Which noseband(s) do you prefer? (Poll)

Which noseband(s) do you prefer?

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redcascade

redcascade

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Just being nosy really :p
Have ridden in a crank, flash and a cavesson before and a drop for the first time tonight.
It's strange to be honest, Red hates flashes leans in his cavesson and he really softened tonight in a drop and we both loved it! It suits him as well :p
Anyway, which noseband(s) do you prefer and why?
Sorry! Forgot grackle, silly girl :o Can't edit the poll either!
 
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My three all go beautifully in cavessons so I see no need to use anything else.

One of my bridles has a crank on it (I was given it - never look a gift Stubben in the err.. browband! :D ) but it's never done up tightly so is rather pointless as there's no pressure to spread!

I have to say I do hate the current trend for flash nosebands. Fine if your horse needs it but to have it as the default option on a lot of bridles just seems wrong to me.
 
Cavesson.
I always prefer to find out why the horse is opening his mouth or whatever to evade the bit and rectify the situation, rather than holding the mouth shut. Works for me but it's good that yours works for you.

ETA my horse came to me in a single-jointed hanging-cheek snaffle with a flash nose-band. I swapped it immediately for a French link snaffle and a cavesson noseband, she stopped tossing her head, and pulling. Then I put her in a PeeWee bit, which has a very slim mullen-mouth and she is happier still and doesn't lean.
 
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Doesnt everyone prefer if their horse only needed a cavesson?

I only use a cavesson with my new boy but may consider trying a flash to see if that stops him chewing his bit or opening his mouth at all.
 
All of mine go in drop nosebands - That's how I break them in and they all go well so no need to change it!
It's loose enough that only comes into effect if they open their mouth *too* wide ... for shows they go in a cavesson, no probs and when I'm bridle cleaning they go without.
 
He's just had his teeth done so it can't be that, he is half dumb-blood after all, a sensitive soul :rolleyes: Thought that the majority would prefer cavesson, will see how it pans out!
ETA, me RI hates drops! I don't know why, but anyway, works for him...
 
Is this a trick question? :D

I prefer whichever noseband suits the horse I am riding.... like bits really.

For example, my current horse doesn't need one so when the cavesson he arrived with broke (5 years ago) I never replaced it. It makes tack cleaning quick, as I have 2 rubber reins, a headpiece, 2 cheekpieces and a browband. :p

Mum's old pony had to have a Mexican Grackle.

My last horse had a flash.

The one before that had a cavesson.... etc...
 
Preferably none, most of my bridles don't have any, they don't have a suitable browband to hold one on either come to think of it;)

For cosmetic reasons, some horses look better with a cavesson of the appropriate width than without a noseband at all. Our Morgan looks like a common jughead without a cavesson.

For those that fulfill a function rather than just aesthetics, I prefer a drop (with a cavesson on a jughead) and a grackle over a mexican, I have never owned, or intend to own, a flash.

Each to their own though, who am I to say who puts what on their own horse if it isn't doing any harm?

Watching an episode of The Tudors last night I had to have a chuckle at a horse wearing a drop noseband :) Maybe they were around in those days though?
 
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Cavesson :) I always used to ride in a flash because the horse would turn herself inside out to get her tongue over the bit and tank off - sticking a flash on cured this :p Once she grew out of it I put her back in a cavesson, she goes really well in it and looks v pretty in it too :D
 
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I have to say I do hate the current trend for flash nosebands. Fine if your horse needs it but to have it as the default option on a lot of bridles just seems wrong to me.
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Agreed. While noseband shopping last week I was sick to the back teeth of seeing Flash's on everything :rolleyes:. Flash nosebands, flash bridles, flash connectors. Why does a bridle need to come with a flash as standard? :confused:.

Fair enough, some horses need a flash, mine did for a while, but a lot of horses will go well in a cavesson. There will always be excpetions but I hate the current trend for 'fashionable' nosebands.

In answer to OP; mine goes well in a cavesson but has worn a flash before now for a temporary period.
 
zalacca said:
Cavesson :) I always used to ride in a flash because the horse would turn herself inside out to get her tongue over the bit and tank off - sticking a flash on cured this :p Once she grew out of it I put her back in a cavesson, she goes really well in it and looks v pretty in it too :D
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Exactly the reason I used a flash for a while :). Damn canny mares :rolleyes: :D. Mine also now goes well in a cavesson and it suits her. Very smart :D.
 
I like different nosebands for different horses!

For a baby/youngster I prefer a plain cavesson.

I have a horse that detests flash nosebands, even done up loosely but he loves a padded drop noseband done up fairly loose, and goes so softly in it.

On the otherhand, my other horse hates the drop and goes much better in his flash!

I also think high ring grackles are useful on a horse that can be strong/or has no mouth-as is a combination noseband too.
 
I'd rather ride all my horses in a caversson, so i suppose i'd prefer that one, but i'll use the one appropriate to the horse, rather than for looks etc...
 
i put cavesson as that is always my preferance (or none to save on cleaning if i'm just at home :p) i'd always work towards a horse working well in a cavesson

but also put drop as that's my preferance for a restriction noseband (to generalise all that type ;))

then kineton as i find them a v useful peice of kit for some horses :)

buut - i'd use what works on the horse in front of me tbh!
 
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Always a cavesson for me.

IMO....if your horse is evading the bit, opening his mouth etc....then you need to find out why rather than just strapping the mouth shut. You are treating a symnpton, not the cause.

Of course- some horses just do go better in other nosebands, I'm not having a dig if you use one and know why you need it and know that your horse isn't uncomfortable in his mouth. I just think sometimes people can be easily swayed by whats 'in fashion'.
 
Cavesson or no noseband. I have once used a flash on one of my TB's who used to cross her jaw when excited, but with schooling and time was able to go back to a cavesson.

I too hate that so many bridles come with flash as standard and hate to see people put them on as it what the bridle came with, friends use them etc. In most cases there is a good reason why your horse opens their mouth to resist and it should be found what the problem is rather than just strapping them shut.
 
very good point that - because of the current obsession with flashes, so many bridles now have them. So people use them when the horse really does not need a flash, as the link for the strap looks a bit ugly on it's own. Not really right , is it ?
 
I always choose to have a flash noseband on my bridles, I generally ride without the flash on but can put one on if and when required.
 
And just to add...my biggest bug bear about bridle shopping a few months ago was the difficulty in finding a bridle with a comfort poll that didnt have a bloomin crank flash noseband...ridiculous! Found one in the end but it was no mean feat I can tell you! THe trend at the moment seems to be for crank nosebands.
 
shysmum said:
yup, that's the right way to do it imho - only use the strap if you need it ;)
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Yea my boy at the moment does all his schooling work without a flash (could probably have no noseband at all tbh) but requires a flash when (attempting) to hack the little looney! So its easy to pop one on for that. His bridle doesnt look ugly with the loop there unused and it saves him having 2 seperate bridles! My mare I always did the same...except she only needed the flash for hunting, she was fine to hack without one as well. Iccle ponio needed a flash all the time...that was just him!
 
The one that works best for the horse taking into account your other tack and competition needs. :)

Ideally a cavesson, but I have no objection to using something else if it is needed for the horse or for your control. I think many people use flashes unnecessarily, at the end of the day they are intended for horses that need a grackle or drop AND a standing martingale, it is a compromise solution, but people use them in preference to the correct tool for the job.

If a horse opens it's mouth then I'd use a drop (assuming it was comfortable in it's mouth) or a grackle if it crossed it's jaw or was uncomfortable in a drop.

Flashes are pretty uncomfortable for horses and a drop or grackle (or cavesson, many people use flashes because they came with the bridle irrespective of whether the horse needs it) is more comfortable as they do not have to be fastened as tightly to acheive the same result.
 
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