Re: Running Martingales

[sweety@nni.com]

Yes, they *can* be crutches, as can virtually any training aid, but one must
know the entire picture before making that judgement. Many, if not most,
horses that decide to evade by head tossing and/or noses in the air can be
retrained in a matter of months, after which the martingale is no longer
necessary. However, there are those horses out there that either have been
taught by inconsistant owners or have discovered independently that if one's
rider does not attach the martingale - one can toss one's head and evade at
will...but if it is attached then good behavior is required. A certain
amount of cooperation can still be attained without the use of the
martingale on these horses but often it will not be as consistant and will
require more aids in the form of bit cues <i.e. mouth pressure> I for one,
would prefer to stick with safety and go with the martingale on such a
horse, since the mere presence of the martingale allows better behavior
which benefits the horse as well as the rider. Again, this is an issue that
must be addressed separately for each individual horse - the ideal is to
function at the lowest level of aids to get the job done safely and happily
for all involved - and to consistantly work to lower the level. But to write
the martingale off as a crutch is a knee-jerk reaction and doesn't allow for
the varying behavior and background of a horse. 
As for getting 'hung up' on trees, branches, feet, etc. this is a slippery
slope theory. If we followed this line then we couldn't use saddles, reins,
big jackets, or have long hair - all of which I have seen to get caught and
cause varying degrees of difficulty for the rider.
As in all aspects of life, we must avoid generalities and look at BOTH the
possible benefits and contraindications of any idea or thing, and evaluate
it accordingly with the current task we have at hand.


>Well, I e-mailed Sue privately, and said I wouldn't get into this discussion,
>but have you ever seen a horse get his martingale hung up on a tree limb?  I
>have.  Have you ever seen a rider get his own foot hung up in a martingale
>after a nasty spook?  I have.  Nope, these are not safety items, they are
>training crutches.  Yes, I have used one, and it was discarded as soon as the
>horse in question got the message--if memory serves me right, we used it for
>about 2 months.  The problem horse had learned the vice of sticking his nose
>straight in the air to intentionally avoid contact with the snaffle when he
>wanted to do something different.  The martingale taught him that that didn't
>work, and he quit it.  He went on to become one of the safest horses I have
>ever owned or ridden.  At the risk of being blunt, if you think a martingale
>is a safety instrument, I would highly suggest riding lessons--preferably
>dressage--for both you and your horse so that correct use of the hands becomes
>reflex, even when everything goes gunnybag.
>
>Heidi
>
>
If you make people think they're thinking they'll love you...if you really
make them *think* they'll hate you - Don Marquis