Eventers not wearing martingales?

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slumdog

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A bit of a random question, I was wondering why many of the eventing horses don't wear martingales for show jumping? I've noticed it on telly and I was at weston lawns a few Thursdays ago and none of the eventers have them on but all the show jumpers seem to. Is there an actual reason why they don't wear them or do eventing horses just generally not need them?

Sorry for the random question of the day! :)
 
I jump in a breast plate xc, but sj with just snaffle bridle and saddle, he canters round in nice rhythm and doesn't throw his head around so doesn't need one, be interesting to hear other views, I do see a lot of horses in martingales that don't appear to need them
 
I XC and SJ with a martingale because K has a habit of throwing her head around, and losing control with ears up my nostrils isn't fun. I also like having that little neck strap to grab if things get hairy. If she didn't need it though, I wouldn't use it.
 
Sometimes my horse needs it some times not. Xc he probably doesn't need it as hes very fluid and rhythmical.
Showjumping he can sometimes be quite sprightly and throw a big jump and then do a 'yee ha' so just helps keep him together. At least with a martingale they only come into play when you really need them.
 
Whilst I am as far away from an expert as you could find, did used to think that quite a lot of event horses would benefit from a running martingale show jumping. That was back in the day and I think the standard of event show jumping had hugely improved at top level.
 
It got me thinking because I've always ridden in one since I've had him, but with his current pole knocking issues its made me think about my tack and wondered if his leather breast plate could be restricting (not that I think every pole he has down is because of his martingale or his tack, I wish lol) I think the dressage training with the event horses makes a big difference, certainly at low levels of bs.
 
I don't use a martingale for SJ or XC, don't really feel the need for it so why wear one?

I do use one for hunting, but only because my horse can sometimes be a bit stupid when moving off or if asked to stand still when others are moving off. He doesn't need it once you get going.
 
My SJ boy came to me all martingaled up... within a couple of weeks I realised he didn't need one at all, he stays together and doesn't stick his nose in the clouds regardless, my ex-racer on the other hand didn't have one when I got him, and certainly needed one, the number of fences we crashed through because he spent all his time trashing his head around before I got one! :rolleyes:
Some horses need it, some don't, at the high levels the riders should know their horses inside out so if they aren't wearing one they most likely never need one.
 
I jump and hack with a running martingale simply because Taz can get a wee bit excited and it only comes into action when it is needed, last thing I want is his ears in my face and having no control, for me its like a safety blanket, at least if anything may go wrong, the martingale is there to try and prevent it, Taz is 8 and has had it on since he was broken, he does flatwork without it though
 
I think if you ride quietly enough, there's no harm in giving yourself a bit of a seatbelt. I'd always pop a martingale on for XC. most of the time for SJ.
 
well we event at Intro level and just use the same tack, a plain snaffle bridle and GP saddle for all three phases, I have never had a martingale, always put a neckstrap on for XC though- just in case! But to be fair, my boy is built a little downhill and is more inclined to drop his head and buck than throw his head up, so I have never felt the need for one.. also the less tack to clean the better for me :-)) i guess it is a case of "horses for courses"
 
I just use a breastplate, no martingale.
He dosent need one, dosent throw his head up!

I noticed that quite a lot of horses at badminton had no martingales for xc, just breastplates :)
 
I never use a martingale on any horse XC because I find them very inhibiting. I like to ride with a slightly longer reign and open my hand to turn, and I find the martingale just stops me doing that.
 
It's an interesting one isn't it. I haven't typically used one on my current mare because she doesn't chuck her head around or carry it high so doesn't need one...But I got picked up by a very well respected eventing trainer for not having one on, who pointed out that they can sometimes make the difference between regaining steering and control a split second more quickly than if you didn't have one on when you have a hairy moment. She was thinking of incidents like Michael Jung and Sam had in the lake - where something goes awry and you need to pull the horse round quickly, that having a martingale ensures that pull isn't upwards and doesn't yank the horse's head up so therefore probably gets you balanced more quickly... I'd hazard a suggestion that if you're going to get yanked in the chops it's also a bit kinder to be yanked lower down via a martingale than whiplashed back like Sam was there...

I haven't made my mind up though.

Did notice that someone (argh can't remember who now!) definitely appeared to be riding with just a martingale and no breastplate attachment - now if so that was very very unusual.
 
I dont wear one showjumping as usually im heading straight from dressage so wouldnt have one on anyway.

I wear one cross country more for safety to have something extra to grab incase anything went wrong and nowadays my breast plate and martingale are all in one so have to wear it going cross country.
 
If a horse doesn't need one then I don't put one on - for the pure and simple reason is that I find it mildly interfears with the true contact, even when not coming into action.
 
I personally always ride in a martingale - as Socks and Bugsy tend to throw their heads about a bit...and then out of habit I have one on Monty too!
 
