An Objective Measure of Noseband Tightness and Its Measurement Using a Novel Digital Tightness Gauge.

ABSTRACT: Noseband tightness is difficult to assess in horses participating in equestrian sports such as dressage, show jumping and three-day-eventing. There is growing concern that nosebands are commonly tightened to such an extent as to restrict normal equine behaviour and possibly cause injury. In the absence of a clear agreed definition of noseband tightness, a simple model of the equine nose-noseband interface environment was developed in order to guide further studies in this area. The normal force component of the noseband tensile force was identified as the key contributor to sub-noseband tissue compression. The model was used to inform the design of a digital tightness gauge which could reliably measure the normal force component of the noseband tensile force. A digital tightness gauge was

SUBMITTER: Doherty O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5207410 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature