Why flashes on nosebands?! Why oh why?!

M

MagicMelon

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 November 2004
Messages
16,371
Location
North East Scotland
Visit site
Am looking for new bridles for my 2, but Im getting peed off with most of them having flash nosebands. WHY on earth do bridles with flashes seem to be the norm? Surely plain cavessons should be?

Sorry, but its really bugging me because most horses dont even need damn flashes on, and this is probably why so many do - because it comes as part of most bridles as standard!
 
Because sooo many people (including me) use them!! You can always chop off the little attachment thing, but you can't sew one on and the connecters don't look as nice. Tbh I was thinking the exact opposite, as the bridle I am in love with doesn't have a flash on so I can't really buy it. I'm gutted.
 
My girl has only this week started using the flash part of her bridle, for the previous 6 months that I've had it I've just used it as a cavasson. She has started opening her mouth really wide and tries to evade the bit so my instructor has recommended that I try using the flash. Its not having a lot of success though as tonight she spent half the ride with her head being thrown up and down like a yoyo
crazy.gif
 
I sympathise with you. When I used to live in England and predominantly rode English, I always had this beef too! I dislike flashes and I don't want bridles with them on, I want a cavesson! The last bridle I bought in England was a Stubben and it had the choice of a flash or a crank - I don't like either of these nosebands but I ended up buying the flash one. I used the flash as I disliked the little loop on the end without something inside it......but I never cared for it.
 
Depending on what sort of price range/quality you are after Cottage Craft do some with raised/padded nosebands without flash loops on, and I know Shires do flat cavesson nosebands that are nice and plain
grin.gif
 
I really do think that some people (not all) use them as they make their horses look better. Plus when they see so many dressage and show jumping horses in them in H&H they think they should follow. But I suppose a lot of horses evade the bit aswell and the first reaction is to use a flash. I'm guilty of that too!

Go on to CotswoldSJs website as there are some lovely bridles with cavessons.
 
I think that too and I don't have any problems with anyone using a general piece of tack because they like it rather than their horse needing it - I just don't want to have to aswell LOL!!
 
I've had this problem too. I needed a decently priced bridle with a plain, flat cavesson noseband. Could I find one? 90% were raised with a flash.

By chance I got hold of a shires catalogue, and they do have a good range, at good prices. I'd definatly buy from them again.
 
i am with magic melon it annoys me too though you can get plenty of plain bridles in the US and canada, cos hunter jumper must have them. ask tia to send you one, i cant as am on my way home, they are better quality for less money too.
and i think crank nosebands are the ork of the devil....if a horse is trying that hard to open its mouth perhaps it might be better to investigte and remove the cause?
 
You're right Lucretia - the norm over here is to have horses wearing a cavesson. Most people ride their English horses with cavesson and no martingales. They aren't into extras over here - not like in the UK.
 
I would prefer my horse to not wear a flash but if I take it off, she soon learns to hang her big tongue out of the side of her mouth and over the bit. I will not go on a pleasure ride running the risk of pulling her up from a canter with a bit resting right on her bit bars.

Oliver and Tweenie aren't in a flash. If they opened their mouths or got tongue over the bit, I'd consider it before I moved to a stronger bit.
 
Im oldschool
wink.gif
Got my Dad's old hunter's noseband, punched in an extra hole and shoe polished it black, I agree with you, pain in the arse trying to find a very nice bridle without a flash. And its sad because all our bridles from 10years ago have those flash adaptor thingys because back then flashes were had come by
wink.gif
 
in most cases a horse that opens it's mouth is trying to avoid the bit, simply changing the bit to something more comfortable - more suited to the shape of the horses mouth and tounge will stop the horse opening it's mouth. Strapping it shut on a bit that is not comfortable will often lead to head throwing, high head carriage or locking of the jaw. This then leads to martingales, and tougher nosebands.

Tricksy, try some different mouth pieces, a lozenge rather than a single joint. or a waterford. experiment with the type and thickness of the mouth piece. With the correct one you should be able to stop the head tossing and avoid the flash
 
I have nothing against people using flashes if my horse needed one id use one, however she doesnt and i also hate having a nose band with a little loop in it so always buy a plain cavesson, as a work bridle i use one from cotswold sport ( she had a few plain cavessons when i was looking i think?) and for best i have a stubben.
Have tried cutting the little loops off before but it looks cr*p.
Hope you find what you are looking for
 
OMG fashion DARRRLLLINGG

You simply have to have a flash or mexican for the show jumpers!!

Shame I made a real boo boo getting pink lined cavessons.... still my horse wears one
grin.gif
grin.gif
grin.gif
 
what gets me most is when the flash is tighter than the noseband so dragging it down and restricting the horses breathing. Also don't like cranks.

Both Dan's and Fleur's bridles came with flashes but I leave them off and cope with the dangly bit. Fleurs is also sort of a crank nosebank but its not quite (kieffer) so I can leave it relatively loose still safely. Dan's is a standard noseband and left very loose in effect it is there simply for decoration...
 
I look for ones with convertors on, then I just take them off, I bought a cheap Kincade one from weatherbeeta and it's been fab, lovely brass fittings on it, I've had it two years now and just swapped the browband for a nice bling one for dressage, browband cost more than bridle.lol.

Bean, you can buy a convertor for about £3 and put a flash on the bridle you wanted.
 
I ride Rock on the flat in a kk french link and a flash - If i don't have the flash his mouth opens and he leans - hes a leaner big time! I took flash off for a month this summer to see if he still needed it - after a month of schooling without one i realised why i had it in the first place.
 
I buy my bridles on Ebay and there is mixed choice there
smile.gif

However the flashes make good dog collars!
Hate flash attachments and never use one. have loads of them now lying around!
 
I no what you mean. My friend wanted a raised caversson bridle for her birthday and I could not find one without the flash attachment. I could get a hunter caversson but they look funny on her TBs tiny head. In the end I found one on ebay, but a month after her birthday.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You're right Lucretia - the norm over here is to have horses wearing a cavesson. Most people ride their English horses with cavesson and no martingales. They aren't into extras over here - not like in the UK.

[/ QUOTE ]

But I think that's just because in Canada and the US, your disipline of what we'd call equitation jumping is huge there. And also you like your Hunter classes etc. which I believe need to keep tack simple. Over here in the UK, these classes aren't nearly so big, we do more show jumping etc, hence the reason for all the crap tack extra's! I guess because we can use any tack in these classes, most people do!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top