Talk to me about running martingales..

[megan_marie]

I just wanted to here some of your opinions on running martingales and how useful you think they are? Personally i have no problem with any form of tack anyone uses on their horse, if it works, it works. I find running martingales are exceedingly popular, i don't often see many people riding without one. I have tried them on my boy jumping quite a few times, and he naturally has a very high head carriage, and loves to whack it up even more coming into fences, and without the martingale yes he will hold it quite high, but he's happy like that and I still have control over him, whereas with the martingale on I found he just fought against it and became unsettled... not very helpful going into fences. (I think he disliked the pressure/the feeling of being restricted). Anyway out of all the horses i see wearing one, do ALL of them REALLY need it? Would some actually be happier without them on? Or are they used as more of a precaution from the rider? If I was to ever feel out of control on a horse, I find if a horse puts its head down and tanks off, way worse than one than puts its head up tries to tank off, haha anyhoo i'm just curious to here peoples opinions.

 

[Goldenstar]

If a horse fights a running martingale the martingale is either exceedingly badly fitted or the horse is exceedingly badly trained or both.

 

[ester]

maybe watch the chris bartle demo on the burghley facebook page, they are a bit of a pet subject for him .

Essentially his summary was if you have to when competing then you have to but not for training iirc

 

[SpringArising]

I don't like them, I think they are confusing to the horse and make for messy steering. Most of the issues that come with needing a martingale could be sorted by a bit that the horse isn't trying to evade, training or both.

I don't use martingales but if I did I would use a standing over a running.

 

[be positive]

If a horse fights a running martingale the martingale is either exceedingly badly fitted or the horse is exceedingly badly trained or both.

maybe watch the chris bartle demo on the burghley facebook page, they are a bit of a pet subject for him .

Essentially his summary was if you have to when competing then you have to but not for training iirc

Both of these, I nearly always use one to compete, it is there "just in case" but never train in one at home although do sometimes hack in one.
There was a horse at Burghley over the weekend that the commentator, Ian Stark, thought would benefit from wearing one but he also knew the rider was more than experienced enough to know what suited that individual best and guessed they had probably tried and found it didn't help.

 

[Antw23uk]

I don't like them, I think they are confusing to the horse and make for messy steering. Most of the issues that come with needing a martingale could be sorted by a bit that the horse isn't trying to evade, training or both.

I don't use martingales but if I did I would use a standing over a running.

Really? I cannot abide those things they look awful and I hate how they dont give at all!

 

[paddi22]

i wouldn't attempt to ride my eventer over chunky courses without one - the risk is too high if he was to head toss or fight coming into a massive fence or combination , i think its a useful piece of kit that should only come into play when needed.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I always use them for hacking both my Arabs can spook and first reaction is head up and they just make me feel safer and I feel like I have a bit more control if they do decide to spin, I wouldn't use a standing martingale I think they are far to restrictive in my opinion.

 

[paddi22]

I don't use martingales but if I did I would use a standing over a running.

what would be your reasoning for prefering it, just curious? I have always found standing martingales to be way more restrictive. I also wouldn't jump in one because the the horse doesn't have the range of head movement available to balance itself in an emergency

 

[milliepops]

Really? I cannot abide those things they look awful and I hate how they dont give at all!

But they don't create that interference with the contact, and do only what is intended - to stop the horse getting the head up beyond the point of control.

What I would have said has all been said, I've popped a running on for jumping competitions as a "just in case"... but didn't use at home. I didn't used to put them on at comps until one day when I really REALLY wished i had as horse got away from me on the downhill approach to a fence and we sailed past it costing us a very decent placing

I've used standing martingales out hacking occasionally too.

 

[ester]

The reasons given against them I think are 1) interference with the hand mouth connection, 2) if a horse is really using itself over a fence, or needs to get itself out of trouble, or lands steep etc the last thing you want is for it to be restricted by the martingale to the mouth/or to be able to move enough. CB's demo stuff really was all about the ability to use the neck and that being able to use it correctly is something you want to teach.- Martingales (or lack of) was just part of that obviously.

I remember in previous years the eventers (high level) without them stood out, that really didn't seem to be the case at burghley. The 5 point breastplate seems to be in demise for that too (seemed more in the SJ) presumably for similar shoulder reasons.

 

[Batgirl]

I once had someone question (and I quote) 'why don't you have a martingale, he is such a big horse!'
This is my 17hh, schoolmaster who if anything I would prefer his head up!

I was baffled by the assumption that a big horse needed extra kit, just because they were big.
Most times when I have seen them they are either so loose as to be useless, the horse fights against them anyway (which defeats the point IMO).

 

[wingedhorse]

I always use them for hacking both my Arabs can spook and first reaction is head up and they just make me feel safer and I feel like I have a bit more control if they do decide to spin, I wouldn't use a standing martingale I think they are far to restrictive in my opinion.

Similar logic. I hack both horses, and have both sharers hack in a running martingale. In the case of true startle or panic it gives more control.

Majority of time out hacking has no action.

 

[SpringArising]

what would be your reasoning for prefering it, just curious?

I much prefer the way it's a self-correcting bit of kit if fitted correctly rather than a running martingale which is more confusing to the horse IMO. If you have heavy/unstable hands it doesn't take much for added pressure to be passed onto to the mouthpiece with a running.

I wouldn't jump in a standing either though

 

[Goldenstar]

Standing martingale are a very underrated piece of kit that has gone out of fashion .
A corrected fitted standing is a useful tool when hacking out youngsters .
They misbehave they get a clonk on the nose your hands are unconnected .

