Why the FEI noseband protocol still allows tight nosebands
The FEI noseband protocol is in the Stewards handbook for dressage and it states:
“It is the Chief Steward’s responsibility to ensure that the tightness of horses’ nosebands is checked at each FEI Dressage event.
The noseband check is part of the tack control when the horse is leaving the competition arena after having finished the test. One and the same steward must conduct the noseband check for all horses entered in the same competition. The tightness check must be done with the steward’s index finger between the horse’s cheek and the noseband.
The steward must wear gloves during this check. Ideally the finger size of stewards appointed for the noseband check at different competitions throughout the event shall be of similar size” (FEI, 2019).
There has been many published studies reporting the area of peak pressure under the nosebands. Forces of up to 9.7kg under the noseband, when tightened to 0.5 fingers, checked at the front of the noseband (Doherty et al., 2017). The peak pressures are found at the front of the horses skull (nasal bone), around the teeth and at the back of the mandible. Due to the horses skull shape, it tends to be concaved in the area where the FEI protocol says to check for tightness. You can see from the image below the area of no red coloring is where the protocol says to check.
No two people have the same hand or finger size, so it is advised to use a universal tool so all horses are tested to the same measurement, but this has not been implemented yet.
Front vs. side noseband checking
To illustrate the difference in checking points, I placed a ISES noseband taper under my horses noseband, at the front, to get the 2 finger tightness; her noseband was on buckle hole number 3. Then I placed the taper under the noseband by the cheek of the horse, and there was more than a 2 finger spacing.
Buckle hole 4
Then I tightened the noseband to buckle hole number 4, there was only 1 finger spacing under the front of the noseband. Checking the side cheek area, there was still more than a 2 finger spacing.
Buckle hole 5
Finally, I tightened the noseband to buckle hole number 5, to which there was no spacing under the noseband at the front. I could still place the ISES noseband taper into the cheek area under the noseband and fit 2 fingers.
Tight nosebands will go on- for now
So it can be seen from this test that riders and grooms can still tighten the noseband to no space under it at the front, and still be compliant in FEI dressage rules. With the increase in public outcry for equine welfare, along with the recommendations the FEI’s own welfare committee has given (which includes the use of a uniform method of noseband testing and an agreed level of too tight based on scientific evidence), one can hope that change is on the horizon.
If you like my work and wish to support it, you can buy me a coffee :)
References
Doherty, O. et al. (2017) ‘An objective measure of noseband tightness and its measurement using a novel digital tightness gauge’, PLOS ONE, 12(1). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0168996.
FEI (2019), FEI Stewards Manual: Dressage, Accessed on 08/05/2024, Available at: https://inside.fei.org/sites/default/files/Dressage%20Stewards%20Manual%202019_clean_update10.11.21.pdf