- Anna Guzik-Kornacka
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There are many types of cavessons on the market and it is difficult to choose the one that will work well in academic or other gymnastic groundwork and work from the saddle. I decided to briefly summarize the most popular types of cavessons and draw your attention to their key features. Let me just remind you that most cavessons have three rings on the noseband: the middle ring is for groundwork and longing, and the two outer ones are for attaching the reins when working from the saddle or in hand, and you should not attach auxiliary reins or other longing "aids" to them.
Definitely the cheapest are nylon webbing cavessons, resembling a halter with additional rings on the noseband. As you can probably guess, these types of cavessons are not stable and move sideways, which is why many people fasten their noseband much too tightly, preventing the horse from chewing and thus fully relaxing. Moreover, by using such a cavesson, we will not be able to provide the horse with precise hand aids. Cavesson of this type can possibly be used for longing, but also here it will be difficult to convey the aids precisely, although it is better than longing on a bridle with a bit ;).
Quite popular are also heavy German-style cavessons with three or four metal links connected via hinges. Due to their weight, this type of cavessons can exert excessive pressure on the poll area, so care should be taken that the poll strap is not too narrow for the pressure to be evenly distributed over a larger area. The metal links do not conform sufficiently to the shape of the nose to allow precise communication. Such cavessons are usually not used in academic groundwork.
There are also Spanish-style cavessons with a noseband containing a rigid U-shaped metal plate, usually attached to the sides of the noseband with hinges. It should be remembered that such cavessons should be individually adapted to the shape of each horse's nose. You should also check if the hinges are not exerting pressure on the horse's jaw. Another type of Spanish cavesson is seretta, in which the rigid metal plate is additionally serrated (has metal teeth on the nose side) to act more sharply on the horse's nose. Obviously, this type of cavessons can be harmful for horses and I don't recommend them.
One of the most popular types of cavessons used for academic groundwork and work from the saddle are the French-style cavessons with a bicycle chain in the noseband (also called caveçon or cavecon). Cavessons of this type have the advantage that they adjust well to the shape of the nose and allow for precise delivery of aids. When working from the ground, we can steadily hold the noseband and precisely give hand aid, which is shown in the photo below.
When choosing a cavesson with a chain, pay attention to, among others, the overall quality of the workmanship and the quality of the leather, whether the noseband bends evenly along its entire length, or, for example, at the point where the rings are attached, is less flexible (this unfortunately happens in some models). In addition, it happens that the attachment of the rings is felt from the noseside, which can create pressure points on the horse's nose and cause discomfort. If the chain is covered only with leather, then it may wear over time, which will make the chain more noticeable, and such cavesson will be poorly tolerated by more sensitive horses. The photo below shows the noseband of two cavessons with a chain (on the left by Marjoman, on the right of another popular brand). In the cavesson on the right, where the chain is covered only with leather, you can clearly see and also feel the links of the chain.
You should also pay attention to the method by which the cheek straps are fassened. These straps should be relatively stable, and not just loosely threaded thought the mounting rings, which makes their position and position of the noseband less stable. For the above reasons, the Marjoman cavessons offered by our store, in addition to excellent workmanship, have a soft noseband, padded with a latex foam and covered with oiled leather. The cheek straps in these cavessons are not loosely threaded thought the metal noseband mounting rings, but are additionally threaded through the round leather insert, which further protects the horse's jaw from contact with the metal noseband mounting rings and stabilizes the cheek straps.
For academic work many people also choose all-leather cavessons without any metal reinforcement in the noseband. In the case of such cavessons, the best ones are those whose noseband is quite wide and made of many layers of leather, thanks to which it fits firmly on the horse's nose. Leather cavessons with a noseband resembling an English noseband, i.e., made of rather narrow and soft leather, will not lay stably on the nose and will usually move to the sides, which provokes users to fasten them too tightly. A highly recommended leather cavesson is the Cavesal designed by the Belgian Academic Art of Riding trainer Jossy Reynvoet.
Finally, I will only mention briefly about the semi-cavessons. The semi-cavesson look like noseband of a bridle with two or three rings attached. Semi-cavessons are used with a bridle, usually in combination with a curb bit for working from the saddle or in hand. Semi-cavessons can be reinforced with a metal plate, chain or made entirely of leather. As in the case of cavessons, you should pay attention to whether the semi-cavesson lies stable on the horse's nose and does not move sideways. In the future, the store's offer will also be expanded with tested, top-quality semi-cavessons and bridles.
I hope you find the cavesson summary useful and it will help you choose the best cavesson for you and your horse. If you liked this post, I encourage you to comment below or on the store's facebook page.
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