Nosebands, help getting the fit right! And grackles :)

S

samsaria

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Dec 30, 2005
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I need a bit of help with nosebands please :)

I was given my bridle for my horse as a gift. It fits overall with a few adjustments and we've changed the bit and got all that correct now.

But the noseband - it seems to be rough leather and leaves a mark on his nose. Are padded ones better? or the plain flat hunter ones? This one is neither, it's stitched but is not really padded.

When I had him in training the trainer rode him in a grackle. What are the pros/cons of a grackle?

Or with a noseband, how do I aim to get it fitting right? - should it wrap just under the end of his cheekbones, or lower?

Thanks very much - I don't like seeing the marks on his face, can't be comfortable although he doesn't mind getting tacked up :o

xx
 
Grackles are most commonly used to help prevent a horse from crossing their jaw which evades the rider. It will also prevent the horse from opening his mouth, taking hold of the bit and getting their tounge over the bit.
If it is just the fit of the cavesson noseband that worries you, I would just go for a padded, or you can buy fleece sleeves and prolite inserts to give it a bit more padding. Unless you feel that your horse is evading you, I wouldn't change the type of noseband you are using.
Hope this helps :D
 
If it's rubbing him I would be a little concerned. The general guide is two fingers between a cavasson noseband and the jaw, but if you don't need it to do a job then it doesn't matter really so long as it's not too tight or excessively loose, and I would consider taking it off completely.
 
Daffy Dilly said:
If it's rubbing him I would be a little concerned. The general guide is two fingers between a cavasson noseband and the jaw, but if you don't need it to do a job then it doesn't matter really so long as it's not too tight or excessively loose, and I would consider taking it off completely.
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Thanks Dafffy and Sam

Yea, I was told to tighten up the noseband it's not rubbing but leaving an indent, i hate seeing it. I rode with it looser today and it felt fine.

He does open his jaw a bit and messes around which was why i think he was trained in a grackle and that was considered successful.

He is in a regular noseband with a flash at the moment. I guess a grackle achieves the same thing??
 
my noseband rubs my ponio, but i just ride with it loose (then i get comments from people @ shows saying its 2 loose & i have to go round telling every1 y its like that lol) have you tryed oiling it & giving it a really gd clean & condition? (btw im not saying you dont clean it properly or give it a gd clean anyway) it really helped my bridle supple up :)
 
If it's leaving marks on his face, he's either trying to open his mouth, it's way too tight, or the leather dye is leaving marks on his face.
If he's opening his mouth, I'd go for either a padded nose band, or a raised figure-8 noseband. (Not sure what grackles are, but we have flashes, figure-8's, and reg. nosebands...)
What I hate, is when people ride in tight nosebands. The noseband itself can't keep the mouth closed, so even with a death grip on his muzzle, he can still open his mouth. You should be able to fit two fingers in.
For me, mine are always very loose. They're tight enough that it won't rub, but they're still really loose.
If he opens his mouth alot, get him a padded figure-9/flash noseband, to help.
 
The noseband should lie two fingers width below the projecting cheekbone. If you are using a flash then you will need to tighten the noseband more than the two fingers tightness to stop it slipping and the flash restricting your horses breathing.

If you need the flash to stop your horse crossing its jaw etc (most horses don't need them, sadly they are a fashion item for a lot of people) then I personally would rather see a grackle which applies the pressure on the bone of the nose not the cartlidge sp?, (probably what rascalboy knows as a figure of 8).
 
a grackle is a figure of 8.
i h8 it 2 when people put nosebands on 2 tight, like their strapping their jaws together!
i wouldnt go & just shut his mouth shut tho. look it up, google it, & try & solve the cause of the problem (if there is a cause) not the problem itself, if you get my meaning.
 
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