IS A FLASH NECESSARY?

The following "Tip of the Day" is provided to assist you with horse and farm management.  It is a thought mentioned by and/or used by Leslie Raulin.  This tip is available to you at your own risk.  Leslie Raulin does not make any claims or warranties, nor does she have any financial interest in any products that may be mentioned.

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Due to recent exposures of cruel horse management, the world's equestrian community is promoting horse welfare.  The FEI and USEF are changing rules to improve reporting and response to reporting.  Some of the rule changes pertain to tack.  As my response to the emphasis on horse welfare, I have been looking at my horse tack and thinking of changes I can make that would be much kinder to my horses.  The flash is an item I have therefore stopped using.

In dressage, for single bit bridles (double bridles are another related topic, as are crank nosebands), most dressage bridles have a flash, a strip of leather that wraps from the the front of the noseband, over the bit, and behind the lip.

Sometimes the flash is very tight, which should be monitored by show staff and technical delegates, but may occur at home without monitoring.  Depending on horse's anatomy and bit/flash placement, the flash may also pinch the horse's lip between the flash and the bit.

Why do we use a flash?  There are many articles on the internet that cover this topic.  Below are two examples.

An AI overview:

A flash noseband is used to keep a horse's mouth closed and encourage them to engage with the bit, preventing evasions like opening the mouth, crossing the jaw, or sticking the tongue over the bit. It also helps to stabilize the bit in the horse's mouth and can aid in training by discouraging undesirable behaviors. 

Here's a more detailed explanation: 

• Encourages engagement with the bit:
  By keeping the mouth closed, the flash noseband encourages the horse to hold the bit correctly and engage with it, rather than opening it or trying to avoid the pressure.
• Stabilizes the bit:
  The flash helps to keep the bit in place, preventing the horse from moving it around or playing with it.
• Discourages evasions:
  The flash makes it more difficult for the horse to open its mouth, cross its jaw, or put its tongue over the bit, all of which are ways horses might try to evade the bit's pressure.
• Training aid:
  Flash nosebands are often used with young or inexperienced horses to help them learn to hold the bit properly and engage with it quietly.
• Not a substitute for proper training:
  While flash nosebands can be helpful in training, they should not be used as a primary tool for control or as a substitute for proper training techniques.

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Become a Horse Noseband Know-It-All - Practical Horseman (click here)

This is a thin strap attached at the centerpoint of a plain or crank noseband. The strap drops down at an angle below the bit and is secured under the chin. It is very effective in keeping the horse’s mouth closed, so much so that it’s actually called a “mouth closer” in Germany.

Thanks to its position low on the head, it is also used to prevent your horse from crossing his jaw, putting his tongue over the bit and attempting other evasive maneuvers, all of which require him to be able to open his mouth more widely than needed to engage correctly with the bit.

The flash was developed to help close the mouth while also having a noseband that can anchor a standing martingale. It has become ubiquitous in the jumper ring and in schooling for all divisions.

Some flashes are attached to the noseband via a permanent loop. “Convertible” or “removable” flashes are fastened to the noseband with either a detachable strap that goes around the noseband or by using a discreet slot in the noseband through which the attaching strap is threaded.

Correct positioning is critical for the flash to do its job properly, Lisa notes. The first step is securing the regular noseband correctly, approximately two fingers’ width below the cheekbone and running straight around the horse’s nose. Then the flash can be secured under the chin groove, followed by checking that the noseband has been cinched tight enough so the flash doesn’t pull it down on your horse’s face. The center point of any noseband should always rest against the nasal bone as opposed to the soft cartilage near the nostrils. Securing it too low, over the cartilage, can restrict your horse’s air intake, which is critical in any work and especially for cross country, jumping and galloping.

Lisa notes that riders sometimes think they are doing their horses a kindness by securing the noseband a little loosely, then compensate by adjusting the flash very tight. That can pull the noseband down, thus lowering the flash’s anchor point and placing it too low on the nose.

But do you really need a flash?  In my opinion, most of the above reasons for using a flash do not justify the use of one.  I have removed the flash from my horses' bridles.  My horses seem to ride the same and I have not encountered any issues due to no flash.  I can also use a looser noseband, which I presume is more comfortable for my horses.

Admittedly, removing the flash leaves the flash loop sticking out of the noseband,  The loop may be removable, may be cut off, or the loop can stay as is without causing any harm.  Some bridle companies are now making dressage bridles without flashes (search "dressage snaffle bridle without flash."

I encourage you to remove the flash on your bridle to see if it affects your horse and your rides.  If all is the same (or better!), maybe you do not need a flash.  Your horse might thank you.