Took George's martingale off today - what a difference!

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Gorgeous George

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After reading various posts about unnecessary tack etc. I thought I would take George's running martingale off and see what happened. He came with one, and to be honest I left it on so there was a neckstrap whilst we got to know each other. Well the difference was amazing, he worked really well, started trying to work in an outline within about 10mins, cantered really calmly
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I was a really pleased, but also a bit guilty as it was obviously making him uncomfortable
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Bit nervous about hacking out without it though - what do you think?
 
i looked after a horse for a while once, took his martingale off for schooling as it interfered with my contact, the change was good. he was also much easier to control out on hacks (is a bit of a gallopomaniac) but i put it back on for jumping as he got excited and threw his head around.
 
I use one on Pip, otherwise he puts his head up to vade the contact and remembers his hackney roots, but ive never used it much except for on him.
 
i took bears off last week too!! and i thought i would just keep it for jumping but we went to a show today and jumped, and he jumped better WITHOUT IT!!! im chuffed to bits!! ive sworn to myself its not going back on apart from when i take him hunting!!!!
 
My horse was ridden with one when I first sat on her, when we went to buy her, so I used one for a few months. About 3 years ago, I took it off and have been schooling her, and competing her without it. Much better and much free`er.
I had a lesson with an experienced friend and she told me to put it back on to jump with as it would aid with my canter. I did and I jumped in it at a show and I found that she wasnt going forward in the canter and she had 2 stops. So I took it off although I didnt know if the martingale was the culprit, but I havent had it out of the tack cupboard since. I like her to be able to stretch over a fence if she needs to.
 
Really nice that you thought he went so much better - but slightly worrying that you feel that it had been making him uncomfortable?? Why on earth would it be making him feel uncomfortable if it was fitted correctly? If he didn't need it, and it was fitted correctly then he shouldn't even know it's on there
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It was I assume fitted correctly as my instructor checked it for me. But if he didn't know it was there, why did he go better without it? Surely my taking it off would have made no difference at all, or am I being particularly dense?
 
i took my horses running martingale off the other day - he had been leaning on his for support wen working on the flat - he was much better without his
 
Flash had always been ridden in a martingale when I bought him, wasn't sure why so once I got him home I never used one, he obviously didn't need it, no idea why it was on really
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i think some ppl just put martingales on horses as they think it makes them look more complete - and then the horses get sold on and alot of ppl dont question the martingale and continue to ride horse in it, wen the horses has never needed one in the first place
 
changed my running martingale to an irish as only used it for his intermittent headshaking (yes I know the cause) he used to bet really annoyed and frustrated by the action of it
 
have had a similar situation with my mare recently. she is an exracer and could get very strong when cantering out hacking to the point I had no brakes and no steering. I had been toying with stronger bits and a flash/grakle, however due to some advice from one of the guys on here I have been riding her with no noseband and now she has stopped headshaking and I have both brakes and steering...!

Sometimes less is more...
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As a firm proponent of "use only what you need", it has not been my experience that tack is "neutral" so long as it is correctly fitted. First off, horses are individuals and what might not bother one may very well bother another. Differences in conformation, history, sensitivity etc. make for different reactions and sometimes "because I said so" is not a good enough reason for a horse so accept something it finds uncomfortable, particularly if the piece of tack is not essential. Why have a fight you don't need to have?

As far as runnings, my PERSONAL experience is that they change the feel in my hand so why would they not change the feel in a horse's mouth? The rings do "bang" and slide against the rein just from the weight of the metal and leather (the only way it could exert continual pressure is to be adjusted too tight) and I find that can be distracting on the flat particularly. X-C, where communication tends to be a bit "louder" anyway I'm more likely to find the benefits for some horses outweigh the ill effects but again, it depends on the individual. I also find a lot of runnings, especially the breastplate attachments, limit the opening rein and that annoys me as it limits my options.

"Training forks" (the western equivalent) are often made of rubber tubing and lighter in construction. That said, I've often seen them adjusted at what an "English" rider would consider "limiting" on the belief that the "correct" headset (and they love that term) for a western horse is lower so the horse should be prevented from raising above that at any time. To each their own I guess.

The ones with the rings on the breastplate yolk look like a bad idea to me but are very common on western horses and Arabs. Perhaps I feel the way I do because the sports I ride in demand more flexibility and range of motion than "rail" classes.

Again, to each their own. I know people who use runnings on young stock as a matter of course and make nice horses that way. I presume they have a system and ride in such a way that the piece of equimpment in integral to their program. I've just had too many experiences where taking something supposedly "neutral" off a horse makes a difference - positively or negatively - to think that any piece of tack has "no effect" used correctly. The whole point is tools exist for a reason and using the right tool for the right job at the right time is the REAL skill, not just using things "because".
 
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