RE: Opinions on running martingales used with sidepulls?

[Marlene Moss <marlene.moss@wcom.com>]

Kristi,
I saw what you're describing in The Australian Connection - and probably
other catalogs as well.  I've made a few of those as a custom request for
people too.  I love getting custom orders - I always learn something new
too!

And I agree with you about the RM making sense in how you are describing
it - and look forward to hearing any reason why it wouldn't make sense.  I
used a RM with my mare for part of one season - while it made sense.  Then
one day I realized that with how she was carrying herself, it no longer made
sense - it never put any pressure on the reins anymore.

Prior to our start in CTR, I had learned how to ask her to carry herself
better, nose not all strung out, back rounded, hind quarters engaged.  She
just wouldn't do it during competition.  My impression was that the RM
helped me remind her to lower her head and calm down when she kept trying to
evade.  Once she realized that she wasn't going to win the fight with me,
she went back to listening to me and no longer needed the RM.

Possibly I am fooling myself that the RM assisted me with this, but it did
feel like it was helping me get back to the point where we didn't need it.

So I am also looking forward to discussion with regard to the sidepull used
with RM because it does seem like it could help.  But I do believe that the
RM should be thought of as a training tool, whose use should ultimately be
eliminated, rather than a lifelong crutch in most circumstances.

Marlene