Is your pony’s noseband tighter than it should be?

Text: Christie Wolhuter

We are taught to make sure that our ponies’ girths aren’t too tight, that their throat lash is not restricting them, that their bit is not too high up in the mouth, but did you know that your pony’s noseband can also be too tight?

When we ride horses, it is our responsibility to ensure we are not causing them any harm or pain, as they cannot speak and tell us if something is wrong. So how do you know if your pony is comfortable in his noseband? The answer? Measure it!

Measuring noseband fit

The rule for noseband fit is that two fingers should fit between the front of the nose and the noseband on the horse’s face. Only then is the noseband loose enough to be comfortable for your horse or pony.

The correct place to measure the ‘two-finger’ rule is under the top surface of your pony’s nose, not behind where the noseband attaches.

As a reader of HQ Pony Mag, we will assume you have tiny fingers, so we would suggest that you slide your fingers right up to your knuckles to measure the two fingers under the noseband. You need to remember, as well, that the two fingers need to be on top of each other i.e. one finger rests on the nose, and the other touches the noseband. You should also be able to fit two fingers under the noseband if you are using a flash noseband.

Did you know?

The International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) has developed a very clever device to help you with the measurement. We have attached a picture to show you how much space you should see with a correctly fitting noseband.

Our ponies have sensitive structures on the surface of their noses, and we must make sure that the nosebands are not causing damage and pain.

Top tip

Make sure you choose a noseband that has lots of nice padding under the leather that covers the nose and the leather that goes around the chin at the back.

Don’t use your noseband to make up for bad riding

The purpose of the noseband is to make our bridle look nice and pretty, not to close our pony’s mouth to make sure it doesn’t open. For many ponies, opening their mouths is a sign that the bit is causing them pain due to a rider having ‘hard’ hands or the bit being the wrong fit. In these cases, opening their mouths is the only way that they can get away from that pain. Strapping your pony’s mouth shut with his noseband is, therefore, just silencing his cries for help!

Instead, you need to make sure that you have soft hands that give your pony instructions so that he can respond without discomfort. He will then not open his mouth, and you won’t need to tighten your noseband to ‘keep his mouth shut’. If your horse continues to open his mouth even if your hands are soft, you should then look at the fit of your bit. You will need a bit-fitter to help you with this.

A Grackle noseband is a good option if you still need to use a flash but don’t want the flash pulling the cavesson noseband downward on the face. By mistake, some people tighten up the noseband to stop the flash pulling the noseband downward. This often leads to a ‘no-finger’ gap, which is very uncomfortable for the horse.

Be extra careful with a Crank noseband. A Crank noseband has a metal loop that you pull the leather through to tighten the noseband before securing it with the buckle. This allows you to tighten the noseband more easily than a traditional or French noseband with a simple buckle. If you have one of these, you need to use more than two fingers when you fit it!

Summary

The take-home message here is that you need to make sure your noseband is not tight on your pony’s face, as this causes him pain and discomfort. If in doubt, make it looser. You’ll have a happier pony if you do!