Pros and cons of the dropped noseband

[thatmoody]

I am the only person I know who rides in a drop noseband in my area and I was wondering if it was the same everywhere. Why did they go out of style? I luff mine, and always start babies in it. Just put one on the 21 year old schoolmaster and, while it’s not the most flattering look for him, he immediately began to carry his bit more lightly for the 14 year old DD.

So why are these not as popular as they were way back when I was first in horses? Fashion? Are flashes better at supporting the bit? Obviously not on my horses, but perhaps in general? Maybe I like them because my trainer is European, and she influences my choices?

[Carol_O]

I love the drop too, so I cannot answer any of the questions. I think things just go into and out of style. I still see them occasionally on young horses in Germany. Isabell Werth is frequently photographed using them. I like how my horses go, and I think they are beautiful on the horse.

[pintopiaffe]

They’re a little harder to fit properly, and frankly it’s hard to FIND well fitting drops anymore.

I prefer a drop for most. Horses with very short lips sometimes do better in a flash. A claustrophobic horse can prefer a figure 8.

I start young horses in a drop, figure 8 or flash, very loosely… just tight enough that they never figure out how to cross their jaws. (this is post-side-pull/carrying bit stage, when we’re starting real work) I tend to ride adults in a plain french though. If they’re opening their mouth, I probably need to fix ME. BUT–I use more stable bits as a rule. I always learned a loosering preferred some sort of drop/flash to stabilize.

I’ve always felt–perhaps erroneously–that a drop was closer to the feeling of a bradoon with curb strap.

Aesthetically, some horses just look awful in one, or just can’t be fit in one. For them I will succumb to flash. But it’s hard to find inexpensive flashes that stay up where they belong, without being 3" wide… I can’t STAND droopy flashes–put a figure 8 on if you like that look

[goeslikestink]

[QUOTE=thatmoody;3895289]
I am the only person I know who rides in a drop noseband in my area and I was wondering if it was the same everywhere. Why did they go out of style? I luff mine, and always start babies in it. Just put one on the 21 year old schoolmaster and, while it’s not the most flattering look for him, he immediately began to carry his bit more lightly for the 14 year old DD.

So why are these not as popular as they were way back when I was first in horses? Fashion? Are flashes better at supporting the bit? Obviously not on my horses, but perhaps in general? Maybe I like them because my trainer is European, and she influences my choices?[/QUOTE]

drop nosebands are considered one of the most servere out off all the nosebands as works on the bridge of the nose and not considered ideal for trianing youngsters
so might be thats the reasons that they arnt as popular as some other types of nose band

[system]

I personally think they look awkward on horses…that’s why I don’t like them.

Plus, I just hate to think how the horse feels with his mouth strapped shut - especially if it’s for the mere purpose of fashion. Of course, that’s not a stab at you for your opinion, it’s just how I feel. I’m the sort of person that’s always thinking of how the horse feels.

[BaroquePony]

I really like the drop noseband. It can be hard to find good ones that fit properly, but I have one favorite that is adjustable. It has three holes on each side of the nosepeice so it can be fitted to each individual horse. I wish had more of this type. I can’t find them anymore. But I have collection of various ones.

What I like about them is that when slightly snug (not tight), the action of the bit is partially transferred to the nose so that the rider is basically riding the horse up into the nose of the horse. There is a lot of control there … it is the horse’s balancing mechanism. It does not take much pressure to move the entire head of the horse when you are controlling the narrowing part of the horse’s nose. I use my hands when I am on the ground to stop a horse or turn his head if I don’t have a halter. It is a good leverage area for controlling the head.

I never got the impression that a drop noseband causes any pain, just that it controls the nose far down on the head, giving a rider good leverage in flexing or bending with very little pressure.

[Janet]

Pros

1- I think a dropped noseband, properly adjusted, is MUCH more elegant than a flash or a figure 8. (I think flashes look particularly awful)

2- With a dropped nosband, you can adjust the POSITION independant of the TIGHTNESS. You can have it sitting quite high while still being quite loose. WIth a flash and a figure 8, if you loosen it, it droops lower.

Cons

1- If it is adjusted too low, it is more likely to interfere with breathing.

2 - Many of the ones sold don’t fi a horse with a narrow nose, the bose part is too long. You either need a short one, and adjsutable one, or you need to have it shortened.

[thatmoody]

Yes, I suppose they could be more severe - I used to start my Western horses in a bosal fitted in roughly the same spot as the drop, so I suppose that fits with my early training.

I’ve not been in the English world for that long, so I’m always interested in different equipment opinions, so thanks for the input.

I will be the first to admit that they make some horses look butt-ugly, btw. :winkgrin:

[cleozowner]

I’m not the biggest fan of how it looks on my horse, but she is a “sensitive mare” who really prefers a stable bit, so right now we’re in a baucher and a drop–I don’t think I can make it any more stable! Properly fitted (so it’s not too low or too tight) she has room to relax her jaw, and I don’t think it’s any more severe than a flash would be.
I have one of the adjustable ones for her: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=36453961&l=bb04a&id=12713088 (my stirrups are even, she’s just got a hind leg cocked). There’s no way some of the non-adjustable ones would fit her because her head is on the small side–almost cob sized.

Bobby’s makes an adjustable drop: http://www.eqtack.com/catalog/product_info.php?pName=202b-adjustable-drop-noseband&cName=dressage-tack-nosebands

[slc2]

I don’t know what anyone means by ‘it’s hard to find proper fitting dropped nosebands today’. Good fitting ones are available.

