# Flash or No Flash?



## Miss Katie (Dec 30, 2007)

Keeps the mouth shut and gives a little extra control. They are good for strong horses, horses tha manage to get tongues over the bit no matter how well the bridle is fitted, or pullers. You see them a lot on cross country courses.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*actually, you see them more in the dressage rings at events to help control the horse in there. they just help with control*


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## dressagegal (Jan 15, 2009)

It also makes it easier to get the contact from your horse. 
[Bring its head in]


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I absolutely hate flash nosebands. They keep the mouth closed... and if your horse is avoiding the bit or opening his mouth, then perhaps you should look at reasons as to WHY he's doing that, rather than just strapping his jaw shut.

Having said that, I just bought a figure-8 bridle, which does that and also prevents crossing of the jaw... however I did not buy it for those reasons. I bought it because Denny looks darn good in one... that's it. The straps are fairly loose.

My biggest pet peeve is seeing flash nosebands that are too tight. They can impair breathing ability.

The other day I actually saw a Dressage book with a horse in a double bridle and a flash done up too tight - I about had a fit!

Gah.

Rant over.


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## montezuma (Jan 16, 2009)

I feel there isnt really any need or place for a flash. Flash's can just mask a problem eg. dental or physio. Why people think strapping mouths shut helps I do not know but a well schooled horse is one that is supple and relaxed. Surely it cannot be relaxed with its mouth strapped up? 

There are many bits out there nowadays such as correction bits that have ideal mouth pieces for horses that struggle with normal ones. I would say a lot of the time it is the mouth piece itself as some of these breeds with fatter tongues really cannot cope with a lot of metal in their mouths.


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## montezuma (Jan 16, 2009)

cross posted justdressageit! 

Im from the UK and you dont really see many horses over here with both double bridles and a flash. I have a feeling it is illegal in the dressage world or just not done very often?


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

JustDressageIt said:


> They keep the mouth closed... and if your horse is avoiding the bit or opening his mouth, then perhaps you should look at reasons as to WHY he's doing that, rather than just strapping his jaw shut.


That's what I've always thought. :? 
Kinda like just covering up a problem, instead of taking extra time to fix it or perfect it.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

montezuma said:


> cross posted justdressageit!
> 
> Im from the UK and you dont really see many horses over here with both double bridles and a flash. I have a feeling it is illegal in the dressage world or just not done very often?


Actually over here in the States and Canada, it's very fashionable to have a flash... beats me as to why!! I HATE them with a passion.

(once again, I use a figure-8 on Denny... 100% for aesthetics only...  hehe)


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

JustDressageIt said:


> Actually over here in the States and Canada, it's very fashionable to have a flash... beats me as to why!! I HATE them with a passion.


I know! I keep seeing riders on the covers of Dover and other catalogs/magazines with horses wearing them, and I just don't get it. In my area it's frowned upon.


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## CessBee (Dec 6, 2008)

The flash was invented as kind of a replacement for the drop noseband, and it has now become a fad, it doesnt work as well as a drop noseband, and is easily over tightened, and can restrict the hroses breathing.


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## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

I've used one before on the horse I used to lease, and it was just to help with control. I was able to have softer hands and cue my horse that way instead of having to have stronger hands and pulling at his mouth to get him to keep steady. We never kept it tight at all, it was always quite loose, and really just a reminder for him, so I really don't see a problem with it when it's used that way.
:]


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## moomoo (Feb 21, 2007)

Misty had one, but she didn't need it and it was so loose you could pull it off her chin easily, so i took it off  It was a ****** to clean too, lol


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

o_o
I hate to tell you but you're all basically wrong. The actual purpose of a flash nose band is to quiet the jingling of a loose ring snaffle.
Some trainers incorrectly over tighten them to shut the horse's mouth. But this is wrong. I use a cavesson with flash on my horse because I ride him in a loose ring snaffle. The flash keeps the bit quiet so that when I DO aid my horse he feels it really clearly and so all I need to do to ask for flexion is move 1 finger.
Again, just because there are a few bad apples that use tack incorrectly doesn't mean that the orchard is all rotten.
The nose band that WAS invented to shut a horse's face is the figure 8 nose band.


