Cavessons

Why can it be useful to lunge with a cavesson?

• Trains the horse's self carriage and balance
• Promotes bending and flexion
• Increases back activity
• Activates the hindquarters
• Versatility in groundwork
• Breaking young horses

In contrast to lungeing with a bit or headcollar, the pull of the lunge reins with the cavesson comes onto the middle of the nose and flexes the horse. The cavesson therefore has a direct effect on the neck and not only on the outer side of the horse's head. As a result, the cavesson can be used to act on the horse's back from the nose to the tail and achieve a longitudinal bend. Since the horse is not framed by auxiliary reins and pressed into a position, but has to balance itself, the horse's self-posture and balance is trained. Lungeing with a cavesson therefore exercises and strengthens the horse. Furthermore, you can bring variety into the groundwork, because with a cavesson you can work on exercises such as shoulder-in or others to teach the horse to shift its weight to the hindquarters when standing.

Which cavesson is suitable for lungeing?

There are cavesson designs that are padded or not padded in different ways and have movable or immovable nose pieces. We distinguish between the following cavessons:

• German cavesson
• Viennese cavesson
• Leather cavesson
• Caveçon
• Serreta

Even though all cavesson styles have a nosepiece with 3 rings, not all of them are suitable for lungeing. The heavier German cavesson and the somewhat lighter Viennese cavesson are both well suited for lungeing. When correctly buckled, they lie comfortably on the horse's head. They are both padded, but the German cavesson has a three-jointed nose iron, whereas the Viennese style has only two joints.
Due to their flexible nose pieces, the leather cavesson and the caveçon are only suitable for lungeing to a limited extent, as they tend to slip with even a slight pull. They are more suitable for handwork and fine riding.
A serreta is a Spanish cavesson whose jointless nose iron is only covered with leather, but otherwise has no further padding. The pressure peaks are very high, which is why only horses experienced in lungeing should be exercised with a serreta.
At Kramer Equestrian you can buy cavessons for in-hand work, groundwork and lungeing. Soft leather cavessons with wide or thin nosebands are particularly comfortable and can be used for in-hand work as well as under saddle. Our CLARIDGE HOUSE cavessons with three or four piece nose irons are multi-size adjustable and adaptable to different head shapes from cobs to full size.

How does the cavesson fit the horse correctly?

Only an optimal fit can bring about the numerous, positive effects of the cavesson. Since the cavesson is usually buckled relatively tightly, it must fit correctly so that the horse's facial nerves are not pinched. Remember: The tighter you buckle the cavesson, the sharper the effect. However, it should only be buckled tight enough to allow the horse to continue to move its mouth; ideally, two fingers should fit under the noseband.
Observe the following rules when buckling the cavesson:

• The noseband is two fingers wide under the cheekbone.
• The noseband is four fingers wide above the nostrils
• The noseband is adapted to the shape of the horse's nose; it does not protrude and does not form pressure points.
• The width of a finger fits between the headpiece and the ears.
• The throat lash lies below the eye and runs straight down.
• The cheek piece lies flat against the horse's head and runs next to the cheekbone
• If present: The browband sits loosely, but prevents the headpiece from slipping back.

In order to be able to adjust your cavesson to the shape and length of your horse's head, make sure that all straps can be adjusted in length.

What should I look for in a cavesson?

• Correct fit
• Material and make
• Workmanship
• Buckles and adjustments

When you buy a cavesson, it should not only fit your horse correctly in terms of size. You can read above how a cavesson should fit correctly. In order for you to be able to adjust the cavesson to the shape of your horse's head, the cavesson should have adjustment possibilities on each strap.
Depending on the training and schooling goals you want to achieve with the cavesson, the material and the type of cavesson are also decisive. If you want to use the cavesson mainly for lungeing, you should choose a German cavesson with a wide nose piece and a three-jointed nose iron. If your horse moves supple on the circle, has a good self-carriage, does not pull outwards and you only lunge for light work anyway, a leather cavesson without a nose iron or a caveçon with a fine chain can be the right choice. These are more suitable than a heavy German cavesson for in-hand work and working out lessons such as the school halt or school jump.
Before buying a cavesson, be aware of what you want to use it for and what stage of training your horse is at. Your goals and the limits of your horse must be taken into account when deciding on the purchase of a cavesson. Finally, you should pay attention to good workmanship with high-quality materials. At Kramer Equestrian you can buy CLARIDGE HOUSE cavessons made of genuine leather in different designs. Light lungeing headcollars from SHOWMASTER made of nylon and lined with soft PVC foam can be used for light work, the transition to a real cavesson or for riding without a bit.

How is the cavesson put on correctly?

• Pull the cavesson over the ears like a normal bridle.
• Adjust the shape of the noseband to the shape of the horse's nose
• Check the position of the noseband
• Check the position of the throat lash. In the case of a sliding strap, the strap should be below the eye.
• Fasten the throat lash
• Fasten the noseband so that it does not slip during work, but still allows the horse to chew mouth.