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If you train your horse or pony with the aim of competing, the subject of nosebands is bound to arise, so what are the different styles of noseband and how do they work? The Society of Master Saddlers explains.....


Different styles of noseband


When you are selecting a noseband for your horse, as with all tack, it is vital that your choice suits the individual his needs. It is important not to choose purely for aesthetic reasons, but rather to support efforts to realise the full potential of the horse, whilst also maximising comfort. There are a number of different types of noseband readily available and this feature will describe them and explain their uses.


The simplest form of noseband is the cavesson, which is a plain band around the nose and can be manufactured in different styles. For example, it can be flat and wide for a heavy hunter, thin and raised for a finer horse or pony or padded for extra comfort. The fastening can either be a simple buckle, or a crank design providing additional leverage to further tighten the noseband and which also has extra padding. Crank nosebands are commonly seen on dressage horses.


The addition of a flash noseband to a bridle, on which the flash strap is attached to a central loop on a cavesson noseband, can give enhanced control as it can reduce a horse’s tendency to open its mouth and evade the bit. It can also help


to centralise the bit, increasing its effectiveness. However, the usefulness of the flash depends on the individual horse and how they respond to it; it improves some horses’ way of going but some will resist it.It is important that the main noseband is fitted correctly (which is one to two fingers below the projecting cheekbones) and the flash strap is fastened so that two fingers can be slid all the way round.


For a more definite action to stop the mouth opening, the drop noseband can be used. The drop is fitted lower down on the horse’s head and sits above his nostrils, whilst the back fastens in the groove of his jaw. Again, some horses will respond well to it whilst others will dislike and work against it. When fitting the drop noseband, ensure that it is at least 6cm above the nostrils to avoid interference with breathing and don’t over tighten it.


For very strong pulling horses, the grakle noseband may be a solution to gain more control. It is not permitted for British Dressage competitions, but may be used in all levels of eventing. This noseband is designed to help prevent the horse from crossing


New Organisers for Stafford Horse Trials


Stafford Horse Trials is one of the largest grassroots events on the British Eventing (BE) calendar, so BE members in the region were understandably disappointed when the closure of the event was announced earlier this year.


There has now been confirmation from BE however that Stafford will be back for 2016. James and Vicky Plant will take over as organisers and have already made major personal investment to develop the cross country course. Work has also been undertaken to lay new drainage above the water complex which will greatly improve the going. A great partnership has already been built up with the land owner, Richard Williams, who has come to an agreement to secure the future of the event with course builder and organiser James Plant, as well as Vicky. The organising team has a wealth of experience between them. James is a gold level course builder who has built courses for the Stafford event since it began in 2005. Vicky is already joint-organiser of the long standing Weston Park and


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Brand Hall Horse Trials and has also been involved with Stafford since its launch, carrying out roles from Chief Steward to Assistant Organiser. Course Designer Janet Plant will also be returning to design the cross country course after a period of absence following illness. Vicky commented “This is a park that Janet knows well and we look forward to seeing how she will incorporate the new fences, many of which have already been designed and built.” The Plant family is delighted to be able to keep this very popular event in the calendar and to be working with the generous land owner once again. British Eventing Chief Executive David Holmes commented: “The number of riders competing at the lower levels of the sport is dramatically rising every year so it is wonderful to share the news that a much loved event is back in the calendar and being run by such a welcoming and well organised team.” The provisional dates for Stafford in 2016 are 18th–20th March & 15th–17th July. Visit the Event’s official Facebook page at www. facebook.com/staffordhorsetrials


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his jaw, which is a common tactic used when trying to evade the contact and dominate the rider. The front crossover point of the design provides the main pressure point, with the top straps positioned just below the facial bones for comfort. It is important that both straps can fit at least one finger width between them and the jaw. Another design of grakle is the High Ring/Mexican grakle which has a ring either side of the face, fitted onto the flat cheeks of the horse. Whilst having the same action as the standard grakle, the High Ring/Mexican grakle exerts pressure via the rings much higher up so increasing the area which the noseband affects.


Some horses don’t require a noseband at all and therefore don’t wear one. However, for competition it is better and often required to wear one so in this instance a non-restrictive cavesson noseband would be the best option.


A full list of Society of Master Saddlers members who will be able to give you help and advice and can supply ‘off the peg’ or bespoke bridlework can be found at www.mastersaddlers.co.uk


A Chain Grakle has a chain section at the back of both straps


Bridle with flash noseband


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