It applies pressure lower down the nose then a cavesson and can help horses that like to fool with the bit or try to open their mouths to evade it.
It is no substitute for proper training, proper riding ( especially hands) and bit selection but sometimes it’s an appropriate choice for an experienced horse that wants to get strong. Seen in the Jumpers, considered unconventional in Hunters where it advertises a potential issue to observers in a division stressing manners.
1 Like
It also stabilizes the bit (and lower jaw) without pulling the cheeks into the molars like a cavesson noseband can. Some horses seem to be more willing to relax their jaw when they feel it is supported, and aren’t worried about biting their cheeks.
2 Likes
A drop, flash, or figure 8 cavesson, is used w/ a full cheek (usually a snaffle of some sort) although a ring,eggbutt, or racing D, is acceptable. The reason is because the cheek pieces might get caught in the ordinary, or plain noseband type cavesson. Kimberwicks,pelhams,& other curb type bits, are not generally used w/ a drop, but maybe used w/ a flash, or figure 8. Full cheek bits should not be used on plain noseband type cavessons, w/o the flash converter.
Keeps a horse from crossing its jaw and steadies the bit in the mouth. I used to always start horses in a loosely fitted drop noseband when starting them. Some horses are more sensitive to pressure higher up the nose. Can make them fill claustrophobic almost vs using a loose dropped cavesson.
Full cheek bits are almost always used with bit keepers and thus are perfectly safe to use with plain noseband cavessons.
Eurodressage did a multi-piece series on nosebands that I remember seeing not that long ago on the internet. IIRC, people had two reasons for using drop nosebands. One, as findeight said, was to help keep the horse’s mouth closed and prevent evasions. The other was, as CHT said, to help stabilize the bit.
Also, IIRC, the number one reason given for choosing a flash over a drop was that drop nosebands are ugly and outdated. :lol:
1 Like
As said in some posts above, the drop stabilizes the bit in the mouth. A flash does this as well. The big difference between the two, is that a flash encourages a heavier contact from the horse, whilst a drop encourages a lighter contact, because of where the pressure points sit.
No noseband was ever created with the intention of “keeping the mouth closed”, as no noseband does that if correctly fitted.
2 Likes
There’s a difference between tying a horses mouth closed and restricting its ability to evade the bit. Perhaps restricting ability to evade is a better way to describe the flash and dropped nose bands. If it actually forced the mouth to stay closed, it would also restrict the expansion of the nostrils so would swap bit evasion for panic when unable to breath with exertion.
Text on the Internet with the need to choose just the right words to make things clear makes things hard to explain sometimes.
2 Likes
OK, so some of us weren’t precise enough in our language to suit you. How about something like “help keep the mouth from gaping open in an effort to evade the bit?”
Many of us tend to be brief in an effort to avoid typing lengthy posts and assume that certain basic information, like the noseband should be properly fitted, goes without saying. I can’t imagine that anyone read my comment, “help keep the horse’s mouth closed and prevent evasions,” and interpreted that to mean that one uses a drop noseband in order to try and strap the horse’s mouth completely closed.
Oops touched a nerve.
Was actually more referring to the uninformed riders who spout disgust for anyone who uses anything more than a cavesson because, according to them, other nosebands “strap the mouth shut”. Or the other popular “if you need a grackle/drop/flash, then you need to train your horse/yourself better”.
Again, I’ll repeat, no noseband was ever created with the intention of keeping a horse’s mouth shut.
1 Like
