grackle noseband

tigerlily12345

tigerlily12345

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this might sound stupid but i always thought these where for really strong horses? correct me if im wrong.
but i was just looking at horses for sale and i saw a photo of a horse in a grackle and the ad said 'snaffle mouth' which i suppose may be true but seems a little contradictory..
i think of 'snaffle mouth' meaning the horse is not going to be strong!
sorry for the little rant but it just irritated me a little..
 
I was under the (quite possibly flawed!) impression they were used to stop horses opening their mouths and crossing their jaws. Crossing jaws can be a form of evasion to move away from the pressure of the bit and avoid turning or maintaining bend and contact. So theoretically if what I'm remembering is right, the horse could be not strong and snaffle mouthed, but fond of evading or opening it's mouth.
Also, if I'm correct it has a similar function to a flash (only encourages more athleticism and is designed for doing fast work e.g. galloping and jumping) including holding the bit steady in the mouth, which some horses prefer.
 
snaffle mouth seems to count for pretty much nothing I think!

You have snaffle mouth = you only have to think halt and close your hands for the horse to respond,
and there is also...
snaffle mouth = haul like billy o until back teeth are extracted then horse will grind to a halt at a place of his choosing!!

I don't think the use of grackles suggests a strong horse - more to avoid them evading by crossing their jaw or opening their mouth (for which there may well be a discomfot/schooling reason for)
 
AndySpooner said:
Just another piece of crap to contain and restrict the horse.
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ouch, that's a bit strong.

I'm sure we'd all love to have perfectly schooled / mannered horses but for those of us who don't we may have to resort to alternative tack to assist us with training and schooling and thus allow us to improve.

If it's not causing the horse discomfort or distress by it's use then I for one don't have an issue with it.
 
AndySpooner said:
Just another piece of crap to contain and restrict the horse.
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*******s!! my horses go very happily in grackles because i do not have haul and hang on to them to try and stop or control them, i would much rather have control from an item that some people like yourself 'AndySpooner' do not have adequate knowledge of than a cavason with no control and be damaging my horses mouth.
 
I used to ride my old horse in a grackle ... actually, he was also a strong horse and I also rode him in a waterford!

I used the gag to help stop him crossing his jaw and thus evading the bit. Although this action was reduced in a flash, he could still evade the big if he tried - as he had learnt to cross his jaw, rather than just open his mouth.

He had all other avenue's explored - teeth, back, tack - he had regular sports massage treatments as well as physiotherapy, so I am 99.9% certain it wasn't pain related.

I used a waterford as he was strong and used to take a hold and then just 'go' - he could be ridden in the school in a snaffle, but out of the school we were much safer in a waterford, as it prevented him being able to take a hold. In a waterford, I just had to half-halt and he generally came back to me - in any other bit, I'd be socking his back teeth out and still have no response.

Again - all other avenue's for this behaviour were explored, before putting him in a stronger than a snaffle bit.
 
stroppy said:
*******s!! my horses go very happily in grackles because i do not have haul and hang on to them to try and stop or control them, i would much rather have control from an item that some people like yourself 'AndySpooner' do not have adequate knowledge of than a cavason with no control and be damaging my horses mouth.
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****s
 
stroppy said:
*******s!! my horses go very happily in grackles because i do not have haul and hang on to them to try and stop or control them, i would much rather have control from an item that some people like yourself 'AndySpooner' do not have adequate knowledge of than a cavason with no control and be damaging my horses mouth.
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I agree completely :)
 
sorry if i sound like i was criticising i dont have a problem with grackle nosebands, i didnt realise horses that werent strong would need them. i just felt like some people were dressing up these horses as being really safe and then they need a really strong piece of tack to control them.
 
I wouldn't worry overly about the tack if you like the horse.
My mare was ridden in a single joint eggbut (granted not the most extreme thing ever but she has a large tonge and v low palate so must have been v uncomfortable for her), tight grakle and runing martingale. Took all of it off and rode her in a ns french link, no noseband or martingale - my god she was a different horse!!! (for the better!)
If you like the horse, the additions can be easily tinkered with!
 
They have their place but have become a fashion accessory also. Still, I prefer them to flash nosebands which now appear to be 'the norm.'

Stroppy - I think you've just made the error of admitting who you really are - not the horseless girlfriend of an ex-forum member with a million names, but the person themselves. Oopsie.
 
