horses wearing tack for looks and not for a purpose.

J

jemmeg

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A friend of mine has just bought a really nice hunterbreast plate and martingale it looks very smart but on her own admission her horse has no need for either she just thinks it looks good. each to there own I however own a frisian that when he is in fresian mode if I didnt have a martingale would end up with his ear up my left nostril. I would love not bother having etc tack to put on and clean. As we have been disscusing tack what do you think ?
 
I always use a martingale whether the horse *needs* it or not - you never know when you might need it or a neckstrap and I know that it does not impede the horse as I fit it correctly.
 
Its not for looks but I never remove the martingale attachment from my breastplate if I am schooling - he doesn't need it to school but I can never been bothered to keep putting it back on for jumping!

I don't see the point in wearing something for the sack of it - I think its just as nice to see a horse in a simple bridle and snaffle
 
If her horse doesn't need a martingale then correctly fitted neither it nor the breastplate will be doing anything anyway, therefore it makes no odds and who cares. It's no worse than having matching bandages, saddlecloth and bodywarmer IMO...
 
There is a girl i know who all tack is bought for how it looks!

Also all the kids have half pad sheepskins cos they look "smart"! Did explain to one that how it feels under the saddle and it vanished the next day!
 
i don't put anything on the horse that it doesn't need, but that's cos i'm prob too lazy to clean extra stuff!
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i HATE martingales with a passion, but i know that some horses need them.
a friend bought a horse once which fell on its nose if you took its martingale off, as it had got used to leaning on it/the rider's hands for years and years.
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Use a hunting breastplate on my cob as he's hogged and I am a complete numpty, can't get on without a mane to haul myself up by so use the neck bit as a handle!!!!
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I have a all in one type martingale and breastplate. She doesn't need the martingale but I leave it on anyways - very useful as an extra rein
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i dont like martingales either, i prefer just a snaffle and cavesson, as basic amount of tack as possible.

however, ive just put one of my horses in a dutch gag and a standing martingale and wish it had occured to me to do so weeks ago!
 
I always use a martingale on something im not sure on or something i don't trust but for Rock its just a simple snaffle bridle and saddle for schooling - however I do go cross country in a breastplate and martingale attachment
 
I like to use as litle tack as possible, however, I do use a hunting breastplate on my WB, not because his saddle slips, but in case he has a meltdown so I've got something to grab onto!
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It does have a martingale attachment, but I'd only use it if I needed to, ie if we went XC or something. I find even if fitted correctly, if he puts his head up during schooling it interferes with his mouth/my rein contact, so I prefer to leave it off unless necessary.
 
I did have an ex who took his horse (ex grade A SJ, ex whipper in's horse for VWH - not a plod lol) hunting - he'd only been riding a few months at the time. He decided that dressage reins looked smart (rubber on the inside only) and that he'd look really cool in SPURS!!! *chuckle*

He came back and the poor horse was sweated up like god knows what
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and his (new) reins no longer had any rubber on them.....last time he used spurs.....
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Always thought I would use the breastplate to help me stay on in a situation but obviously I am not that quick thinking!! Have managed to come off quite well all on my own thanks!
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For schooling mine just wear a bridle, snaffle and saddle.

For showjumping or anything else for that matter they both have a running martingale and breastplate oh and tendon boots.
 
I use a a hunting breastplate so I have a safety handle but like jen1 my brain isnt quick enough and I end up on the floor, although I do think that the running martingale keep the rains in place whilst she disappears off into the distance
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i use a bridle without a nose band as my girl doesn't need one and am shocked by the amount of owners that use the flash or crank nose band without understanding how to fit them or the action of them. simply used because they came with the bridle to make it look complete. and the amount or kiddies ponies i know that are ridden in a continental gag-usually on the bottom ring.. makes my blood boil as i know the hands everywhere kiddie or the parent doesn't know any better!
it's never an excuse for a badly schooled horse or rider
 
The only time I've used tack when I don't need it is when my parents bought me a £100 bridle which came with a grakle on it. I use it on 1 of my mares who you could ride just as safely in a headcollar but even on the tightest hole its too loose to have an effect so I don't think it does her any harm.
 
I dont like lots of gadgets,just the way I was taught I guess-still do think it shows the rider cant controll the horse so souldnt be on it,needs to inprove their riding or both!
Martingale/hunter breastplate being the exception,you never know when something to hang onto will be handy
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my old yo was like that i used to school her mare for her every now and again in basic tack (she was in a pelham though as i wasn't going to mess around with changing her bit its not my place) but she was calm and i could ride her on the end of the buckle however when yo got on her she had every gizmo and gadget attached so said horse looked like she couldn't move her head she looked like a giraff and was very tense and silly, it is one of those things that really annoys me
 
[ QUOTE ]
i use a bridle without a nose band as my girl doesn't need one and am shocked by the amount of owners that use the flash or crank nose band without understanding how to fit them or the action of them. simply used because they came with the bridle to make it look complete. and the amount or kiddies ponies i know that are ridden in a continental gag-usually on the bottom ring.. makes my blood boil as i know the hands everywhere kiddie or the parent doesn't know any better!
it's never an excuse for a badly schooled horse or rider

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Agreed!!! Fortunately as a showing judge I don't come across the misuse of various nosebands, bits, etc. QUITE so often, but at the local shows you can see me visibly squirm at the kids warming up out side the show-jumping ring. How I'd love to get hold of them and put the rein on the top ring and tie their hands down!!!
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
i use a bridle without a nose band as my girl doesn't need one and am shocked by the amount of owners that use the flash or crank nose band without understanding how to fit them or the action of them. simply used because they came with the bridle to make it look complete. and the amount or kiddies ponies i know that are ridden in a continental gag-usually on the bottom ring.. makes my blood boil as i know the hands everywhere kiddie or the parent doesn't know any better!
it's never an excuse for a badly schooled horse or rider

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed!!! Fortunately as a showing judge I don't come across the misuse of various nosebands, bits, etc. QUITE so often, but at the local shows you can see me visibly squirm at the kids warming up out side the show-jumping ring. How I'd love to get hold of them and put the rein on the top ring and tie their hands down!!!
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Not normally the childs fault,parents will buy equipment,they just use it.
Still,that makes it worse....could almost excuse a child for it but an adult should be teaching the child.If they dont know how to use somehting how on earth is the child ment to learn?
 
Wouldn't use a noseband on my mare - her western bridle doesn't have one - except you have to use one for BD and its one more thing for me to forget on a show morning!
Have used a breastplate as a 'security blanket' when she was being nappy, made me feel better tho I never actually needed it as a grab handle!
 
Personally don't like anything on a horse that it does not need - each to their own though
 
As with most things tack seems to follow fads, dutch gags were all the rage, then the half numnahs all of which will no doubt will be followed by something else!!

I personally like to use the minumum, I have a TB and an arab both are ridden in snaffles and cavessons, although before I bought my mare she was in a dutch gag and martingale.
 
I think my horse looks very pretty in her Myler Combination Bit and Standing Martingale - a proper showjumper.

I'm just upset that the JW Breastplate I bought her is too small, and I can no longer ride her in her sheepskin pad as she has a prolite pad instead - it is such a boring colour, and she is way too fat for the JW Stud Girth
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