Why use a cavesson at all?

With a well-fitting and correctly adjusted cavesson,

Using a cavesson lets you achieve the poll position required for healthy work. Through bending at the poll and correct positioning of the head you can start working on the horse’s lateral bend.

In my experience, this is much less effective with other bitless bridles (like a halter). The cavesson has the advantage that you can work with the horse at a high gymnastic level without affecting the mouth.

No matter what I train with my horses: I always work bitless at first and choose a bridle with a bit later, if at all. In my opinion, a cavesson is an indispensable basic training tool. However, it must be a horse-friendly model which does not cause the horse any discomfort or pain. Unfortunately, many cavessons are too harsh.

Important:

Please don’t ever put a lunge line onto a bit! Lunging on a bit is unfortunately a widespread abuse. Along with the fact that you cannot give an a sensible aid with a lungeline through a bit to tell the horse how it should bend it also breaks the basic rule that a horse’s mouth is sacred.

I strongly oppose the use of side reins or draw reins on a bit as well. Moving well on a circle is only possible when the horse bends correctly.

“You can only achieve the correct bend by lunging with a cavesson, never with a bridle, because you cannot influence the horse’s lower jaw in the direction of the bend with a bridle.” Bent Branderup

Different types of cavessons:

• sturdy cavesson with metal nosepieces
• light cavessons without metal insert
• the Caveçon
• the Serreta

When you begin working with the Course in Lunging I highly recommend a cavesson with metal on the nose piece. This model is much more suitable for teaching a correct bend at the poll right from the start. Once the horse is familiar with our aids and reacts correctly, you can change to a cavesson without metal.
A horse’s head is very sensitive. No matter which type of cavesson you decide to use, please make sure it fits comfortably and your horse feels at ease with it.
These models are suitable for work with the Course in Lunging.

I admit, this cavesson does look a bit like an instrument of torture. It is quite heavy, which causes some horse owners concern. However, this model is the most horse-friendly cavesson, and the one I always recommend for lunging. Especially, if you work according to our Lunging Course. (I developed this model myself, more info here). Other models, like the Caveçon, are not suited for this kind of work because they are unprecise and too harsh.

A cavesson with metal usually has one continuous piece of shaped metal without hinges, or two or three parts which are connected by hinges.

It is most important that the metal part is thickly and softly padded. The soft and thick padding ensures that the metal does not hurt the horse and that it can still easily lick and chew.

Before a piece of equipment goes on my horse’s nose, it has to pass the “shin test”. I put the nosepiece on my shin, push it tightly onto the shinbone, and then I press and pull as hard as I can (which I would never do with my horse!)

Only if it does not hurt at all, will it make it into my tack room.

In the model with one metal piece the shape of the metal part must fit the horse’s nose exactly because – metal does not give! If it is too tight anywhere, the horse will suffer significant pain, maybe even damage to the bone. Usually, those cavessons will fit only one horse and cannot be used for several different noses.

1. The typical diamond shape which forms a triangle on top of the nose. (Except if the two middle metal parts are bent and shaped, which is only the case in some very expensive models).

2. Due to the triangle the side pieces are tight on the nose and cause the nutcracker effect.

3. There are gaps where the metal does not conform to the shape of the nose.

Models with two hinges are less prone to the nutcracker effect, because the metal is bent across the nose. Sometimes a gap may exist between the metal and the flat top of the nose at the level of the middle ring, but the curved shape avoids pressure points. The side pieces often fit very smoothly in this variation.