standing martingale vs running

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GSD Woman

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I know that a standing martingale is no substitute for training but why the total disdain to keep from head bonked until the horse is trained? I'm not too familiar with running martingales but isn't it used for the same purpose? Please educate me.
 
I'd like to know too. A running martingale can put enormous downwards pressure on the bit and subsequently the bars of the mouth. I'd like to learn why a correctly fitted standing martingale is seen as a negative.
 
As a child I witnessed a horse chuck it head violently, smash the riders nose and take her two front teeth out. We were all engaged quickly to look in the grass for her front teeth. We found them, not in the grass but in the horses neck. This image has stayed with me for a lifetime.

The lesson for all of us Pony Clubbers at the show that day was martingales were to prevent this happening to your face BUT they must be fitted to only come into play when the horses nose is higher than his wither.

Standing martingale/head checks we don’t see anymore but running martingales I consistently see fitted incorrectly, rings too short, so that the bit is pulled down on the bars of the mouth. Makes me crazy!!!
 
I am a other who will use a standing if we hit a problem. I re-trained a horse who had learned to totally disregard the bit when he felt like it. Was light and responsive in a snaffle 99.999% of the time, but once in a while, when out in the open, would simply go for it.

For that one, I used a Cheltenham gag, with 2 reins. 99.999% of the time, it was a nice snaffle. If he went, you had 3 strides to get it back before he was unstoppable, so I would feel it, grab the bottom rein and bloomin' well use it! Without a standing martingale, I suspect I too would have been looking for front teeth!

It only happened a few times, the horse realised that his behaviour was rather painful, so simply quit it. After a while, the bit changed back to a snaffle and he never noticed. I had interchanged them for schooling/road riding anyway, so it simply faded away as a need.

Not what the fluffies would like, but it was quick and effective, and the horse returned to be a model citizen, enjoying life in his snaffle at all times. Better than being carted and the horse written off as dangerous.
 
They used to be pretty standard on hunters and show jumpers, I wonder why they fell out of fashion?
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I use a standing martingale on all the young horses when they start hacking on the roads. Much better than a running martingale as they don't interfere with the bit in any way. I think they are a much underrated piece of kit, and have absolutely no affect on the horse unless he/she throws their head right up - unless of course they are incorrectly fitted!
 
I have always used a standing martingale after my sister gained a broken nose when her pony tossed his head when bothered by flies. I can count on one hand the number of times I have used a running martingale on any of my own horses.
 
I had completely forgotten about standing martingales. I've been looking for something to help with my horse on the gallops. He tosses his head if I ask for slow work, but when he is at his cruising speed or faster his head is steady. This might just be the thing I've been looking for!
 
I follow some American instagram account, a lot of their jumpers are jumped in standing martingales. I though over in the UK that is seen as a massive no-no
 
I can’t remember the last time one of my horses went in a running martingale (including Eventing), I hate them with a passion.

When they are young/just broken they pretty much wear a loose elasticated standing as a matter of course (if I’m riding them anyway!). I’d happily have them jump smaller fences in a standing.
 
ecb89 said:
I follow some American instagram account, a lot of their jumpers are jumped in standing martingales. I though over in the UK that is seen as a massive no-no
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Standing martingales are pretty much standard in American hunter jumper classes, and used to be seen more often than running martingales when I was a kid. I think they have been superseded by running martingales simply because of the "control" element caused by the hidden, or at least unacknowledged, pully effect of the running.
 
I use one now. All the babies wore a standing martingale out hacking until they were established and my cob who likes to stick her ears in my eye when she gets silly is ridden in it all the time. Running martingales are the work of the devil if not fitted correctly and having seen a dear friend have his pelvis smashed into many pieces after a horse hooked a tooth on a running martingale and went up and over backwards, I am not a fan of them.

You don't see them now for the simple reason that everyone is fixated in the noseband craze of grackles fastened under the eye socket, crank nosebands and don't get me started on those ugly multi spider type things. Insult to a good horse to be plastered in dozens of straps.
 
AdorableAlice said:
I use one now. All the babies wore a standing martingale out hacking until they were established and my cob who likes to stick her ears in my eye when she gets silly is ridden in it all the time. Running martingales are the work of the devil if not fitted correctly and having seen a dear friend have his pelvis smashed into many pieces after a horse hooked a tooth on a running martingale and went up and over backwards, I am not a fan of them.

You don't see them now for the simple reason that everyone is fixated in the noseband craze of grackles fastened under the eye socket, crank nosebands and don't get me started on those ugly multi spider type things. Insult to a good horse to be plastered in dozens of straps.
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As am currently riding in hunter noseband which is really only on for (my) aesthetics, I completely agree!?

For jumping B, I have a running martingale on then, but a few sj coaches have laughed (how blooming dare they!) at the fit...... it will only come into effect if things go so badly wrong. Its correctly fitted imho, exactly as taught in the 70s. It doesn't need to be a lever whatsoever, I use it as a neck strap 1st and as an 'oh shit' piece of equipment 2nd.
A correctly fitted standing would do just as well, but I dont have one to fit B in my spares (not one that's serviceable).
 
