# Martingale Purpose?



## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

juliann95 said:


> I have been around horses for practically my full life and they have all had martingales. Now with my own, I am wondering should I get one for him? What is its purpose? If I should what are qualities/brands that you recommend me looking for?


They are used for different reasons.

MOST are just training aids or band aids or gadgets. Some act more like a breast plate (western) to keep the saddle from slipping. 

If you ride properly without pushing the horse too hard and fast or pulling them into a frame, you can do without.

Though in some disciplines a martingale/breastplate is important such as jumping or eventing. 

Do you have a trainer that you can talk with and see if you need one for your horse? My horse used to be in one but we're slowly working out of it (he had major issues, poor guy)


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## KaiKamm93 (May 12, 2012)

I know different disciplines, especially in jumping, certain types of martingales are preferred over others. Standing Martingales are popular among hunter/jumpers, and attach to the bottom of the noseband. Running Martingales are the ONLY legal martingales for eventing & combined tests and racing, and attach to the reins with rings. Depending on the type of showing you do depends on what you use. However, if you don't "need" them, I personally wouldn't use them.


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

Martingales are to prevent the horse from throwing their head up to avoid the bit. But these days they seem to be used just for fashion.


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

There are different types of martingales and they do different things. The #1 most important thing is that you know how to properly use any equipment you put on your horse, otherwise you can get yourself and your horse into danger.

I have only ever used 1 type of martingale, so that is the only one I can tell you about. It's the "German Martingale" and it connects to the girth, comes up between the fore legs then forks off. Each side of the fork goes through the O ring of your bit, preferably a snaffle and connects to D's that are on your reins.

Many people use this type to try to FORCE a horse into correct frame...this is bad use of this martingale and can cause uneven muscling in the neck as well as put your horse's weight on his fore when used this way. I do not recommend this martingale for this purpose at all.

I use it to help me "correct" when my horse throws his head up. I am older and a bit too slow to correct and reward my horse when he pops his head up. I use mine on the very loosest ring and basically I am riding purely on my own reins. It only engages and puts pressure on his bridle when he REALLY throws his head up and as soon as he lowers it a bit it will disengage and give the "reward." Mind you, it is set so he can raise his head out of "correct frame" , it only engages in the EXTREME stargazing moments. It also does not interfere at all with him stretching his head downh, in fact he can put his nose on his hooves if he wants. I also only use it for a week only, then take it right off and don't use it for a month or so. Some horses come to rely on them and then it's really hard to undo that.


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## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

ponyboy said:


> Martingales are to prevent the horse from throwing their head up to avoid the bit. But these days they seem to be used just for fashion.


Winner winner chicken dinner. :lol:


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

ponyboy said:


> Martingales are to prevent the horse from throwing their head up to avoid the bit. But these days they seem to be used just for fashion.


 Exactly. Look at top level hunter horses. You'll see almost all of them wearing standing martingales. Obviously horses of that caliber competing in hunters don't have problems tossing their heads, so it's all for fashion.


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## KaiKamm93 (May 12, 2012)

KaiKamm93 said:


> I know different disciplines, especially in jumping, certain types of martingales are preferred over others. Standing Martingales are popular among hunter/jumpers, and attach to the bottom of the noseband. Running Martingales are the ONLY legal martingales for eventing & combined tests and racing, and attach to the reins with rings. Depending on the type of showing you do depends on what you use. However, if you don't "need" them, I personally wouldn't use them.


By the way, martingales are used to literally tie the horses head down. If you have a horse who likes to throw up his head to evade the bit, this could be a helpful tool, but since Woodsie doesn't do that (at least to a problematic degree that I've ever seen), I believe it would be a waste of your money


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Most of the martingales you see being used are incorrectly adjusted. The standings are being used as a tie down and this teaches horses to actually lean into the pressure and use it to balance themselves. This creates real future problems. 

This is how to properly adjust a standing






Commonly seen BADLY adjusted standing martingales




























A badly adjusted running martingale can be very punishing to a horse pulling the bit onto the bars of the horse's mouths when it shouldn't even be making contact.
This is a properly adjusted running martingale. The rings should reach the throat.










BADLY adjusted runnings


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

equiniphile said:


> Exactly. Look at top level hunter horses. You'll see almost all of them wearing standing martingales. Obviously horses of that caliber competing in hunters don't have problems tossing their heads, so it's all for fashion.


I doubt every single horse in show jumping is a chronic head-tosser either...


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

No, but there are some pieces of equipment that I use as a "just in case" type of gear. I always use a breastplate on XC, even though I rarely have a saddle slip back. I always use an overgirth on prelim and above XC even though I have never had a girth break. I usually use a running martingale (properly adjusted) even though my horses don't fling their heads up. XC is a rough and ready discipline where KA KA can happen quickly. I would rather be over prepared than under prepared. 

If the martingale is correctly adjusted, the horse never knows it's there.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

Allison Finch said:


> If the martingale is correctly adjusted, the horse never knows it's there.


Double, triple, quadruple LIKE.

I use a running martingale when jumping and wouldn't enter the ring without one. I can count the number of times it has ever been employed on any of my horses on one hand.

Sometimes, things go wrong, even on the most highly trained and seasoned horses. It's nice to know that my teeth and precious nose are safe in the event of a sudden head throw two strides out from a fence :wink:


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