Noseband Tightness in Competition Evaluated

While the “two-finger” recommendation for noseband tightness might be widely understood, recent study results suggest that its application is not. Researchers found that only 7% of horses in competitions had nosebands tightened to within this recommended limit. The rest, they said, were too tight.

“We really need regulations in place as well as better education of coaches to protect horses from the effects of tight nosebands,” said Orla Doherty, MVB, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, of the University of Limerick, in Ireland. Doherty, whose research was supported by the Royal