# Commentary on MacKechnie-Guire et al. Measuring Noseband Tightness on the Lateral Aspect of the Horse’s Face. Animals 2015, 15, 537

## TL;DR

This paper discusses concerns about a new method for measuring noseband tightness on horses, which could lead to underestimating tightness and harming horse welfare.

## Contribution

The commentary highlights potential flaws in an alternative noseband tightness measurement method and suggests improvements for future research.

## Key findings

- Alternative measurement sites like the lateral maxilla may underestimate noseband tightness due to soft tissue volume.
- The current method measures tightness at the dorsal midline of the nasal planum.
- Tight nosebands can prevent horses from performing normal behaviors like coughing and yawning.

## Abstract

The use of horses for sport is under scrutiny due to evidence that common practices may cause harm to horses, including using equipment such as tight nosebands. Tight nosebands can prevent horses from performing normal behaviour. To test noseband tightness, the International Society for Equitation Science developed a method and a device which involved testing how far the device could be inserted under the noseband on the middle of the horse’s nose. In a recent study, MacKechnie-Guire and co-authors tested alternative sites to this accepted location and concluded that a location on the side of the horse’s face was a suitable replacement for the accepted location. The methods and interpretation of this study have raised concern that the alternative location may underestimate noseband tightness due to the anatomy of the equine head. This may expose horses to the welfare risks associated with tight nosebands. This commentary outlines the authors’ concerns along with suggestions about how future studies on this topic could be conducted to avoid the issues raised by this commentary.

The use of horses for sport is under scrutiny due to evidence that common practices such as tight nosebands may impair horse welfare. Restrictive nosebands prevent horses from performing normal comfort behaviour such as coughing and yawning. To address these concerns, the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) developed a noseband tightness-checking device, the ISES “taper gauge,” along with a validated method that assesses how far the device can be inserted beneath the noseband at the dorsal midline of the nasal planum. However, citing concerns about the reliability of dorsal midline measurements, MacKechnie-Guire and co-authors evaluated three alternative sites: lateral to the nasal bone, the maxilla, and the mandible. They concluded that the lateral maxilla was a suitable substitute for the dorsal midline. The methods and interpretation of the findings of this study have raised concerns that measuring noseband laxity at the lateral maxilla may underestimate tightness because of the substantial volume of soft tissue at that location. This could expose horses to the welfare risks associated with overly tight nosebands. This commentary outlines the authors’ concerns and offers recommendations for how future studies might address avoid the issues raised here.