The Kineton Noseband

A kineton/puller noseband.

There''''s an odd looking noseband called the Kineton noseband, or the puller noseband, that is not very common in the dressage world. It originated in the racing cirquit, for use on pulling horses or horses that would go out of control at higher speeds. If you read older english books about tack and this one surfaces, it will invariably be called "sharp" and "harsh". Why, it doesn''''t say.

I think they have actually only "figured out" that it is harsh without even trying it. The logic is this: Since it stops hot pulling horses from running away with their riders it must be incredibly harsh and sharp, because it can accomplish what a thin, twisted scissor pelham cannot. It must be incredibly sharp.

It is not, of course. Somehow, some very eloquent writers of books seem to be of the "car mechanic" mentality, that if the brakes don''''t brake enough to keep you on the road, we need to put more power into the braking system, not more finesse into the steering. This is not how it is with pulling or rushing horses, especially I would say, thoroughbreds! They pull because of fear, pain, excitement or sheer drive to win (they do have that, you know). I mention fear and pain first, because those are the exclusively most common reasons horses pull in general. Now what can hurt, and what is it they are afraid of? Spurs and whip? Mostly not. It''''s the bit that hurts and scares them.

The kineton noseband is an efficient way to stop the bit from hurting the mouth if the horse trips or jerks his head or seeks too heavy support or whatever. Because it moves the pressure away from the bars and onto the nose. It has a restraining function on the nose of the horse, like a hackamore without leverage. The regular, especially the drop noseband, has the same effect on the head of the horse, only, it applies its pressure via the lower jaw (which is pulled back and pulls the cavesson back which pulls on the nose). Only, the metal bit puts pressure on the bars, which can hurt. And if you pull alot on the reins, it can hurt alot. Pain. Rushing and pulling. Vicious circle.

The kineton can be adjusted so that most of the traction from the reins be taken up by the noseband, or less, or hardly anything. It can also be adjusted so that it is so short that it pulls the butts of the snaffle forward towards the nose, and thus inverts the V or U shape of the snaffle in the mouth. This is NOT how to use it.

Used in a correct way, it can help hot, rushing, sensitive horses from fearing the bit, and it can also help horses who open their mouths against a conventional noseband, because they feel them around their heads. Here, there''''s no chin strap, and nothing to open against. I''''ve used this noseband successfully on many hot/unstable horses, and earned their trust and calm.

Does One Need a Noseband?

The truth is, no, you ideally shouldn''''t. The schooled horse will need no such thing as a support from a noseband, since the contact should be very light. The dressage horse runs a very slight risk of falling on his nose in the manege. If he does, I think you need to attend to basic balance, not to shutting the mouth.

There are some horses, however, that are tougher and more resistant than others. These individuals might much rather open their mouths and cross their jaws than comply with the rider''''s demands. On these horses one really needs a noseband, or training won''''t progress, because the horse will take the easiest way out.

It is very common for riders to strap the noseband snugly or tightly, like you do your shoe laces. But the shoe laces are supposed to keep your shoes snugly on the feet. The noseband is not supposed to keep the teeth snugly clenched in the horse! It is supposed to restrict the excessive opening of the mouth. When the horse is standing still and not working, you are supposed to be able to rattle the noseband because it is un-engaged. It is supposed to be loose.

With a loosely fitted noseband the horse can open the jaws some and even open the mouth some. This is very embarrasing for a lot of riders. But if you have the noseband snugly adjusted, the horse is still trying to open the mouth, which is just as bad, only not visible. The noseband is there so that the horse will not travel with his jaw wide open, get his jaw sub-luxed, injure his jaw muscles, break his jaw if he falls to the ground head first, etc. It is not there to "save face" for the rider! (Excuse the pun.)

On the other hand, in modern competitive dressage, where horses are trained into holding their heads in behind the vertical, it is impossible for the horse to relax the jaw and still hold the mouth shut, because of gravity and the nuchal ligament''''s pull on the rest of the skull in the opposite direction. So in training the noseband becomes necessary, at least if one chooses to employ certain overbent methods. And in competition the horse should at least be up at the vertical or slightly in front of the vertical.

Also, in competition, we have the rules of the FEI, and they dictate that the horse be fitted with a noseband. So nothing in today''''s rules suggests anything contrary to it being OK to strap the head shut and do your thing. I wish one competition at the higher levels to be done without nosebands, only for once. I''''d love to see some of the top horses and riders doing what they normally do in a crank, with a bare face. Some icons would pale, that''''s for sure.