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## XxXequinegrlXxX (May 24, 2008)

i don't see much wrong with using one, unless you are using it wrong. i just bought one for my horse and i like it a lot ... it is quite loose, i say i can fit a good 2, 3 fingers in there and it helps a lot with keeping my horse on the bit. she can still breathe , and i don't have it clamped down around her nose. 

not everyone uses it wrong, just like many things, there are a couple people that use it wrong and quite a few that use it correctly


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

XxXequinegrlXxX said:


> i don't see much wrong with using one, unless you are using it wrong. i just bought one for my horse and i like it a lot ... it is quite loose, i say i can fit a good 2, 3 fingers in there and it helps a lot with keeping my horse on the bit. she can still breathe , and i don't have it clamped down around her nose.
> 
> not everyone uses it wrong, just like many things, there are a couple people that use it wrong and quite a few that use it correctly


Exactly! Thank you


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## XxXequinegrlXxX (May 24, 2008)

your welcome


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## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

I agree with anebel. It was invented to stablilize the bit in the mouth because normally people use drop nosebands to achieve this, BUT you can't use a standing martingale with a drop noseband. So they needed an attachment from the a regular noseband (that a standing martingale can be attached to) that works the same way as a drop.

People can go crazy and over tighten flashes, which can impede the horses breathing... but if used correctly then there is no harm done. I use one on my horses since he goes in a loose ring and likes to play with his bit a little too much, the flash keeps him focused. He also likes to get on his forehand when we're cantering, despite my efforts to keep his hind end engaged. And when he does this he kind of hangs on the bit with his mouth opened a little, so the flash gives the added advantage of him not being able to lug down on the reins as much, even though it's not that tight :]


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## dressagegal (Jan 15, 2009)

I prefer just plain hunter nosebands but I don't see much harm in flash nosebands if i'm honest because the horse should have it's mouth closed anyway but if it doesn't and you're not doing any serious competition with it then I don't see the point in 'strapping its mouth shut' if you don't need to. 
They are also allowed in any level of dressage by the way.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I have both a flash and figure 8 noseband, as well as the normal noseband.

I had orginally gotten the figure 8 when I was jumping Vega as it allows the nostrils to open all the way. The part that would shut her mouth, was quite loose. All it took to get it off was her rubbing her head on her leg.

I then got a flash attachment just to see the difference. I always had it loose enough that it could slide off if the horse rubbed it (it may not be the correct way to have it, but I rather have it on the looser side)

I did only use those nosebands with Vega and none of my other horses. Though in the spring I may try the figure 8 on Montana when we start jumping, for no other reason than to look pretty.


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## ohhellneely (Dec 18, 2008)

There is nothing cruel about using a flash, unless your an idiot and you don't use it right, as anebel said.
I used one with my old TB and it worked wonders for him and it almost completely changed his attitude and afterward, we only used it ocasionaly as a reminder.


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## PiggyPablo (Jan 17, 2009)

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> o_o
> I hate to tell you but you're all basically wrong. The actual purpose of a flash nose band is to quiet the jingling of a loose ring snaffle.
> Some trainers incorrectly over tighten them to shut the horse's mouth. But this is wrong. I use a cavesson with flash on my horse because I ride him in a loose ring snaffle. The flash keeps the bit quiet so that when I DO aid my horse he feels it really clearly and so all I need to do to ask for flexion is move 1 finger.
> Again, just because there are a few bad apples that use tack incorrectly doesn't mean that the orchard is all rotten.
> The nose band that WAS invented to shut a horse's face is the figure 8 nose band.


 
This is exactly what I use it for. I don't tighten it up either. It's just there to support the loose ring and prevent the loose ring from jingling up and down when we're riding.


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