Renate - Friday 1 July 2021

The Cavesson

The cavesson is a bridle with movable rings on the noseband and can be used bitless or with a bit. Usually, the cavesson is from leather, biothane, rope, or nylon. The noseband is with or without a metal core. The number of movable rings on the noseband differs from three or five.

The cavesson without an iron core in the noseband is also called the Vienna cavesson. The cavesson with an iron core is called the Academic cavesson.

When do you use a cavesson?

The cavesson is a multifunctional bridle and used for various training purposes:

Groundwork; on a single line.
Longeing; with a single or double longe line, with or without side reins.
Work in hand, where you walk next to the horse and train the horse without rider weight in all gaits and dressage exercises.
Work on the long reins, where you walk behind the horse and train the horse in all dressage exercises without the rider's weight.
Riding; with saddle or bareback pad, with or without a bit

When do you use the rings on the noseband of the cavesson?

The cavesson has three movable rings on the noseband. The Oslo type of the Marjoman brand has five rings on the noseband.

Ecuyer Oslo

- The middle ring; attachment of the single line during groundwork or longeing.

- The outer two rings; for double longe line, side reins, rein, or long reins during longeing, work in hand, long reining, and riding.

- The extra two rings (Oslo model); have the same use as for the outer two rings, but for a Side Pull effect.

With or without metal in the noseband?

The noseband with metal usually has a flexible iron chain wrapped in soft leather and is less wide than the cavesson without an iron chain. The noseband with an iron chain shapes around the nose of the horse. The noseband from leather shapes around the horse's nose through use and will not fit closely around the horse's nose initially.

In the Academic Art of Riding and Straightness Training, the cavesson with an iron chain in the noseband is used. The Ecuyer from the Deuber & Partner brand is the perfect cavesson to use for both training methods. The cavesson with an iron chain is wrapped with thick and soft leather, making it less sharp. In addition, the chain shapes around the horse's nose and works more clearly than the cavesson without metal.

In the higher quality leather cavesson without metal, the noseband is of double-stitched leather. As a result, the sensitive horse nose is well protected from the rings on the noseband. The horse does not feel the rings under need the noseband. The cavesson with a leather noseband is the perfect alternative for sensitive horses.

How to determine whether the cavesson fits well?

1. Anatomical headpiece or straight behind the ears?

Several cavessons have an anatomical headpiece, the part behind the ears, and are a blessing for sensitive horses. If your horse responds to the light pressure of the stable halter by asking the head downwards, your horse may benefit from an anatomically shaped headpiece. However, if you have to put a lot of pressure or if your horse is a bit against the pressure, a straight headpiece is a better choice for your horse. Make sure that the anatomic headpiece fits well and that the ears have enough freedom to move.

2. What is the right position of the noseband?

The cavesson's noseband should be 2-3 fingers below the horse's cheekbone. The noseband should not be too low on the soft part of the horse's nose and block the airways. On the other hand, the noseband is fastened with enough space for two fingers between the horse's nose and the noseband. Every horse is unique. Therefore try different heights and tightness with your horse to find the best position for your horse.

3. How tight should be the jaw strap of the cavesson?

The jaw strap should be connected and prevents the cheek pieces from sliding into the horse's eyes. The jaw strap should not be too tight but should give enough space for the lower jaw to chew. In addition, the jaw strap provides stability to the noseband. A cavesson with a throatlash slides more than a cavesson with a jaw strap.

How to use the cavesson with a bit?

The cavesson with a leather noseband is provided with rings at the cheek pieces, where bit straps can be attached. A snaffle or curb bit can be fastened at the bit straps to use the cavesson with double reins or only a bit. The cavesson with metal in the noseband uses a bit hanger or a headpiece to integrate a bit.

Which cavesson is most suitable for my horse?

Determining which cavesson is suitable for your horse depends on several uses and preferences. If you follow a training, your trainer or instructor can advise you to use a certain cavesson during lessons and training.

A thick padded noseband or headpiece looks nice and soft but can sometimes be unclear by improper fit. A cavesson must fit for the best communication with your horse. A thick, soft padded, and anatomically shaped cavesson looks really soft and comfortable for your horse. But with a lack of fit, the communication can be disturbed. The horse needs to respond quickly to the aids you give, and it is not horse-friendly when you need to give several aids to get the response.

If you are going to use the cavesson daily, we recommend a leather cavesson. Thie reason is that a leather cavesson has a better fit, more extended durability, requires little maintenance, and does not slide when the horse starts to sweat under the cavesson.

A nylon cavesson may be suitable with less frequent use of the cavesson (<1 per week). An advantage of the nylon cavesson is that they are available in nice colors. The disadvantage of a nylon cavesson is that they usually slide more than a leather cavesson.

Four tips to check the cavesson for proper fit.

1. When the cavesson has a browband, make sure it is long enough. When the browband is too short, it will place the cheekpieces forwards towards the eyes. Also, the cheekpieces will run over the sensitive cheekbone. Use the cavesson without a browband to see if the fit is better.

2. When the noseband is too short, the cheekpieces will run over the sensitive cheekbone and close to the eyes. You need a bridle size bigger.

3. Prevent the jaw strap from sliding down by a rubber band around the cheekpiece just under the jaw strap.

4. Prevent sliding by fastening the chinstrap with room for one to two fingers. When the cavesson is loose, the cavesson will slide over the nose and will irritate the horse, and the communication will be unclear.