find a bit that the horse is comfortable with - there are hundreds to choose from - instead of fastening the horse's mouth shut with any kind of noseband. And as for RIs who recommend putting a flash etc on a horse - words fail me! They should be helping riders to find out what the problem is, not going for a quick fix.
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Agree.

Trouble is.....so many bridles seem to come with flash as standard..:confused:.
 
The_angel_littlelegs said:
I don't get this whole 'if fitted correctly & used sympathetically' business. I could stick unnecessary tack items on my mare & used correctly she wouldn't know they were there because she doesn't do what they prevent. Eg holding draw reins loosely, using a drop or standing martingale, riding in a de-gogue or strong bit. Provided I ride correctly & my mare is her normal well behaved self, I know for a fact she wouldn't even register most well fitted gadgets because she wouldn't be restricted by them. But, even before mounting the simple act of fitting a flash is restrictive. And as I've used her to briefly demonstrate in the past to fans of flashes, she'll fight it just because she can feel it restricting her. Other horses more used to being restricted under saddle or more submissive in temperament may not fight it, but that doesn't make it ok imo.
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But that is because you understand how to fit them in order for them to function as the inventor intended. The vast majority of people, as demonstrated further up the thread, have no idea that the cavesson should not be pulled down so that viewed from the front the whole thing looks like a grackle!
 
I don't have objection in principle to a noseband that prevents the horse from opening its mouth too far (assuming not in pain, schooling in progress yadda yadda), but as others have said the design of a flash is rubbish - you need the cavesson part far too tight to keep it in place. Use a drop or a grackle, depending on the horse, if you need to use anything!
 
My horse has one. She only wears it in "exciting" situations as I cannot hold her without. She is ridden in a snaffle and caveson 99% of the time and is perfectly behaved but as soon as we are in the competition atmosphere she know's exactly how to grab and run, admitedly she knows how to do this all of the time but in everyday situations she would not do it. When we go out, the excitement takes over!
Although I would rather she didn't wear it as I dont particularly like it, so I am going to have a look at using a drop and if that fails getting a stronger bit for going out.
 
I'm another one who finds it annoying that you can't find a decent bridle without a flash noseband. I don't use one on either of my horses and they have never needed one even though my big mare was wearing a flash when I tried her. When I asked the owner about it she said she didn't need it but she put it on so as not to loose it! I do like to use a cavesson noseband because I like the look of the horses wearing it but I am very careful to fit it correctly so it doesn't cause any discomfort.
 
From the horses point of view - 'I have a metal bit put in my mouth, it has a joint in the middle and every few seconds the joint is pushed up into the roof of my mouth. The metal is pulled down onto my gums and squashes my tongue. I open my mouth to try and avoid the pain inflicted - so next time they put the metal bit in my mouth they strap my mouth so tightly shut I can't open it at all. Then they pull on the metal bit and the pain is horrific on the roof of my mouth and my gums and my tongue. There is no escape. And they call themselves horse lovers. They should be ashamed.'
 
Aaagghh!
Needle in haystack to find decent quality bridle without a flash! both my horses don't have them on, but the bridles do! the Spanish one has a major strop when I thought I might give it a go as he was seriously opening his mouth (flatly refused to move) & the ex-racer pulled 'cow chewing cud' faces. I only used it as his previous owner advised me to use a grackle or a flash, but I took it off and no more funny faces!

As for the crank nosebands- I have those as well- again came as a no choice with the bridle BUT you don't have to do them up tightly! I really hate to see the poor horses face bulging out over and under the noseband. What on earth does it achieve?:confused:
 
The Flash noseband is a hybrid of the drop and cavesson nosebands, it was invented solely for the purpose of being able to use a standing martingale with a drop noseband, as very few horses now use a standing martingale there is no need for a flash noseband, and a drop should be used intead if thats what the horse needs.
 
I ride my horse in a flash but the actual flash strap and noseband are incredibly loose they serve no real function. I could probably manage without both tbh but I haven't tried riding him without yet.

I inherited a lovely keiffer dressage bridle but I never use it as it's a crank noseband. The only time I rode him in it he was awful as he really hated it. I never use it ao I don't know why I still have it!
 
My boy has a flash, When i tried him he was in one, so that's why I still use it. Also he has everything checked ie back, teeth etc every 6 months (other than his teeth every 12 month's) I dont like drop nosebands ;):D
 
Some of our bridles have them on, some don't.
I've bought a few very pretty bridles with flash nosebands on as standard. So what I do is put them on the loosest setting. Makes no difference to my horsey. She lets you know if she doesn't like something!!!

I hate seeing horses who clearly don't work well/like the bit they have in so the owner clamps their mouth shut :( It's all about trial and error!
 
