Or double sided tape?
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When you tighten the noseband beyond the two finger rule, and perform ridden work like dressage, the pressure of the noseband can abrade skin - which is very thin there. Over time it can even result in bony changes or white hairs. Those rubs and sores wouldn’t appear if the noseband was humanely fastened at 2 fingers or more between nasal bone and noseband.
From:
https://thehorse.com/195432/study-nosebands-can-cause-nasal-bone-damage-in-horses/
A study was just released that confirms what many riders have been saying for a long time:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080625003120?via%3Dihub
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That was my assumption, but I’m seeing the big pads like this all over the place.
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I hate to say it, but they’re common here too. The tight noseband mindset is everywhere. I keep mine at exactly two fingers from nasal bone to noseband - which means you see daylight on the sides. I have clinicians & instructors try to tighten it, and at shows have well-meaning bit testers & checkers say “wow that’s loose!”. I understand the reasoning behind it, but I don’t agree with it. It makes me sad to handle horses that have scarring and bumps on their nose.
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I have small horses so even with a cob noseband I’m on the last hole with extra room. Even on the horse I use a crank on. I couldn’t get it tight even if I wanted to!
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I’ve seen a lot of people buy them in different colors as fashion statements too, there are a few influencers sponsored by one of the companies that make them.
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My horse has had that shape to his nose since he was born and has never worn a tight noseband so some horses just have that shape - I would hate for people to make assumptions about me.
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Same, he’s had it since before he was started. For some it is confirmation.
All my horses are ridden with nose bands so I can get two fingers vertically between it and their nose, except for the finesse noseband. I have adjusted it looser after my trainer adjusted it too tight for my liking. Of note, the finesse noseband on my double has to be a little tighter than my Tota nosebands, I think because it actually stabilizes the bridle. My gelding seems okay with that. My Tota nosebands show gaps on the sides, which appears to be by design.
I’ve wandered about those pads actually adding to the pressure - are they supposed to distribute it? Or just prevent pressure spots from showing on the face? I saw a bay FEI mare who had a white band on her face in the shape of one of those pads. Gave me pause.
It’s not an assumption. The photo is part of the study I linked and the horse is one of the study participants. Some horses do have raised noses, sure. What we’re talking about specifically here is horses with scars and bony changes over their noses from noseband pressure and/or abusive handling.
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I am right there with you. I do not like a tight nose band and I have owned this horse for a good portion of its life.
And right now that very same horse has been wearing a grazing muzzle for 14 hours a day and no matter what I do, that rubs a bald spot (vet says, and I agree, that a sore on their nose is not life threatening, being too fat is life threatening).
I am clearly a very evil owner (bump and no hair and slight irritation).
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