I would encourage anyone, everyone, to buy Kapitzke's book: http://tinyurl.com/2o6m8x
He talks about rein contact, mentioning that strong flexion, holding the horse's head behind the vertical, is uncomfortable for the horse and should only be used as a reprimand. He talks about starting horses without nosebands which would ensure that the horse's mouth is not bound together, restricting chewing, and this would enable the rider to get a "feel" for rein contact. He also talks about the dropped noseband limiting chewing ability and preventing the horse from opening his mouth (not a good thing) and that it disguises hard hands. He says that the freedom of chewing with no noseband is good for relaxation of the horse and on the other hand, the tight noseband causes tightness in the tongue and jaw, which can cause problems in the head, neck, and back. He shows pictures of noseband-less horses accepting the bit and being "through". Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
