Nothing But Nosebands

grayhorseleatherwo
Dec 23, 2025
8 min read

What is the right noseband to use for my horse? Do I need one? What is their purpose?

I wish these questions were asked a whole lot more! Nosebands are a hot topic today in the horse industry, and there are so many options on the market.

What does the noseband do?

Simple - it prevents the horse from opening their mouth (to some degree).

Why would I want to do that?

You don't! [Most] trainers will argue that horses are mouthy, gape, get their tongue over the bit, or display any other type of bit-related evasion will need a noseband fit snugly to prevent this. And I will argue until I am blue in the face (as will other certified bit/bridle fit consultants) that there are 4 main reasons the horse does this - a poorly suited bit, health/fitness/soundness issues, training issues, and/or the rider is asking the horse an unfair or unclear question. A snug noseband will only mask evasions - symptoms of a greater problem.

In fact, not only does a snug noseband cover up these issues, but they can create a slew of other problems...

The horse will experience torniquet-like forces around their face whenever they attempt to make natural movements such as licking, chewing, or mouthing the bit.
- A study was conducted in Ireland in 2017 (read here) that showed with varied noseband tightness, pressure ranged from 7-95N at the front of the nasal plane and 1-28N at the side of the face (near molars). The same study references data that showed livestock pain tolerance at 7N and tissue damage is possible beyond 20N.
- Tight nosebands restrict blood flow and nerve flow to the muzzle.
- A horse in pain every time it tries to lick, chew, or relax its jaw will become a very tense horse indeed. It is well known that pain causes tension and fear. Enough said there.
- Any inward pressure adjacent to the molars presents a risk of ulceration and laceration inside the mouth, as their molars are off-set and grow quite sharp.
Every time the horse meets resistance of the noseband (or if fit tight enough - resistance of the noseband meets the horse!), downward pressure is applied at the poll. While light poll pressure can encourage flexion here, it will also encourage lowering of the head and will not encourage softening of the jaw and hyoid - crucial to achieve true collection/connection.
The horse's jaw is incredibly strong. If the noseband is placed at or below the fragile branch/tip of the nasal bone, there is considerable risk to damaging the structures here - nerve damage, cartilage damage, bony changes, and even nasal bone fracture in extreme cases. Ever seen a horse with a bump or dip about the level of the noseband? This is often the result of chronic resistance to the noseband.
A horse that does not have a comfortable or suitable bit will try to avoid the discomfort or pain. If they have a restrictive noseband, the most common way a horse will do this is to put their tongue over the bit. When this happens, the bit will slam into the sensitive bars (lower jaw bones forming the tongue groove). If the force from the reins persists, and a noseband is preventing the mouth from opening, it is extremely difficult for the horse to get their tongue back under the bit. If you have seen a horse struggle with this you will have a sense of how painful and disruptive this is.

Ouch! So why do we still use them?

They come with nearly every English bridle.
They are required to compete in certain disciplines.
They are stylish and there are so many fads and marketing strategies which draw riders in.
Riders believe they will have more control and sensitivity to the bit.
I must note here - this is true. But the increased control and sensitivity is coming from a place of force - the horse cannot evade the bit as easily - but trust me, if the 4 reasons for evasions are present (bit suitability, health/fitness, training, unfair/unclear aids) the horse will still try! And, of course, pain and restriction may present biomechanical or long-term issues.
With dressage riders getting dinged for horses having mouth-related evasions during a test, riders and trainers will opt to crank the noseband tighter (often literally) to "quiet the mouth".

What do the different types do?

Plain Cavesson

This is an uncomplicated noseband - no nonsense, no frills. Just a leather strap, padded or unpadded, that is intended to be placed between the facial crest and the level of the bit. If you must use a noseband, use this one!

Pros:

Typically made of lightweight, supple leather (padded or plain).

Intended for fit within the "safe zone" (between facial crest and bit).

Should not restrict breathing.

Cons:

Often do not have padding beneath the jaw which can cause some rubs or pain points if fit snug.

If fit snug can apply some inward pressure along the molars.

With the invention of other nosebands and clever marketing strategies, these are becoming harder to find on new bridles (a very sad thing to have to put under the "cons" section, indeed!).

Crank

Also called a Hanoverian noseband - this is the type that folds over on itself underneath the jaw which helps leverage a tighter fit (hence the name, "crank"). This is by far the most popular noseband in dressage as there is such emphasis

on closing the horses' mouths [forcefully]. These are usually heavily padded which is both a good and bad thing...

