Tongue Tuesday

Got to the barn last night, realized I forgot my Dressage bridle/bit at home, but couldn't school fences since there are still no fences in the indoor.  So I schooled Dressage in his jump bridle and bit, and he was awesome for the first 15 minutes, because I focused on that outside hind thing from the very beginning.

He was straight, REALLY pushing from behind, responsive to the slightest aid, mouthing the bit, my hands were soft, his lateral work was fantastic...until he started sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth.  The other woman riding in the indoor alerted me to it.  "He looks awesome, except for that tongue," she said.

Sigh.  This is Connor letting me know in no uncertain terms that that bit is too much leverage when he's really on my aids and thinking "DRESSAGE!" like that.  I didn't blame him, and also didn't want to start any bad habits, so I called it an early night.  He'd done all of the exercises from our last lesson really well until the tongue came out, so it's not like we were slacking.

(Of course, on my drive home I realized I could have just put my reins on the big ring and taken away the leverage action, but hey.  First time I've owned an elevator, give me a pass on that one!)

Afterward I took a phone call while brushing his coat until it gleamed.  Too bad that coat's going to be gone on Saturday.