Relationship between noseband tightness and noseband pressures in novice horses and riders: Implications for guidance to support horse welfare

Background: The rider can influence horse/bridle interaction, which can have an impact on horse comfort and welfare. Under-bridle pressures have been investigated in elite horse-rider combinations but not in less skilled combinations that account for the majority of riders. Novice riders increase inter-stride variability and ride with reduced pelvic and trunk stability, which may influence forces transmitted to the bridle.

Objectives: To explore the relationship between noseband tightness and noseband pressures in novice horses and riders.

Study design: Experimental.

Methods: Subjects were eleven horse/rider combinations that had not competed beyond Elementary level. After veterinary and bridle-fit assessments, horses were instrumented with small electronic force-mats beneath their usual cavesson or Swedish noseband: dorsally over the nasal bones and ventrally under the mandible. An ISES taper gauge inserted mid-dorsally was used to adjust noseband tightness successively at 2.0, 1.5, and 1.0 finger-equivalents. For each noseband adjustment, straight-line data were collected in walk, rising trot, and canter. Mean nasal and mandibular pressures (kPa) were quantified and analysed using a Wilcoxon signed rank test (significance level p ≤ 0.01).

Results: There were no differences between mean nasal (walk: 1.1 ± 0.7; trot: 1.8 ± 1.7; canter: 1.9 ± 1.9 kPa) and mean mandibular (walk: 1.7 ± 2.2; trot: 2.5 ± 3.2; canter: 2.5 ± 3.6 kPa) pressures at 2.0 finger-equivalents tightness. Mean pressures did not differ at any gait or site when the noseband was tightened to 1.5 finger-equivalents (all p ≥ 0.17). When noseband tightness was 1.0 finger-equivalents, mean nasal (walk: 2.2 ± 0.4; trot: 3.3 ± 1.2; canter: 3.8 ± 2.7 kPa) and mandibular (walk: 4.6 ± 2.8; trot: 6.3 ± 4.1 canter: 7.2 ± 7.1 kPa) pressures were significantly greater than for 2.0 finger-equivalents (all p < 0.001) or 1.5 finger-equivalents (all p ≤ 0.01).

Main limitations: Bridles were not identical.

Conclusions: Nasal and mandibular pressures were similar to those reported in elite horses and riders, which suggests that a similar minimum level of noseband tension is acceptable at different levels of performance. Sub-noseband pressures did not differ significantly when the noseband was adjusted from 2.0 to 1.5-finger equivalent tightness.