Marko Björs says that in the situation you have to evaluate the whole and the use of the horse’s musculature.
Paris Olympics on channels 26.7.–11.8. Go to the competition website here.
World Cup medalist by Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour the top scores they got surprised them in the Paris dressage qualification. The Danish World Cup medalist’s horse Freestyle went through the track with his mouth open, but Laudrup-Dufour was still the first in Group D with 80.792 points.
The International Equestrian Federation according to the rules an open mouth is often considered a mistake. Above, a dressage rider and riding coach explaining riding Marko Björs says that the matter is complicated, because in the situation you have to evaluate the whole and the use of the horse’s musculature.
– The tongue, which is in the horse’s mouth, is one part of its musculature. If the horse tenses up, for example in the back or neck, it often starts to play with the tongue as well, and then it’s a clear mistake, says Björs.
In an ideal situation, the horse sucks the drool in such a way that the mouth remains closed. However, keeping your mouth open can be individual.
– But if you think about it, a person doesn’t necessarily always run with his mouth shut. After all, then the lips are open and we also breathe through the mouth. It’s terribly difficult to explain and assess why someone gets much worse scores when they have their mouth open and the other one doesn’t.
Björs thinks Laudrup-Dufour was deservedly the best in his group, but he wonders about the points scored by the Dane. Freestyle kept opening his mouth, but on the other hand, there were no signs of too strong reins or the horse becoming stressed.
– Personally, as a Grand Prix judge, I would have deducted even more points, but the jury has made its decision. There were seven of them and they were pretty unanimous. They are certainly professional and yes, he is among the top riders.
A horse may also open its mouth due to stress or nervousness.
– With a few horsemen, such situations were seen when they arrived at the arena in front of thousands of people. They were in a strange situation feeling a little stressed by the commotion and the cameras.
Laudrup-Dufour will next compete on Saturday in the final of the dressage team competition Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Nanna Skodborg Merraldin with.
Finland too Emma Kanerva, Henry Ruoste and Joanna Robinson are involved in the competition. Kanerva also qualified for the individual final competition, which is on Sunday.