Prevalence and Distribution of Lesions in the Nasal Bones and Mandibles of a Sample of 144 Riding Horses.
Authors: Pérez-Manrique Lucia, León-Pérez Karina, Zamora-Sánchez Emmanuel, Davies Sarah, Ober Christopher, Wilson Bethany, McGreevy Paul
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Bone Lesions Associated with Noseband Pressure in Riding Horses Restrictive nosebands are commonplace in equestrian sport, used to stabilise the bit and prevent mouth-opening, yet the chronic effects of sustained pressure on underlying facial structures remain poorly characterised. Pérez-Manrique and colleagues radiographed 144 mature cavalry horses whilst two independent examiners assessed them for visual and palpable changes, with a separate pair of veterinary radiologists evaluating the radiographic findings to determine whether bony remodelling occurs at anatomical sites exposed to noseband pressure. The prevalence of radiographic changes was substantial: 37.5% showed nasal bone lesions (predominantly bone thinning in 33–57% of cases) and 13.8% displayed mandibular changes, whilst palpation detected even higher rates of bone deposition in both sites (30–84% depending on location and examiner). Notably, mandibular involvement at the pressure point has not been previously documented, suggesting nosebands may exert biomechanical effects more broadly than recognised. Although this work cannot yet establish causality between noseband use and these lesions, the high prevalence of bony remodelling in pressure-bearing sites raises significant welfare concerns and warrants investigation into specific risk factors—including noseband type, tightness, duration of use, and horse-specific factors—to inform evidence-based equipment standards and practice guidelines.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Routine palpation of nasal bones and mandibles should be part of health assessments in riding horses, as radiographic and palpable changes are common in this population
- •Restrictive nosebands warrant reconsideration from a welfare perspective given evidence of chronic bony changes at pressure sites, even though causation remains unproven
- •Further investigation into risk factors for these lesions is needed before definitive management recommendations can be made
Key Findings
- •37.5% of horses had radiographic changes to nasal bones and 13.8% had mandibular changes
- •Radiographic bone thinning in nasal bones ranged from 33.3–56.9% across two radiologists, while palpable bone deposition was found in 82–84% of horses
- •Mandibular bone deposition was more common radiographically (18.8–32.6%) than nasal bone deposition (6.9–8.3%)
- •This is the first documented confirmation of bony lesions at sites typically subjected to restrictive noseband pressure, though no causal link with equipment was established