 

[blitznbobs]

Only time I use one is hunting and tbh I think it's more psychological for me than useful... I think my brakes are better but I doubt they are really! (Also gives me something to hang on to ... woof woof)




If you get the quote hotchoccy and marshmallows to you my friends

 

[Orangehorse]

Standing martingale are a very underrated piece of kit that has gone out of fashion .
A corrected fitted standing is a useful tool when hacking out youngsters .
They misbehave they get a clonk on the nose your hands are unconnected .

Agree totally. They are not supposed to keep the horse's head down, but to stop it going up too far and get out of control or in extremis bonk the rider on the nose.

I used a running martingale for cross country eventing, even though I didn't use it normally just as an extra safety measure.

 

[Cortez]

I absolutely abhor running martingales. They are 100% standard kit here, get slapped on when horses are being broken in and never taken off: most people don't ever question, or even know what they're supposed to be for. Even when correctly adjusted (almost never, here - always too short and create a pulley on the rein), they interfere with the contact. If the horse needs one then there is something wrong with the training and riding.

 

[ester]

Sadly I have just checked and they only have the video from the first session and they seem to start after the martingale discussion!

 

[Goldenstar]

I always put a running martingale on MrGS 's horses if you think about it it the ring on the martingale acts as a break on the rein when the horses raises its head it will happen the other way it the rider raises the hand in a moment of lost balance the ring breaks the worse of that influence from the hand on the horses mouth .
It's often forgotten that they work both ways ,mouth to hand and hand to mouth .

 

[dominobrown]

They are not the worst thing in the world and I do use one on a horse that gets a bit keen jumping and takes over a bit.
My more experienced event horse from a pro was ridden in one so I continued to do so until I forgot it one day and lreferred how he jumped without, he really uses his neck and bascules over a fence and he has a lovely soft mouth so I actually found it restricting to him... when he has a hairy moment cross country if left to his own devices he will sort himself out. I a ctually dont likemthem for any flatwork.

 

[spacefaer]

I hate the feel of the running martingale on the rein - feels like someone else is holding the reins!

I used to train with an American showjumper, who took off all martingales and flash straps - he said we could have them back if we could prove we needed them.

I hack and hunt most of ours in a standing martingale. It doesn't stop us jumping some seriously big places - it just stops the head coming above the point of control, should the horse have a silly moment.

In terms of putting more tack on a big horse ..... I hunt my 18hh without any martingale at all - just a breastplate - as he tends to gallop with his head level with his wither, and I need to be able to get it up before the fence.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I just wanted to here some of your opinions on running martingales and how useful you think they are? Personally i have no problem with any form of tack anyone uses on their horse, if it works, it works. I find running martingales are exceedingly popular, i don't often see many people riding without one. I have tried them on my boy jumping quite a few times, and he naturally has a very high head carriage, and loves to whack it up even more coming into fences, and without the martingale yes he will hold it quite high, but he's happy like that and I still have control over him, whereas with the martingale on I found he just fought against it and became unsettled... not very helpful going into fences. (I think he disliked the pressure/the feeling of being restricted). Anyway out of all the horses i see wearing one, do ALL of them REALLY need it? Would some actually be happier without them on? Or are they used as more of a precaution from the rider? If I was to ever feel out of control on a horse, I find if a horse puts its head down and tanks off, way worse than one than puts its head up tries to tank off, haha anyhoo i'm just curious to here peoples opinions.

I use one for hacking and jumping never had a horse react to them. I would make sure it it's the correct size and correctly fitted. The rein rings should reach the withers when pulled to one side of the neck.

I did buy a standing for hacking as my horse has high head carriage and throws her head back when spooking or seeing something or being evasive.

Now we don't use it as her schooling has come on leaps and my teeth are general safe from being knocked out.

I would get your trainer to check the fit and also check other things
Teeth
Back
Saddle etc in case it is something else causing this reaction.


I have nothing against them, used correctly fitted and in the way they are intended for.

 

[oldjumper]

I used to use RM hacking out/jumping/competing on horse that required one. Correctly fitted they shouldn't alter rein aids or feel for the rider. However having had an accident where ring caught on horses tooth as it was biting at a fly - I now use a bib martingale instead. Does job just as well but less likely to cause problem.

 

[ester]

I'm curious that people say that they shouldn't alter the rein aids or feel. They definitely affect feel to me and when people like Chris Bartle and Richard Waygood are saying that they do alter both (and have other ramifications too) I'm not sure I'm in a position to disagree with them!

 

[Goldenstar]

They defiantly alter the feel on the rein but that's no reason not to use them if you feel the need .
All our horses wear them at times but not all the time .
I often see them fitted far to short .

 

[Cortez]

They defiantly alter the feel on the rein but that's no reason not to use them if you feel the need.

Depends what you're aiming for. I'm a dressage rider, a martingale has NEVER been in my tack room, let alone on a horse under my tutelage. If I was riding a raving loony across country or around a course of jumps? Then perhaps my mind could be changed, but that's not going to happen in this lifetime so I remain a martingale-hater (in fact a reviler of any rein-altering artificial aid, bar perhaps sidereins for lunging, sometimes).

 

[Goldenstar]

I can't think of one reason why a dressage horse would ever need to wear a martingale .
But most horses don't just do dressage.

 

[Mule]

I'd say they are a bit like breastplates. A lot of people don't need them but use them as part of their everyday tack.

I had a lesson on a rs horse where they use them as a matter of course. I was going to be late so I tacked up without the martingale. The horse carried its' head noticeably higher without it, even though they are correctly fitted. Perhaps just the weight on the reins has an effect.

 

[Orangehorse]

Having once had a saddle slip back dramatically and me entertain everyone with a bucking bronco display - then a breast plate is useful insurance.