I like my grackle for eowyn. She was strong, couldnt stope her even in a kimblewick. Tried a flash same sporblem no matter what i put in her mouth she wouldnt stop in company.

Then came the grackle. Now i can stop her and we have went back to a french link loose rine bit and I can even stop her in that.

The reason??? She cant cross her jaw and get her tongue over the bit :) Simples :D
 
i use a grackle and american gag on my jumping pony,as i find it easiest to ride her in she also doesnt overbend in it,but alot of people use grackles for decoration now a days.
 
Munchkin said:
They have their place but have become a fashion accessory also. Still, I prefer them to flash nosebands which now appear to be 'the norm.'

Stroppy - I think you've just made the error of admitting who you really are - not the horseless girlfriend of an ex-forum member with a million names, but the person themselves. Oopsie.
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Believe what you will makes no odds to me at all, Next....
 
My share Horse Nelly is in a grackle and snaffle, She isn't strong but when excited (jumping and fast hacking) she will try to evade the bit so the grackle just prevents her from opening and crossing her jaw. But otherwise isn't strong at all! so don't be put off by the fact the Horse you like is in a grackle. As others said its better to have that and stop easily and gently then haul on the Horses mouth! As long as it is fitted correctly then theres no harm in using one.
 
My boy is in a grackle with a NS verbidend?? (sp) lozenge bit, as someone said he is a snaffle mouthed pony as in i only have to squeeze the reins for halt, not haul on his mouth like mad. He has had his back, teeth checked and has had a brand new saddle fitted, he is comfortable with this bit, he's just a cheeky boy, who likes if possible to get away with not working correctly. :D

Dont let the tack put you off, i bought the above pony who was in a 3 ring gag on the bottom ring when i went to try him, it didn't even fit and asked if they had anything else to try him in went very sweetly in a french link.

I prefer a grackle to a flash. :)
 
Grackles are intended to prevent a horse from crossing their jaw and/or setting their jaw against you and thus evading the riders aids.

I would hazard a guess that a strong horse would do this hence the belief that a horse wearing a grackle = strong horse. But, they could and probably are used on horses that are just a little ignorant and have a habit of trying to evade rider aids whilst not necessarily being a strong horse.
 
I really do get frustrated by a lot of folk, who appear to have little or no understanding of the appropreate tack for the horse that they have.

Only the other day I saw a person who I know quite well who was using a flash, I was quite suprised by this as I know the horse and it has never needed anything like this. When I asked about it the reply was that the bridle was new and the flash came with it, so the rider thought it would be 'nice' to use it.

I'm sure most of the stuff people put on their horses is not required, and none of it is a substitute for proper training or being a crap rider.
 
my horse is snaffle mouthed hollow mouth snaffle to be accurate but we used a grackle nose band for a while as he used to cross his jaw badly ... then we started using a flash now he doesnt do this any more so he has nothing . it worked for me and him ...... and he isnt strong at all
 
Wow, AndySpooner sounds like a cock!! :)

Badger has one on for hunting (with a snaffle), where he is strong, so maybe not the best example. I wouldn't let it bother you too much though, don't think they are that much different to a flash really and everyone seems to wear them! Maybe he just has one on because his owners thought it looked pretty.

Also a strong horse isn't necessarily unsafe. :)
 
Starbucks said:
Badger has one on for hunting (with a snaffle), where he is strong, so maybe not the best example. I wouldn't let it bother you too much though, don't think they are that much different to a flash really and everyone seems to wear them! Maybe he just has one on because his owners thought it looked pretty.

Head, desk, thump.
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AndySpooner said:
Starbucks said:
Badger has one on for hunting (with a snaffle), where he is strong, so maybe not the best example. I wouldn't let it bother you too much though, don't think they are that much different to a flash really and everyone seems to wear them! Maybe he just has one on because his owners thought it looked pretty.

Head, desk, thump.
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Why? My horse doesn't have a grackle on for hunting because it looks pretty, he has one on because it works better for us than anything else we've tried. Maybe it's because I can't ride, after all, anyone who could would hunt any horse in a simple snaffle bridle wouldn't they. :)

I agree with you with regards to people having tack they don't need, and was pointing out that the horse advertised could have been one of these.
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I don't use one personally, mines in a plain cavasson as he's happy with that, however if a grackle suits your horse and they need it then I don't have an issue with them.

I do think there is a phase of 'fashion' though to put a grackle on your horse so it looks good... :rolleyes: That I don't agree with but each to their own!
 
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