Standing Martingales

Grumpy Herbert

Grumpy Herbert

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It's been suggested to me I may find it easier to ride my horse in a standing martingale. I have a problem with him assuming the giraffe pose when he starts to get wound up and he will not drop his head! He is not very well schooled having only hunted for most of his life, so getting his head down is difficult at the best of times. He has improved a little in the school, but he's 16 now and really doesn't like school work (think I got him too late).

I'm not too keen on extra tack as a rule, but I would like more control of his head when we hack out, especially since I've just got back in the saddle after an 8 month break. What do those of you who use martingales think - will it help?
 
Well it will certainly stop his head going above the level you set and bashing you in the nose
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I personally try to avoid using martingales but if I need one a standing martingale would be my first choice, especially if it has an elastic insert.
I hate running martingales due to their action on the reins/mouth and I never feel like I have a true consistent contact. However a standing does not interfear with a horses mouth at all and is far more effective if you really do have a horse that flings its head up.
That said a standing on a rearer wouldn't always be a wise move!
 
I use standing martingales in preference to running ones. I like them on young horses, and am currently using one on an older horse for reschooling, because he tends to take off in the arena. I always use an elastic insert though.
 
agree with the above. a standing martingale is much kinder to the horse than a running, imho, no mouth action at all, simply stops him from throwing his head too high. i'm sure it would make hacking out much less stressful.
please please don't put him in draw reins though, they are far worse, and can cause a lot of damage.
 
Have to agree that a standing with elastic insert would deffinately do the trick for hacking out.
Standing martingales only begin to become a problem if you are jumping bigger fences as they restrict the horses natural ability to stretch and take away jump
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I have a livery on my yard that has the same problem and she uses a Harbridge, in case you are unfamiliar this is like a running martingale that comes from between the front legs and then has two straps with an elastic insert that clips onto each bit ring! when hacking she sets it quite long so that it is not doing anything that it is designed for ( making a horse work in a long & low outline) but when he spots something daunting etc he cant raise his head too high and the elastic is less chastising so he doesn't feel held down. It has started to educate him a little and certainly looks much better with muscle tone.
 
I use a standing on my mare.She will stick her head in the air as far as she can get it! Which was stopping me from seeing where we're meant to be going and like weezy said stopped me from getting smacked in the face! I have jumped in it up to about 3'ish which was'nt a problem with poppy. But we only jump small now so it's fine for her.It has the elastic insert.
 
My boy wears a standing with elastic insert for hacking in groups/hunting etc as he is a head flinger - I just got so fed up of coming home with a bloody nose or a foul mouth having been chatting and suddely an ear being thrust in!

FYI - I went down the back/saddle/teeth route before trying extra tack, given that the head flinging only happens in groups and not schooling or doing SJ/XC I am sure its an excitment thing rather than an evasion.
 
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