▁re ins ▁or ▁using ▁artificial ▁le verage ▁devices . ▁ ▁Standard ▁adjust ment ▁of ▁a ▁nose band ▁is ▁to ▁allow ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁fingers ▁between ▁the ▁nose band ▁and ▁the ▁nas al ▁b one ▁of ▁the ▁horse ' s ▁head , ▁though ▁many ▁rid ers ▁adjust ▁it ▁t ighter . ▁Research ▁is ▁on going ▁to ▁determine ▁stress ▁and ▁pain ▁levels ▁related ▁to ▁excess ively ▁tight ▁nose b ands . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁studies ▁in ▁equ itation ▁science ▁now ▁strongly ▁recommend ▁that ▁traditional ▁and ▁c rank ▁nose b ands ▁be ▁adjust ed ▁so ▁that ▁two ▁fingers ▁can ▁be ▁inserted ▁at ▁the ▁" nas al ▁mid line " — where ▁the ▁nose band ▁cross es ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁nose . ▁The ▁International ▁Society ▁for ▁Equ itation ▁Science ▁has ▁stated ▁that ▁tight ▁nose b ands ▁may ▁lead ▁to ▁phys i ological ▁stress ▁and ▁mask ▁unw anted ▁behavior ▁and ▁they ▁encou rage ▁competition ▁rules ▁to ▁be ▁am ended ▁to ▁require ▁horse ▁show ▁ste wards ▁to ▁check ▁nose band ▁tight ness ▁with ▁a ▁standard ized ▁gauge ▁and ▁see ▁that ▁compet itors ▁adjust ▁their ▁equipment ▁accordingly . ▁ ▁French ▁or ▁plain ▁cav ess on : ▁The ▁head st all ▁is ▁adjust ed ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁nose band ▁s its ▁roughly ▁equ id istant ▁between ▁the ▁prominent ▁che ek ▁b one ▁and ▁the ▁horse ' s ▁lips . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁nose ▁and ▁j aw , ▁this ▁cav ess on ▁should ▁be ▁fitted ▁so ▁that , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁horse ▁and ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the