New research from 238 dressage horse-rider pairs found that stress behaviors increased as test difficulty rose — with mouth opening becoming the most common sign at higher levels. Critically, judges' scores did not reliably reflect how much stress a horse showed. Here's what it means for riders, trainers, and anyone thinking about tack choices.

A 2026 commentary by eight researchers argues that a proposed change to where noseband tightness is measured — from the bridge of the nose to the side of the cheek — could systematically underestimate how tight a noseband actually is. Here's what the science says and what it means for riders and horses.