Commentary on MacKechnie-Guire et al. Measuring Noseband Tightness on the Lateral Aspect of the Horse's Face.

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.