“When fitting the noseband, you have to look at each horse as an individual, and each noseband as an individual piece of equipment for that horse. It’s so important to ask: Are there any undue pressure points? Does the bridle as a whole fit the horse properly? Does the noseband support the goal of creating more bridle stability in context of the work I am asking the horse to do?” Dr. Sue Dyson
From understanding the role of various styles of nosebands to navigating the complexities of fit and potential health impacts, we discuss variability in horses’ head shapes, design differences across manufacturers, and how to assess proper fit. Plus, we explore the existing evidence on nosebands’ contribution to pain and nerve damage, and what aspects still need to be studied to inform both our daily equipment decisions and competition rule changes.
If you’ve ever been confused or curious about noseband use, this is your chance to get the facts straight!
The Train With Trust Project (TwTP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to making equine behavior education accessible while promoting the use of evidence-based training.
