So, with the FEI officially coming out with their new noseband regulations and measuring tool (just saw the COTH article), I think it’s time for USEF to step up to the same level. I feel like abusive practices (like overtightened nosebands) and illegal practices (also regarding nosebands but other things too) run FAR too rampant in our industry, and I feel like anything would help atp. I haven’t really heard criticism of the FEI’s policy, and genuinely don’t see any reasoning for it to NOT be implemented. I wrote this up because I want to see other people’s opinions on the matter. If you think it’s not a good regulation and shouldn’t be implemented, please explain why, I am genuinely curious. I hope that the FEI doing this will serve as a “wake-up call” to this industry, because we certainly need one, especially when it comes to our competitions and “professionals”.
I see no reason to not implement this in USEF competitions. However, I’d like to know how it would play out at a show: Who checks each horse at the back gate? Is that the back ring ‘guy or gal’? Hired for that purpose? An official from USEF? Will there be an educational campaign and what does that look like- a “SafeSport” for horses humane treatment class we all have to take and pass a test to compete?
I just am thinking of the how rather than the why.
A policy and the implementation of a policy are two different things.
As we know, rules like this are not put into place because of the rule following types, it is so they (general) have a way of saying no to those who are not doing it the way they want it done.
Who is doing the testing and when? After the horse is done competing or before they go into the ring? How long before they go into the ring? Do they check before and after?
It has to be close enough to the time they compete so that no one can adjust the nose band before they go into the ring, but not so close people can claim it caused an issue for their horse
There are two other threads about this subject. One on the Eventing forum https://forum.chronofhorse.com/t/fei-standardizes-noseband-tightness/800910and and one on the Dressage forum FEI Standardizes Noseband Tightness
At eventing and dressage shows, there are various TDs/volunteers/stewards who have been checking tack already. It’s very doable. I’ve done tack checks at USEF dressage shows multiple times in the past few years, and it’s really pretty simple- for some subset of the class, whoever is doing that check grabs them right as they come out of the ring. No one is allowed to touch the horse first. Rider can stay on or dismount. Takes a minute max. USEF isn’t requiring these noseband checks, but we are already doing at least a visual check on noseband tightness- it would not be hard to add in a check with something like the FEI tool.
I wish they would check the martingale, too. I’ve seen horses where it looks like a bowline between the cavesson and the girth.
