You may have noticed that in pretty much every single picture I post of Courage (including the fancy dressage ones), his mouth is open.(Noted: I'm pretty selective about editing, so maybe you don't see it as much as I do, but let me assure you, it's a thing.)
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| Summer |
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| Could he be more good looking? |
But here's the thing--according to both S (biomechanics) and C (dressage), it's far better at this point to let Courage express his tension by opening and closing his mouth than it is to tie it shut and force that tension to show up another way.
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| You may be sick of this pic. I'm not. |
So I'm not saying I'd never put a flash on him--I have before and I'm sure it will happen again. It's just that for where we're at right now, I'd rather he open his mouth and release his topline than close his mouth and invert.
Because let's face it, that tension is coming out somewhere.
You're smart. Thanks for not forcing your horse's mouth shut to make him look pretty while he's still learning.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! Pig "grins" all of the time when he's working in contact. His mouth isn't "open" instead his teeth are closed and his nose and upper lip are wrinkled up. Mostly it's because I'm carrying tension somewhere, or we're working on something hard and he's trying hard. I don't worry about it. He closes his mouth when he's comfortable and happy with my hands. Otherwise he lets me know something is hard. If my hands are truly bad, he grinds his teeth, which clues me in quickly that I'm not using my shoulders and elbows properly. It's communication, and I wouldn't get it with his mouth strapped shut.
ReplyDelete(Note: I do use a drop noseband, but it is in no way "strapping his mouth shut." It's 2 fingers loose, and just used to support the bit against his lips and off his bars, and mitigate my occasionally unsteady hands. Mechanically you can use a drop to strap the mouth closed, but at that point you are in danger of breaking the nose or impinging on the breathing. Baaaaad idea.)
Youre such a lovely person for this! Makes me feel bad for even putting one on, loosely ....perhaps I should nix it completely and see what happens!! Hes (C-rage) wonderful, per usual.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree!! Good job!!
ReplyDeleteOh and I never get sick of those pictures!
I could care less about open mouths. I leave my drop loose it's just there becauset horses can all get very strong and it just helps with the brakes lol
ReplyDeleteAs the owner of a chronic mouth opener/chewer - I let him be expressive. It gives me another heads up that my horse is feeling anxious, and I can try to ride through that anxiety instead of masking it.
ReplyDeleteRiders against tight flashes! Jimmy Wofford would be proud.
ReplyDeleteGood call. And I never tire of even repeat Courage pictures :)
ReplyDeletei agree with your trainers completely. i tried a flash recently and it did exactly that - brought out the tension through different (and less welcome) channels.... no thank you!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't even thought about that. So much to learn. He's pretty darn handsome no matter what he is doing anyways!
ReplyDeleteI like this approach ;)
ReplyDeleteI had noticed, and I also noticed that your choosing equipment that allows him to do that. I have to concur with your trainers - I'd rather them be able to express themselves than simply tie their faces shut. And as my trainer so eloquently pointed out last night, anything i'm doing with my hands that's tense or fussy will just show up in his mouth or head. Whoops.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, unless you're cutting off circulation, it's pretty darn hard to clamp a horse's mouth shut with a flash/drop noseband/figure 8. There is going to be some degree of movement. That being said, I agree with you - there is no reason to use those to fix a problem that stems from relaxation. As Courage comes along, the mouth opening will most likely cease :)
ReplyDeleteYep - using equipment just to mask a problem is just asking for others to rear their ugly head. Can't wait to see Courage progress more!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. Putting a flash on is just treating the symptom, not fixing the problem. Eventually, with proper training, most horses relax and don't need a flash. Save 'em for the competition ring if necessary, but otherwise let the horse work it out.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this post, and this sentiment. Excellent!
ReplyDeleteI feel like a majority of horse people in our generation completely agree with you. There's always an easy way out, but it's never always the right way. Letting him find his way and his confidence is so important you that you're totally on the right track! Love it!
ReplyDeleteMiles did the same thing (and still does sometimes). I feel the same way you do -- I like to know when he's not relaxing and giving, that way I can continue to work on it!
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