When I sold my last horse I had a potential purchaser in some kind of shock that I hadn't put a martingale on for jumping or XC (although he did have a neck strap for XC) he just didnt need one at all but when she bought him that was the first thing she changed, martingale now worn for everything. Still doesn't need it!
 
I always jump and do fast work in a martingale, as someone else mentioned it's like a seatbelt. Only comes in to effect when needed (when properly fitted of course ;) )
 
I believe in wearing the minimum of tack required for the horse. My grey lad jumps SJ and now XC also in just a snaffle bridle and a neckstrap. I think that breastplates can be very restrictive, and I do not use one if not needed. He does not wear the martingale as his jumping technique is quite extravagant and he does not appreciate any restriction down the rein.

On the other hand, my bay lad is currently jumping in a market harborough as it is really showing him the way in terms of making a shape over a fence. Won't be a permanent solution. he will hopefully grow out of it! He too does not wear a breastplate as I believe they are restrictive in terms of developing good shoulder technique over a jump.
 
I rather like martingales. Not harsh like the gear some people put in their horse's mouths. And act efficiently when needed without causing harm. They also look rather smart. Having said that, I don't ride in one - he definitely doesn't need one. And less tack to clean.
 
RachelFerd said:
I believe in wearing the minimum of tack required for the horse. My grey lad jumps SJ and now XC also in just a snaffle bridle and a neckstrap. I think that breastplates can be very restrictive, and I do not use one if not needed. He does not wear the martingale as his jumping technique is quite extravagant and he does not appreciate any restriction down the rein.

On the other hand, my bay lad is currently jumping in a market harborough as it is really showing him the way in terms of making a shape over a fence. Won't be a permanent solution. he will hopefully grow out of it! He too does not wear a breastplate as I believe they are restrictive in terms of developing good shoulder technique over a jump.
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I really thought I was the only person who dislikes breastplates for the reason above , I am not alone interesting.
 
I'd be more inclined to ask why ALL the SJ's wear a martingale than ask why eventers do not. Nasty, awful, interfering things that certainly do have a marked effect on the contact ALL the time. Most horses that wear one don't need it, or if they do it is the training/riding that needs fixing. Makes me sad to see little 3 year olds being broken in a running martingale, and then ridden all their lives that way. Awful.
 
Cortez said:
I'd be more inclined to ask why ALL the SJ's wear a martingale than ask why eventers do not. Nasty, awful, interfering things that certainly do have a marked effect on the contact ALL the time. Most horses that wear one don't need it, or if they do it is the training/riding that needs fixing. Makes me sad to see little 3 year olds being broken in a running martingale, and then ridden all their lives that way. Awful.
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I would much rather put a standing matringale on a three year old than a running one .
 
Martingales generally have the effect of putting the pressure of the bit on the bars of the mouth (downward pressure) rather than the bit being able to go up into the corners of the mouth. Have a look at a skelaton of a horse - the bars of the mouth are pretty pointy and they don't have much flesh to cover them. I reckon it has to be worse than having someone knock metal against your shin bone, having a bit hit against the bars of the mouth.

So actually I believe that martingales can have quite a harsh effect- the horse may put his head down to get away from the pain on the bars in his mouth, sure, (hence the desired effect of a martingale in most cases) but actually if you're riding XC and you have an accident and hang on to the reins, I fail to see how it is better to do that with a martingale on than without? OK without a martingale you may pull on the corner of the mouth but to me that seems the lesser of the two evils.

Also, if the horse falls, to me a martingale is just another bit of kit for the horse (or rider) to get caught up in).

Last but not least, as said above, a correctly schooled horse shouldn't need one anyway. I could probably also add that in classical terms, the bit is always supposed to work on the corners of the mouth rather than the bars.

Can you tell I'm not a martingale fan? ;)
 
I use a martingale for hacking and jumping as much for a safety blanket as anything else, and I like having a neck strap. I don't see that it interferes with the contact in any way - it's lightweight so the horse surely can't feel much weight from the rings on the reins? Mine is fitted correctly so it only comes into play in extreme circumstances. I never school in it unless I'm being too lazy to take it off the reins. Don't see what harm it's doing my horse so I shall continue to use it for now. Each to their own I guess, although I'd rather see kit fitted correctly and not obstructing the horse, even if unnecessary, than see someone struggling on trying to avoid using a "gadget" because it's more fashionable/correct to be without it (the same goes for bits).
 
I've never used a martingale on my horses, and don't intend to start....the current one doesn't throw his head at all, and he's big and young, and needs to find his own balance whether it's SJ or XC. I'll put a neck strap on for courses but haven't used one thus far with him.

He's also in a snaffle with no flash - gasp!

But then I only boot him if we're jumping, and he hasn't worn bandages or boots for flatwork since the day he arrived :p
 
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