There are four commonly recognised martingales that can be used on the horse. These include the running martingale, standing martingale, bib martingale and Irish martingale. It is also possible to have a combined martingale, which is a combination of the running and standing martingale.
The Irish Martingale
Perhaps the most different of these four, the Irish martingale has little to do with restricting movement of the horse’s head, as the others do. The Irish martingale instead is used to prevent the reins getting over the horse’s head in the event of a horse that shakes its head consistently, or when a rider falls off his horse.
The Irish martingale is made up of a leather strap that is around 10 – 12 centimetres in length, with a ring at either end. The reins are threaded through these rings and the strap sits underneath the horse’s head. Because of its positioning, this martingale can assist in stopping the reins from going over the horse’s head.
The Standing and Running Martingales
The standing martingale is aimed at preventing the horse from throwing its head up above a controllable angle. It is possible that the horse that consistently does this can result in hitting its rider in the nose with its head, causing pain and potential damage.
The martingale is attached to the horse via a neck strap as well as to the girth of the saddle. This is the same as for the running martingale, however the standing martingale then attaches directly to the cavesson noseband of the bridle, while the running martingale branches out into a Y shape with two rings that have the reins threaded through them.
The Bib Martingale
Similar to the running martingale, this martingale is also Y shaped with a ring at each end. The noticeable difference is that there is a centre piece of leather between the two straps, creating a more restrictive martingale. These can be used on the excitable horse that is likely to catch its teeth on the strap or ring of the martingale.
Each of these martingales has a specific use and should only be utilised on the horse if necessary. Always if one is unsure of whether or not a particular item will assist with his horse, seek the advice of someone more knowledgeable in this area. Sometimes a problem may be prevalent but there may be a better or different solution to the problem than trying supplementary gear on the horse.
Source
- The Manual of Stable Management, Book 4: Saddlery, the British Horse Society. Greenhouse Publications, 1989. ISBN 0 86436 157 2
Chris Thomas - C. Thomas has studied and worked with horses since 2001. She teaches horse studies part time and is undertaking an Equine Science ...
