Dressage ...1st show of the year

Oh Saturday started as a very dreary day, overcast and drizzling. Ms. Lat and I are off to our 1st Dressage Show in 2009.

Well due to unforseen circumstances we got a late start which then makes my time to warm her up at the show grounds shorter. We pulled in about 20 minutes before I was to be in the ring for Intro A. After tacking her up we warmed up as best we could and into the ring we went. Well we were not as rounded as I would have liked but she still did very well, except for her tongue. It seems that Ms. Lat has taken a position with the Air Quailty Control Agency and hangs her tongue out the right side of her mouth in order to test the quality of the air. Unfortunately, in dressage you loose points for that so at the medium walk where I would have recieved a 7, I recieved comments like obedient transition, "SOME TONGUE ISSUES". Twenty meter circle, "Fairly round, "SOME TONGUE ISSUES", however Ms. Lat did end it with a 63.5% and we tied for 2nd but we were pushed to third because of "TONGUE ISSUES".

We had more time to work before Intro B. When we entered the arena Ms. Lat was nicely rounded and bending very nicely. We need to work on our straightness, our halts on entering, and of course "her tongue". The judge's comment on the 2nd test was "Fluid, attractive pair; shows good basics - WATCH TONGUE, but we did get 68% and won the class.

The problem with her tongue is not one that I have been unaware of but the tongue would only come out when she was totally relaxed not in the dressage arena when she is working. Any suggestions of how to solve this issue will be greatly appreciated.

Sunday, I decided not to show at a local hunter show with a Standardbred Division. It rained worst on Sunday than on Saturday but I did go to help groom for some of the members of the SPHO-NJ. My friend had her horse there that is related to Lat and has very minor tongue issues but she had purchased a new bit from Mikmar Eggbutt Ergom Lozenges Snaffle. Her horse's mouth was frothing, which is good and there was no problem with his tongue. Perhaps this is the answer. I may have to breakdown and buy one.