Bridle Fitting Insights: Why choose a Cavesson Noseband

Choosing the right equipment for your horse can be a lengthy and complex process. To help you make an informed decision, we've created this guide to explain the cavesson noseband and its common uses.

Please note that this is a general overview, and not all options will suit every horse. Any changes in tack should be made gradually, one at a time, so you can assess whether your horse is comfortable and happy with the new piece of equipment. 

 A cavesson noseband is a is a straight noseband that when fastened correctly has no action on the horses mouth or jaw. They come in various widths of leather and usually have two types of closures.

A cavesson noseband should be fitted at a height to allow 1-2 fingers clearance below the facial crest (cheekbone) and be high enough to not interfere with the horses bit. the font of a cavesson noseband should be long enough to allow the cheek straps to sit behind the facial crest (cheekbone) and have no forward pulling action. You can check the tightness of a cavesson over the nasal bone of the horse, you should be able to fit two fingers freely under the noseband.

Cavessons generally have two types of closures.

Cavesson buckle: a standard closure buckle they should always have leather or padding underneath the buckle for the horses comfort.

Crank buckle: this uses a strap of leather to close the back of the noseband. it creates and even pull on both sides of the noseband. This can give additional support to the back of the horses jaw.

Cavessons can come in different variations. Flat leather usually called a hunter noseband. a raised noseband a decorative element which can have some padding and decorative stitching, fully padded which gives additional comfort and anatomically shaped which are designed to avoid sensitive areas or relive pressure

Cavessons are used widely they are gentle and none obstructive so are a good choice for introducing young horses to a bridle. They are also used for established horses that are not strong and settled in the contact in their schooling. They are also the only nosebands acceptable to use with a double bridle.