Cheekers, australian noseband or not?

As we are very interested in how products work, and what they are used for. 
We have been fortunate enough to be introduced into lots of different branches in horse sports.
We do also on a regular basis, step out of our own comfort zone and look at the less common horse branches too. 
Because it is fascinating how 'the other side' does it.

Years and years of people respecting tradition and with heaps of experience are crossing our path, which makes it most interesting to compare the 'old' knowledge with the 'new'.


Do we agree on everything? No.
Do we like certain methods or products? Not all, but some, yes!
Are old and traditional ideas always right? No, not at all as some have been proven to be very wrong.
BUT others have been proved to be very right... and perhaps even for more reasons than initially thought too ;-)
 

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Just keep in mind,... it's not because you don't know it and don't understand it, that it is 'bad' by definition.

 

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Why do we like looking at other branches?
Not because we think they are better or worse... no !
But because it is of big importance you keep your mind open when it comes to information.
The years of experience in the horse sport is something we need to respect, and not wipe under the rug due to the next new invention!
But we CAN be critical and look at things through modern eyes using the information we have gathered through testing.
 

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Without an open mind you cannot learn or evolve. And it is not because you didn't grow up in a certain environment,
you have to see everything as "a bad" thing when it is something you do not yet know or have never seen.

 

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Why the long intro?
Because I am sure certain readers will already wave a red flag, as they do not know much about this part of horse sport and therefor perhaps not understand it well either.

Do we agree with everything in this sport?
No, … like we don’t agree with certain things in ALL branches.
But please allow us to share some info about something used in racing.

It’s a little tool used in horse racing, that you can see from a mile away. Quite obvious as it’s seen across the horses face.
Initially used to help with certain problems, which we will sum up for you. But it actually has more benefits than it was initially designed for ;-)

Would I use this myself? No because I don’t need it.
But it is one of the tools used that is misunderstood by many and perhaps needed to be explained a little more to open peoples horizons and help them look at tack in another ‘open’ way, without pointing the critical finger at a glance without thinking how it works and what it does.

Being an EBBF (Elite Bridle and Bit fitter) means I tend to look at the whole picture and investigate effects in a different way to most.

So let me introduce to you the Australian noseband, the cheekers or bit lifter… one of many names given to this tool.
There are variations made on this model. But they all tend to do just about the same. I say 'just about' as there is a difference between them ;-)

A Cheeker is a face-piece that attaches to the bridle at the horses forelock, it splits just above the nose to go around each side of the horses mouth to the bit. Popular in horse racing but is also seen with eventers too !

It was believed to do the following :
* Keep the bit high up in the mouth
* Stop tongue being put over the bit
* Helping controlling strong horses
* Prevent bit being pulled through the mouth of a horse hanging to one side

What does it in fact do more that isn’t common knowledge yet? 

It makes the bit not only hang 'higher in the mouth’, but in fact is makes the mouthpiece slightly floaty above the bars when pressure is removed from the contact. 
A little like a baucher also does. But instead of hanging from the cheekpieces, the mouthpiece now hangs from the noseband.

So if we read what they are used for : 
Horses that like to put tongue over bit, be strong, evade etc… 
It makes perfect sense to us why this may help ! 

Why would it help? I hear you thinking.

— Well… Let’s discuss the first reason they used it for help : Strong horses. 

Did you know that sometimes horses with sensitive bars tend to hold the bit, (most of the time one side) or be rigid to the contact so they can ‘block’ the discomfort as much as possible? Blocking your hand and aid is how they try to feel less uncomfortable. 

But less discomfort on the sensitive area i.e. bars makes them looser to the contact and more responsive to the aid, as they are not blocking the aid. Furthermore relaxing to the contact and being receptive to the aids make the horses lighter and less strong in the hand ;-) 

So it seems like the horse is ‘less’ strong due to this tool, but in fact the horse is more accepting of the aids therefore not blocking your aid and making it feel like they are no longer strong.

Does that make sense to you yet?

Further more, when the rider uses his hand the pressure is not only put on the bars, but als dispensed over the nosebone too. As the bit is ‘pulled’ the mouthpiece stretches the rubber in the movement. Meaning the aid is now not only on the bars, but also across the nosebone where the straps lay. Helping the rider give aids in multiple areas to make it clearer to the horse without causing great discomfort on his sensitive bars… 
Making this even more effective. 

So a tool in fact made to ’stop nasty behaviour’, is stopping this behaviour because in fact it is making it more comfortable for the horse :-) 

Are you starting to understand, WHY I keep asking people to try and understand what something is doing before automatically thinking it is a torture instrument? 

— Now they were also using it to stop the horse putting the tongue over the bit. 

Well do you know why horses put tongues over bits? There are multiple reasons but just some of them can be:
* sensitive or tight tongue who can’t bare pressure of the bit 
* sensitive bars, so horse tries to put tongue between the bit and bars, and by pulling it up, it flops over the bit or out of the mouth to the side
* bit too unstable so horse tries to hold it in place and looses the tongue in the process… 
Of course it can be due to other reasons too. 

So this tool, can help with this as with the previous reason why it’s helping… it helps take away discomfort and the horses stops doing it as there is no longer a need to do it 

(small memo: horses are habitual animals so it is possible if your horse has been doing this for a long time they may keep doing this even when the discomfort has gone, as it has become a habit. But in most cases after a while they do stop) 

— And third one was, stops bit being pulled out of the mouth to one side

This is also a reason to use bitrings for younger horses that do not quite understand our aids yet … 
But if the horse isn’t grabbing the bit on one side and blocking our aids, the chance of them being so strong to one side and crooked gets less too ;-) Another good reason why this helps. 

So to be clear. This little tool actually helps for all these bad habits in one way in particular. Gives the horse more comfort. 

!!! Of course as with ALL tack and bits and things we use when riding. 
If it is not fitted correctly and not the right size, the positive influence of this will be lost and the benefits will disappear too !!! 

So I hope I have helped you learn something about an unusual training aid used in racing. 
In the photos below a few examples… but this is not the same as a ‘check’ used in trotting ! 
So be careful you don’t confuse these 2 ;-) 

Of course in a perfect world we have no need for these. But let’s be honest, the world isn’t perfect, nor are we or our horses. 

Let us all be the best version of ourselves and try to do our best. That would in fact be a step in the right direction. 
Hope you enjoyed the little blog !