Cavesson bridles have a noseband attached to a slip head that passes through the browband and sits underneath the headpiece of the bridle. The cavesson noseband is a single strap of leather that fits around the horse's muzzle.
A flat cavesson noseband is also known as a hunter cavesson noseband.
The cavesson noseband was originally designed so that a standing martingale could be attached to the bridle and without a martingale the cavesson noseband is simply cosmetic.
Fitting A Cavesson Bridle
The headpiece of the bridle should sit comfortably behind the horse's poll and the sides adjusted so that the bit sits comfortably across the toothless gap between the incisors and molars of the horse. The browband should lie across the horse's forehead and be positioned approximately the width of two fingers below the ears to avoid it pinching the ears.
The noseband of a cavesson bridle should be adjusted so that the noseband lies approximately half way between the corners of the mouth and the cheekbone of the horse. The cavesson noseband should not be fastened too tight, but should allow two fingers to be easily inserted between the noseband and the front of the horse's nose.
The throat lash should be fastened allowing a hand's width between the throat lash and the horse's jaw.
