Silence is Silver, Wide Open is Gold: An Anatomical Inventory of the Modern Dressage Horse’s Mouth

Recently, the author of this article happened to stumble across a dressage video. Nice, Dressage, he thought to himself. Grand Prix level. Famous rider. Time to take look. Surely, he could learn a thing or two. His jaw dropped - just like that of the horse, which remained uncompromisingly unhinged wide open for almost the entire dressage test.

Who needs the infamous “quiet, soft chewing with a mostly closed mouth” when you can proudly present the vast expanses of the anatomical pharynx of the horse to the world? The modern four-legged Grand Prix athlete apparently does not see himself as an introverted thinker, but rather as an extroverted opera singer who uses the dressage test to optimally project the acoustics of the arena with his mouth agape.

The evolutionary wonder of the permanently open mouth 

Traditional veterinary medicine operated for decades under the assumption that a closed mouth is the sign of a harmonious connection between the rider’s hand and the horse’s mouth. How antiquated. The latest empirical video study shows: a modern sport horse doesn't breathe through its nostrils - it breathes through its wide-open mouth. Or perhaps the horse's bit was levered open by the curb bit known as the double bridle and a rather heavy rein action. But no. But no. Fallacy. 

While the rider apparently works meticulously on the perfect contact - or rather saws away - with strong use of their arms, the horse demonstrates impressive independence. One moment the mouth is wide open, then not quite so wide. This not only spares the masticatory muscles, but also ensures a permanent supply of fresh air to the brain, which is an invaluable advantage during demanding movements. After all, a closed mouth feels restrictive; only an open trapdoor gives the expression that shocked dynamic usually read in the judge's protocol as "good riding of the rider."

The six-second wonder 

Yet those moments of pure kitsch still exist. On the very last centerline in passage, exactly about six seconds before the final halt, the unthinkable happened: the horse closed its mouth. A beautiful, crystal-clear moment in time. Suddenly there was dead silence. The spectators held their breath. Was the horse suddenly in its right mind? For about 6 long seconds, the breath of “harmonious" riding threatened to contaminate the arena. But the panic was short-lived: immediately after the passage, the mouth was wide open again.

The harmony score as a consolation prize So why get upset? The judges know what they are doing. If a horse looks for almost the entire dressage test as if it is about to swallow an entire millstone, the problem clearly lies with the viewer. Anyone who wants a closed mouth simply hasn’t understood the gravity of modern sport development. After all, the golden rule in the arena holds true: open jaw of the horse, win the prize. 

The author's fault? 

But maybe the author is wrong once again. After all, it was a very long moment in time. This moment in time lasted almost the entire dressage test. The author tried to take screenshots every single second of the test and came to the conclusion that the true "moment in time" was rather the one where the horse actually had its mouth shut.

symbolic picture