Pros:

Well padded.

Intended for fit within the "safe zone" (between facial crest and bit).

Should not restrict breathing.

Cons:

Can easily be adjusted far too tight.

Additional padding adds bulk and stiffness, can interfere with the bit and hardware on each side often pokes inward at molars (This is a highly underrated issue with them. Ask any equine dentist how often they see ulcers and lacerations inside the cheek along the area where a noseband would be fit).

Flash

This is more of an attachment than a noseband itself, although some manufacturers make these "built in" to the

noseband design - a common one is Miklem. This is a secondary noseband that is attached to a crank or plain

cavesson, it encircles the lower jaw in front of the bit, seating itself in the curb groove.

Pros:

Unless fit too tight it should not restrict breathing.

It can help stabilize a bit (see Myth Busting section below).

Often removable.

Cons:

This is an additional pressure point and means of restriction of the jaw.

If fitted tighter than the primary noseband it will pull this noseband further down the nose, creating a pressure point at the fragile point of the nasal bone (the "danger zone").

Can cause rubs and pinching along the lips.

Cannot be used with a leverage bit as it takes up the space in the curb groove.

Drop

A cavesson that is intended to be fit low on the nose, below the level of the bit. This comes in waves of popularity in different parts of the world, particularly in dressage. These have hardware on each side with little spikes sewn into the

leather to help keep its position on the nose.

Pros:

No inward pressure at the molars. It can help stabilize a bit (see Myth Busting section below).

Cons:

Restricts breathing.

High risk for nerve damage, cartilage damage, bony changes, and even nasal bone fracture in extreme cases.

Increased poll pressure.

Can cause rubs and pinching along the lips.

Cannot be used with a leverage bit as it takes up the space in the curb groove.

If fitted loose enough to be considered humane, it will drop even lower on the nose which increases risk, but if fitted snugly the other "cons" listed here are exacerbated. This one is a lose-lose.

Figure 8

Also called a grackle noseband. As its name implies, it is in the form of a figure of eight around the face. It begins with a jowl strap beneath the jaw (top portion of the "8") meeting at the top of the nose, and ends similar to a flash

noseband encircling the lower jaw in front of the bit (lower portion of the "8"). The original grackle noseband design has a leather piece beneath the jaw that connects the "top" and "bottom" of the figure 8, which is intended to prevent jaw crossing.

Pros:

No inward pressure at molars.

Can help restrict jaw crossing if fitted as a traditional grackle (but this is a symptom of a greater problem and does not address the root cause).

Should not restrict breathing if fitted properly.

It can help stabilize a bit (see Myth Busting section below).

Cons:

Modern designs are very difficult to fit properly.

May cause rubs/irritation along the facial crest.

The jowl strap + flash adds an additional pressure point and means of restriction of the lower jaw.

Can cause rubs and pinching along lips.

Cannot be used with a leverage bit as it takes up the space in the curb groove.

This figure 8 noseband is positioned higher up on the nose which is correct, but due to the design and fit, this means hardware (O-ring) is pressing on the horse's facial crest.

Myth Busting!

A flash noseband supports the bit.

Yes and no... it can help stabilize a bit by restricting movement further down the tongue and can help prevent the bit from being pulled through the mouth, but only by means of it being fit snugly and physically in contact with the bit. And this comes with a slew of other issues (see above) by doing so. It can also interfere or alter the bit's mechanics. If you need additional stability, go with a fixed cheek bit and possibly different mouthpiece construction.

The noseband is essential to the stability/security of the bridle.

No, your bridle will NOT fall off if you take the noseband off. Depending on the way the noseband attaches to the bridle, it could help the crown piece from being pulled forward in an emergency, but truly that is the job of the throatlatch and browband. There are plenty of instances where a bridle with a tight noseband has come off mid-ride. On the flip side, look at all of the western riders with no noseband (and sometimes no throatlatch or browband!), they wouldn't keep using those headstalls if they fell off frequently.

You cannot achieve an ideal connection without a noseband and/or flash.

Untrue. I have had clients argue this to me and it falls on deaf ears. I have a personal friend and dressage trainer who rides at the Grand Prix level and can do every movement with no noseband whatsoever, on multiple horses, and in nothing but a snaffle (cheers to you, Molly Paris!). The noseband, if anything, will restrict the horse's ability to achieve a proper connection and can limit their movement (see studies on equine biomechanics related to noseband tightness: Tight nosebands apply high pressures on the horses' face and alter stride kinematics - PubMed)