From: Vicki
Dear Jessica, I really love you, you are so good to help everyone here. I am asking my Mom to please send you some money for HORSE-SENSE that she will probably send because she reads it every weekend when she isn't at the office. And she likes it just like me. Here is my question that I hope you answer! What can I do about my horse crossing his jaw, he is a three years old Thoroughbred and we are going to train him for eventing but we won't teach him to jump until he is five years old. My trainer reads HORSE-SENSE too and she says you are right about how horses should not jump when they are too young. My problem with my horse is that he crosses his jaw. I read a lot in the archives of HORSE-SENSE and I know you say not to use tight nosebands but you didn't say anything about what to do with a horse that crosses his jaw. If we put a flash noseband on him and tighten up both parts as tight as they will go then he doesn't cross his jaws. I know that we are basically "tying his mouth closed" like you say is bad, but he is still very green so I and my trainer feel like it is important for him not to learn resistances to the bit so early in his training. But I want to do what is right for training and for the horse, but I can't do both at once because of this situation, so what can I do? Thank you for HORSE-SENSE! Vicki
Let's take these issues one at a time.
Horses don't "resist" in a vacuum. Something has to be bothering a horse before a resistance appears, and it's the rider's and the trainer's obligation, ALWAYS, to ask "resistance to WHAT? What are we doing that we shouldn't be doing - or what aren't we doing that we should be doing?" If you are going to be a horsewoman, you must learn to listen to your horse, and that means hearing what he is saying AND doing your best to understand him.
Whenever there's a problem involving a horse's mouth, you need to consider the possibility that something needs to change at BOTH ends of the reins.
Let's begin with his mouth and the bit. A horse won't cross his jaw for fun. It's usually a reaction to mouth pain - and it's a fairly typical reaction to pain from a single-joint snaffle. Have your horse's mouth inspected by a good vet, an equine dentist, or - preferably - both. He's at an age when he could easily have a retained cap or wolf teeth coming in, in addition to all the usual issues of sharp edges and points. Once you know that his teeth are fine and that he doesn't have lacerations to his tongue or to the insides of his cheeks, high up inside his mouth, you'll be able to turn your attention to his bit. Horses' mouths differ quite a lot. You'll find a lot of information about mouths and bits in the archives - so all I'll say here is that you might want to try a French-link snaffle, adjusted so that it touches the corners of your horse's mouth but doesn't create wrinkles. If he is unhappy or the bit bangs against his teeth, take it up the least amount that will restore his comfort - you might end up with a tiny wrinkle, but beware of raising the bit until it creates multiple wrinkles. At that point, ANY bit will be making the horse uncomfortable.
Next, I'd take a good look at what's happening at the other end of the reins. Are the reins long enough for your horse to carry his head and neck comfortably while staying in soft contact with your hands? Are your hands carried in front of you, at about belly-button level, so that your elbows are bent and your arms can move with the horse? Are your fingers closed on the reins, so that you can "talk" to your horse by tightening or relaxing your fingers very, very slightly? Can you feel your horse's mouth through the reins? You should be able to feel when he moves his tongue and when he swallows. If you are holding on by the reins, using the reins to help you keep your balance, pulling against your horse's mouth, or holding the reins with low hands and locked elbows, your horse will be unhappy with what he feels in his mouth.
Finally, when any form of training is in opposition to the horse's welfare, the training is wrong. Training should educate a horse, improve his physique and his mind, and help him become more beautiful and responsive. But this only works when every aspect of the training puts the horse's interests first. If you learn to do this consistently, you'll be a good trainer, because you will never try to take shortcuts or employ gadgets to take the place of training. Knowing how to disguise or eliminate a SYMPTOM, such as the horse's crossing its jaw, isn't good training or horsemanship. Understanding why your horse would cross his jaw, and knowing what you should do to make it unnecessary for him to try to protect himself in this way (or any other way), is much more useful, because it will help you deal with the CAUSE of the problem.
One more thing for you to consider: If your horse has been uncomfortable for quite some time, he may have some muscular problems that aren't going to disappear instantly even if his mouth is in perfect shape, you get him the ideal bit, and your seat, hands, and understanding become perfect overnight. It might be very useful for you to ask your vet for the name of someone in your area who does equine massage. I say "ask your vet" because looking in the telephone book isn't enough. There are far too many people offering their services in this area after an utterly inadequate three-day or five-day or three-week "course" in massage, that leaves them more dangerous than helpful. Many of them are very kind and well-meaning individuals, but they don't really understand the full anatomy and physiology and kinesiology of the horse, and these are things that matter VERY much indeed. If you can find a truly qualified person, preferably someone who already had formal certification in human massage before extending his or her practice to include horses, your horse will be in good hands. ;-)
In the meantime, here's something for you to keep in mind.
All true horsemen have three things in common.
1. They love horses - and they know that "love" means "what you do and how you look after your horse", not "how you feel about your horse".
2. They take full responsibility - their first reaction to anything odd the horse does is to ask "Why?", followed quickly by "How did I cause that?" And when they answer their own questions, they think in terms of communication and technique, not in terms of force and technology.
3. Their aim at all times is to have the horse develop its body and mind until it can do its job in beauty and with pleasure, trusting in the rider's sensitivity and interest in mutual communication.
As you can see, it's quite different from just becoming a RIDER. Riding and horsemanship can overlap, but they aren't the same thing. There are many riders who aren't horsemen, and quite a few horsemen who aren't riders. In your case, I hope that you want to be - and will work to become - both. It's a big job, but it's worth all the effort involved.
Jessica
Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE is a free, subscriber-supported electronic Q&A email newsletter which deals with all aspects of horses, their management, riding, and training. For more information, please visit www.horse-sense.org
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