I use one if I feel it's needed. I make sure that the cavesson part of the noseband is snug (but not cinched tight) and use the flash to prevent the horse opening too far, not prevent it opening it at all. My big mare doesn't need one, but my 3yo who has just been started on the lunge appears to have a very mobile tongue and immediately figured out how open her mouth to put it over the bit. As the bit was correctly fitted in her mouth, and rather than haul her lips round her ears, I put a flash strap on (fitted to allow a comfortable one finger under it) which stops her opening her mouth to the extent she can get her tongue waggling. I'll give it a few days with it on and then try taking it off - if she carries on, I might keep the flash as she seems happy in it, or I might try a drop - depends how she feels!

In short, I think most tack has a place and can be used effectively in the right situation and in the right hands. It is a shame that so many bridles come with flash attachments but plain nosebands are out there if you look.
 
frannieuk said:
It is a shame that so many bridles come with flash attachments but plain nosebands are out there if you look.
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Every time there's a thread on flashes (which is regularly!) lots of people trot out the line that it's 'impossible' to find a plain cavesson bridle, as 'every' bridle has a flash nowadays.

Sorry, but that's absolute rubbish. How hard are you guys looking? Yes, a few times I've gone onto some posh website and seen a expensive brand with a selection of 3 or 4 non cavesson bridles, but the majority of online tackshops, and the majority of brands, offer a cavesson bridle.

Example, Equestrian Clearance...

http://www.equestrianclearance.com/matchmakers/caldene-black-label-plain-snaffle-bridle/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/westgate_efi/mark_todd_bridles/index.html#gallery
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/stubben/royal-161/index.html#gallery
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/matchmakers/caldene_plain_snaffle_bridles/index.html#gallery
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/-just_togs/gfs_plain_snaffle_bridle/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/westgate_efi/jhl-bridles/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/westgate_efi/jhl-pro-bridles/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/stubben/wicklow-bridle-3200/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/matchmakers/sovereign_lincoln_bridle/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/matchmakers/sovereign_cambridge_bridle/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/matchmakers/caldene-patent-snaffle-bridle/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/-_product_packs/k_ty_raised_cavesson_bridle/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/-_product_packs/k-ty-endeavour-hunt-bridle/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/-just_togs/gfs_show_bridle/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/ekkia/cortina-leather-bridles/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/weatherbeeta/new-kincade-bridles/index.html
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/weatherbeeta/_collegiate_cavesson_nosebands/index.html

These took just a couple of mouse clicks to find!
 
Ha, JenJ, I was going to say that. I had a quick count up and of the 20 bridles "owned" by my 7 horses not one has a flash noseband. We have cavessons, drops, a couple of grackles but no flash nosebands in use - we don't even have any that have had the flash strap taken off. I do, in addition to that lot, own a crank noseband bridle and also one with a cavesson and flash but they are not used by any of my horses and I must get round to selling them.

So really it's not that difficult to find bridles without flashes and cranks.
 
Doesn't matter if bridles do come with them, there's no law saying you can't just take it off. And if you don't want the silly attachment on the noseband, either chop it yourself or get a saddler to remove it properly. My issue with many bridles coming with them isn't a purchasing problem, just that it encourages numpties to use them.
 
JenJ said:
Every time there's a thread on flashes (which is regularly!) lots of people trot out the line that it's 'impossible' to find a plain cavesson bridle, as 'every' bridle has a flash nowadays.

Sorry, but that's absolute rubbish. How hard are you guys looking? Yes, a few times I've gone onto some posh website and seen a expensive brand with a selection of 3 or 4 non cavesson bridles, but the majority of online tackshops, and the majority of brands, offer a cavesson bridle.

Example, Equestrian Clearance...


These took just a couple of mouse clicks to find!
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That was my point....!!
 
Nah said:
This bloomin' annoys me.
I would LOVE a bridle without a flash, but I can't seem to find one. I just take the noseband off now, he seems to like it that way anyway.
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I did this then someone treated me to a jeffries plain old cavesson. I did at one stage remove the noseband altogether, just to get rid of the darn thing. Mine was trying to open his gob and I felt he was trying to yawn and couldnt mouth the bit that well..the flash just felt wrong and it was restrictive, and seemed to annoy him. Said horse was very hard in mouth too and it was a kind decision for him to have it removed. Just seemed happier without it. But try Jeffries.
 
I don't have a strong opinion on most tack, but i am of the opinion that unless someone has ridden my horse in various situations who are they to judge what tack she wears and how effective it is;)
A very similar discussion on FB only yesterday about 'inappropriate tack and bits' how can anyone judge what is inappropriate for any horse unless they have ridden it?!

i tried my big girl in a bitless, she hated it.
 
I don't actually have a problem with Flashes as long as they are used correctly - like grackles too. A friend of mine uses one because her horse bites so when an instructor comes to talk to her - it's not the best if he bites them... But he happy in it. I have to say i hate Drop Nosebands - they annoy me of how some put it so tight.
 
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