A dropped noseband is more severe because it sits perpendicular to the line of the face. A flash sits at an angle to the face, so is always less severe.

Drop nosebands are usually recommended for horses that pull and ‘bull’ through the aids. It may be just what is needed. Or it may not be.

We on the bulletin board seem to react to ‘it’s more severe’ with moral outrage as if no piece of equipment we would ever use would or could be severe. But people need bits, cavesons and other equipment that is more or less severe to accomodate different situations.

We should always attempt to use the mildest equipment that keeps us safe and gets the job done, and we should always try to use technique vs more severe equipment, of course, but different types of bits and cavesons are definitely still needed. In fact I’d far rather change cavesons and keep with a medium bit than go to a more severe bit.

The flash does not ‘lower when it is loosened’ if it is fitted correctly.

The flash’s angle is determined by the caveson, and the caveson should be adjusted to fit fairly high on the horse’s face and kept snug. The flash can be loosened without loosening the caveson, keeping it at more of an angle to the face.

Another advantage of the flash is it makes a better bridge to riding with a plain caveson in the double bridle. Yes, I know some people here think that’s not true. But it is what I was taught and it is one more reason why flashes are used a lot.

[Ginger]

I ride with a drop or with a plain cavesson. Frankly I’ve never understood the appeal of the flash. My somewhat limited experience is that if a horse goes well in a flash, it doesn’t need it and I can go to a plain cavesson. But then I ride Ayrab crosses, so I prefer to keep things simple for their sensitive little minds.

Jerry’s Harness has wonderful quality drops if you want to go that route, and they do custom work to make it fit. And BTW, Reiner Klimke started all his babies in a drop.

[goeslikestink]

here look at helpful links and 1st page 3rd link tells you all about bits and biting and nosebands
http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=178116
and whilse you there read no 2 link on 1st page then no 1 its all about hands and bit advasion etc etc

[pintopiaffe]

I don’t know what anyone means by ‘it’s hard to find proper fitting dropped nosebands today’. Good fitting ones are available.

I tend to take issue with paying more for the noseband than I did for the entire bridle. Or, horse for that matter. :lol:

A decade or two ago, Dover and Libertyville had two or three pages of different nosebands. These days, one column… It IS quite difficult to find the right size/shape nosepiece in newmarket or london or chestnut… Easier to find some in black, but not the shapes/sizes I prefer. Not all horses have moose noses.

I think any kind of noseband can be useful at certain stages of learning. Certainly I’d rather try a drop or flash than go to harsher bits or other gadgets, but then I’d like to go back to a french cavesson if I can… But I’m not competing regularly, I don’t have hard and fast deadlines or agendas. I have time. And I’m probably not a good enough rider to push a horse hard enough to set up huge resistances. We just haven’t made it that far. I think sometimes that uberpferdes brought along quickly for FEI Young Horse and such, probably don’t have the time I do. Current horse WILL do at least PSG before he retires (5-8 more years.) Next horse after him, the goal is GP. She’s 2 this year.

[merrygoround]

Drops as has been stated before can be hard to fit because many of them are too wide across the nose peice, and many do not have the proper type hardware at the end of the cheekpieces, allowing for thm to be set higher.

I find the same situation with longeing cavessons, which is why I’m still using my much repaired, over 40 year old, Wels cavesson. I saw one in Dover’s SRS collection that looked good, but $$$$ OUCH!

[jetandmegs4]

I’m looking for one for my TB. He wears a horse/cob size bridle depending (doesn’t have a very big head). Any suggestions on where to find one? I browsed ebay but couldn’t find any adjustable ones. I just want the noseband ideally, although if I can find a cheap bridle I’d do that.

[ponypony]

[QUOTE=jetandmegs4;3896958]
I’m looking for one for my TB. He wears a horse/cob size bridle depending (doesn’t have a very big head). Any suggestions on where to find one? I browsed ebay but couldn’t find any adjustable ones. I just want the noseband ideally, although if I can find a cheap bridle I’d do that.[/QUOTE]

PM sent

[pintopiaffe]

DE and Jerry’s are the only place I’ve seen the adjustables lately.

Libertyville used to have them, I don’t get a catalogue from them any more.

I don’t think they are all that attractive, but obviously are more useful for different size faces.

DE had a nicely affordable bridle w/ drop by Sommer for awhile. $85 or so for the whole thing. Cob size Euro brands should fit a finer TB–you might have to swap out the browband. (oh, that would be a shame, huh… :uhoh: :lol: ) I tend to find cob everything-but-the-browband fits my guys. One needs a WB size brow. Sometimes cob french cavessons have the cheekpieces too close, but not in Euro brands, only in cheapos.

[ideayoda]

Imho the three way drop ( http://www.eqtack.com/catalog/product_info.php?pName=202b-adjustable-drop-noseband&cName=hunt-tack-drop-nosebands&osCsid=57a48c6cd6e2ad45d6ac0a664cbd8c21 ) is a wonderful noseband, best for use on youngsters because it (tends to) prevent crossing of the jaw. Ideally it is combined with a fulmer (a la SRS). Generally use either plain nosebands, or a 3 way adjustable drop, depending upon the horse. Fitted correctly it should not be harsh, and allows for mobility of the jaw as well.

[anchorsaway]

http://www.dressageextensions.com/ProductDetail.asp?KEY=20341

it’s even on sale

[ideayoda]

(However, the last one is not adjustable, the other one is!)