That's the point. ?I'm not working with a young horse. ?I'm dealing with a mature horse that ?came with a high head carriage and a head-tossing issue. ??
I agree that, for young horses, the best route is to go slow and teach them the basics. ?I did that with my old horse, as I raised him from birth, and never used a martingale. ?Never had to. ?I bought my current horse as a fully mature 10 year old, and most horses have some baggage at that age. ?Head-tossing (and a race-brain) is his.
I did one 25 miler with him tossing his head any time I even *started* to try and rate him. ?Not fun. ?I've been schooling him for a year now on the issue. ?In the ring, and on trail rides alone, I don't use the martingale,?and he is doing much better. ? However, that is in low-stress situations. ?He is nowhere near confirmed in this "new" way of going. ?In any high-stress situation (like Ride Day), he reverts to his old pattern. ?I can either not ride in groups and give up endurance for the next 5 years, or use a martingale in known high-stress situations. ??
I don't know why anyone would use a German Martingale....I use to watch Dressage Riders use them on young horses and it broke my heart....teach them the basics...there is NO fast way to get a horse soft and round...take your time and do it right the first time..