I think all ‘gadgets’ I use the term lightly, have a use as long as they are used correctly and fitted correctly at all times. I do use a running martingale but it doesn’t interfere with the way my horse is working and only comes into play if he puts his head too high where the rein control is then lost. It becomes passive once the horses head is back in the normal carriage.
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
As am currently riding in hunter noseband which is really only on for (my) aesthetics, I completely agree!?

For jumping B, I have a running martingale on then, but a few sj coaches have laughed (how blooming dare they!) at the fit...... it will only come into effect if things go so badly wrong. Its correctly fitted imho, exactly as taught in the 70s. It doesn't need to be a lever whatsoever, I use it as a neck strap 1st and as an 'oh shit' piece of equipment 2nd.
A correctly fitted standing would do just as well, but I dont have one to fit B in my spares (not one that's serviceable).
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Isn't it wonderful to be old and still using all the old methods. All the matchy colours, bling and fashion doesn't do a thing for me. The vast majority of my tack room contents is 30 years plus old. The only 'modern' bits of kit are a Micklem, which was very kindly given to Ted by a forum member in the hope it would help his poll/ear problems. It did but he outgrew it, but it is still in use on another horse. A five point breast plate and a hot horse shower.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Isn't it wonderful to be old and still using all the old methods. All the matchy colours, bling and fashion doesn't do a thing for me. The vast majority of my tack room contents is 30 years plus old. The only 'modern' bits of kit are a Micklem, which was very kindly given to Ted by a forum member in the hope it would help his poll/ear problems. It did but he outgrew it, but it is still in use on another horse. A five point breast plate and a hot horse shower.
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Ah, (cough, embarrassed) I do like some of the bright stuff as have a selection of bright orange saddle pads for hacking (no ears or bandages tho!) As the likes of Equito are almost hi vis ?
I've got plenty of non std nosebands but despite dipping into trying a drop and a (correctly fitted) grackle 2 yrs ago, I put in the work to be able to do everything in one rein and cavesson plain noseband :)
 
my recently broken cob who is a liveely soul , shall we say, threw his head right up to run through bridle, once.

on went the faithful standing mart, it does not touch him, he has no idea it is there, until he chucks his head up to go, avoid contact, then he stops chucking his head up, he only did that once since wearing the mart, and shows no inclination to do so again.

i have had this happen many times before.

the lack of knowledge about the use of such a simple piece of equipment is appalling
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
As am currently riding in hunter noseband which is really only on for (my) aesthetics, I completely agree!?

For jumping B, I have a running martingale on then, but a few sj coaches have laughed (how blooming dare they!) at the fit...... it will only come into effect if things go so badly wrong. Its correctly fitted imho, exactly as taught in the 70s. It doesn't need to be a lever whatsoever, I use it as a neck strap 1st and as an 'oh shit' piece of equipment 2nd.
A correctly fitted standing would do just as well, but I dont have one to fit B in my spares (not one that's serviceable).
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It's possible to use a running martingale as a standing martingale. Put the leather bits back through the rings on the running martso it creates a loop. Then put your noseband through the loop.
 
mini_b said:
Can someone post a photo of a correctly fitted standing martingale vs an incorrectly one please.
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I was always told that for a standing martingale, attach it to the noseband as usual then it should be long enough so you can put the leather right up into the throat area, sorry not a very good explanation!! And a running martingale, whilst it's not attached to your reins, the 2 pieces of leather that go on the reins should be long enough to reach the horses withers, again sorry not a great explanation!!
 
Fern007 said:
It's possible to use a running martingale as a standing martingale. Put the leather bits back through the rings on the running martso it creates a loop. Then put your noseband through the loop.
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Yes, done that previously ta ? Old noseband probably wouldn't stand up to anything these days as it's really for decor only ??
 
The jumping pony I rode when I was (a lot) younger was talented but had a tendency to stick his ears up your nose and hit warp speed. He was jumped in a standing martingale. I've stuck them on a few other horses who liked to lift their head and be rude - but I know from comments at the time that people think they look harsher than a running martingale so maybe that's why they aren't used.
 
SEL said:
The jumping pony I rode when I was (a lot) younger was talented but had a tendency to stick his ears up your nose and hit warp speed. He was jumped in a standing martingale. I've stuck them on a few other horses who liked to lift their head and be rude - but I know from comments at the time that people think they look harsher than a running martingale so maybe that's why they aren't used.
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I think you have a point, the standing martingale ‘straps the head down’ whereas the running doesn’t appear to
 
I rode away all my youngsters in standing martingales they really are very very useful .
I am relaxed about running martingales especially on hunters where they do prevent horses getting whacked in the mouth in a disaster where the riders hands go up .
I have some horses I jumped in a martingale and some I don’t correctly fitted they do no harm .
 
Fern007 said:
I was always told that for a standing martingale, attach it to the noseband as usual then it should be long enough so you can put the leather right up into the throat area, sorry not a very good explanation!! And a running martingale, whilst it's not attached to your reins, the 2 pieces of leather that go on the reins should be long enough to reach the horses withers, again sorry not a great explanation!!
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I remember reading an article, oh like ermm 20 odd years ago that the running should be the same and up in the gullet not back to withers.
They photos they used were of a chestnut horse, weird what we remember isn't it lol.
 
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