2 reins through martingale ring?

Archiepoo

Archiepoo

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 September 2011
Messages
1,672
Visit site
just a musing really -ive seen quiet a few people in different aspects of competition riding with double reins but with both through the martingale ring- can someone tell me whats the reason for doing this?:eek:
 
There are so many sights to be seen at a horse show. Tack to hoick them up, tie them down, over bend them. The best being the horse wearing the lot at the same time. It takes all sorts I guess and the horse is invariably on the receiving end.

I went to try a horse years ago, advertised as working elem. Got there, all the way to blooming Manchester, and the 17h dressage horse was a 15.2h wearing a jointed pelham, tight running martingale and both reins in the loop. I was not best pleased !
 
Saw quite a few working hunters tacked like this at Cheshire this year. Can't think THEY were doing it through ignorance!
 
no im sure theyre doing it as a shortcut for something -its just beyond me what the point would be ! ive seen louise bell do it and ive seen a good number of showjumpers doing it-maybe its this years "in thing"
 
archiepoo said:
no im sure theyre doing it as a shortcut for something -its just beyond me what the point would be ! ive seen louise bell do it and ive seen a good number of showjumpers doing it-maybe its this years "in thing"
Click to expand...
Yes I asked my far more knowledgeable mate and she couldn't come up with a sensible reason for it either
 
Think logically about the action of the bits on a double bridle. One raises the outline and the other lowers. Why would you then put a martingale on both reins ?

Many horses are very strong and need a lot of bridle for whatever reason, but some tack works in total opposition to other tack when used together giving the horse totally mixed messages. I am no expert and my view is simplistic. In years gone by the only martingale used on a double bridle would be a standing martingale, fitted correctly and only coming into play if the horse chucked his head up to excess.
 
This not the correct way of doing things however when I was working on a hunter livery yard some of the horses hunted like this it was case of if that's what worked best thats what we did.
A martingale could be used ( incorrectly I know ) as a break in the rien to protect the horse from a rider raising their hands to high that's why I think those hunters prefered their tack sent up that way.
Can't think why educated people might do it , could it increase the contact on a strong horse by getting the riens closer together sooner ?
 
Only reason I can possibly think of is that they're norty horses who will raise their head to evade or put it between their legs and it's an attempt to keep their heads in around the right place?
 
Not with double bits but I have done it with two reins coming off a bevel bit, and seen it done with two off a 3 ring "gag".

I have done it a) sending a horse out hunting with a less experienced rider whom I thought was t risk of losing the second rein- the horse worked beautifully on two reins with a bevel, but NOT on one rein (mares!), and b) on said same arrangement when cross country- martingale over both to keep reins close together. In this instance I don't believe the mechanical effect on the horse varied enormously.
 
It's not unheard of to see showjumpers in converters and a running, which is more or less the same idea. In fact I believe this was one of the set ups they used on Hickstead. There are horses in the world that don't read the books. ;)

I'm not recommending people go out and try it though. But then I'd probably not recommend most of is try riding the Hicksteads of this world either!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top