# Crossing top jaw while hunting



## PaddyCampbell15 (8 December 2016)

I have a 5 year old cob who is a pleasure to work with while doing flat work..but as soon as i get on the hunt field he crosses his top jaw and wants to go,he also locks on to every jump he sees and is very hard to control and pull up..I'm thinking of changing to a Mexican grackle and a 2 ring snaffle to try to get control of him..could I have opinions on what people think and thanks...


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## Judgemental (8 December 2016)

PaddyCampbell15 said:



			I have a 5 year old cob who is a pleasure to work with while doing flat work..but as soon as i get on the hunt field he crosses his top jaw and wants to go,he also locks on to every jump he sees and is very hard to control and pull up..I'm thinking of changing to a Mexican grackle and a 2 ring snaffle to try to get control of him..could I have opinions on what people think and thanks...
		
Click to expand...

You need to exercise twice every day and hunt two days a week. No rest days.

Once a horse is in a regular work routine it is surprising how easy they become.

Cut his feed down, suggest Happy Hoof and Sugar Beet. 

Too many folk think bitting will solve the issues.


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## PaddyCampbell15 (8 December 2016)

He is rode everyday and loads of work and has hunted the last 5 Sundays in a row..there is no badness in him whatsoever just he crosses the jaw and can't get a pull out of him at all..


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## ester (8 December 2016)

I don't understand how a horse can make physically cross his top jaw given that it is attached to the rest of his head?


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## ester (8 December 2016)

You should read the recent thread pulling hunter, a few weeks schooling and a changed horse and yours is very young and should be receptive to improvement


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## PaddyCampbell15 (8 December 2016)

Is that a genuine comment or you been sarcastic!!


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## ester (8 December 2016)

Which one both genuine! I've never heard of a horse crossing it's top jaw. It cannot physically move it's top jaw


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## PaddyCampbell15 (8 December 2016)

Grey_Showjumper said:
17-02-10 03:42 PM
Default Re: What does crossing jaw mean?
basically they open their mouth and cross their jaw over...
you can see it and you can feel it, they quite often chuck their head in the air and run off a bit as the bit is basically not doing anything any more...
     Multi-Quote This Message


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## PaddyCampbell15 (8 December 2016)

I posted a thread about it so how am I been sarcastic!!!!


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## ester (8 December 2016)

Yes that is what they do with their bottom jaw, you specifically said top?

I found that post for you anyway http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...charging-horse-out-hunting-!&highlight=Hunter

Who said anything about you being sarcastic? Just trying to understand the problem you are describing, if you just mean crossing jaw as in your latter post that's crossing the bottom jaw. If it wasn't that it might have required a different solution


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## PaddyCampbell15 (8 December 2016)

Sorry I should of said just crossing his jaw!


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## ycbm (8 December 2016)

They can only cross their bottom jaw, ester is correct. Meanwhile I am intrigued by the style of your writing, the fact you have already thrown your toys out of your pram in the very first few posts you've made. And just like bsjastar, now greyed out, you have a horse who hunts regularly on Sunday, which isn't that common in this country. Are you related by any chance?


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## ester (8 December 2016)

In which case i would definitely pop a grackle on. Bitting I would probably try grackle on own first or use something I could have 2reins on


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## PaddyCampbell15 (8 December 2016)

Yea I might give the grackle a go and see how it works..if it works I might not need to start messing with the bit which I don't really want to be doing..


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## PaddyCampbell15 (8 December 2016)

No we are not related I just taught Ester was been sarcastic but she wasn't and I apologised..we hunt every Sunday over here in Ireland..


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## spacefaer (8 December 2016)

It's very hard with the style of Irish hunting nowadays to educate a young horse correctly.  You need to be keeping him quietly at the back, not allowing him to jump unless you turn to face the jump. If he launches at the fence, then you should either pull him out or away, so that he only jumps when you say so. 

A grackle noseband may well help with him crossing his jaw, and something like a waterford mouthpiece would also stop him leaning. I don't like the two and three ringed bits, but you see so many horses in them - I don't think it'll stop your horse crossing his jaw though.

I would try something like a  Cheltenham gag - stop him putting his head down?


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## PaddyCampbell15 (8 December 2016)

Thank you


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## JDee (8 December 2016)

I'd try the grackle - it's what they were designed for - and combine that with (as suggested above) a Cheltenham Gag with two reins.
You could also try using a bit that's not going to be too easy to lean on with a kineton noseband


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## ponies4ever (10 December 2016)

i agree i used to have a cob who had a mouth soft as butter in the school but needed waterford and grackle out hunting to stop her crossing her jaw and tanking


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## Goldenstar (10 December 2016)

Try a grackle if that fails try a controller noseband .
Judgementals work it into the ground approach will work but rarely produces a mannerly hunter with a good mouth and the risk with a five year old is they pay with their soundness later .
I have used it with bad mannered older horses .
If your drag hunting it's very hard but the answer is to keep the horse out of the situations it can't cope with until it's settled and understands it job is not running along as though it was taking part in thecharge of the light brigade .


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## Roasted Chestnuts (11 December 2016)

I used a grackle and a Tom Thumb for fast work in company with my mare, she was in a loose ring French link for everything else including XC as it was only with lots of horses around her that I couldn't keep her in check with a snaffle. She had a lovely mouth and lovely manners just too excited to be out in a big group.


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