▁useful ▁purpose . ▁All ▁bit less ▁brid les ▁rely ▁on ▁a ▁nose band ▁instead ▁of ▁using ▁a ▁metal ▁bit . ▁Some ▁are ▁very ▁similar ▁to ▁a ▁cav ess on ▁( such ▁as ▁a ▁side pull ▁or ▁sc raw rig ▁style ), ▁some ▁more ▁like ▁a ▁drop ▁nose band ▁( cross under ▁or ▁ind ian ▁hack am ore ▁style ) ▁while ▁others ▁support ▁a ▁metal ▁' h ack am ore ' ▁piece . ▁▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁correlation ▁between ▁the ▁sens itivity ▁of ▁a ▁nose band ▁and ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁t ension ▁needed ▁in ▁the ▁re ins ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁response ▁from ▁the ▁horse . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁study ▁of ▁horses ▁being ▁r idden ▁in ▁English ▁r iding ▁equipment ▁with ▁the ▁nose band ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁adjacent ▁adjust ments , ▁greater ▁rein ▁t ension ▁was ▁needed ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁response ▁from ▁the ▁horses ▁when ▁they ▁had ▁the ▁lo oser ▁adjust ment . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁study ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁examine ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁no ▁nose band ▁at ▁all ▁or ▁a ▁very ▁tight ▁adjust ment . ▁ ▁Thus , ▁nose b ands ▁may ▁add ▁some ▁pressure ▁to ▁the ▁nose ▁when ▁the ▁re ins ▁are ▁applied , ▁depending ▁on ▁adjust ment , ▁style ▁and ▁the ▁degree ▁to ▁which ▁the ▁horse ▁res ists ▁the ▁bit . ▁ ▁With ▁a ▁soft ▁le ather ▁nose band ▁on ▁a ▁well - tra ined ▁horse , ▁the ▁effect ▁is ▁minimal . ▁ ▁A ▁brid le ▁does ▁not ▁necessarily ▁need ▁a ▁nose band