The running martingale and the standing martingale are both designed to restrict the horse from raising its head up too high. This restriction gives you more control, and can keep you safe from the horse's head flipping up and hitting you in the head. These two martingales restrict the horse's upward head movement in two distinctly different ways. The running martingale attaches to the reins. The standing martingale attaches to the noseband.
The running martingale has two rings at the ends of a Y-shaped piece of leather that attaches to the girth between the front legs. There is also a neck strap that keeps the running martingale up and out of the way, close to the chest of the horse. Using a running martingale can give you the extra control you need when you need it, and be passive when you don’t. It is often used for trail, endurance, jumping, eventing, galloping race horses, reining, and training in all disciplines.
Traditionally the running martingale is used with a snaffle bit. When the rider pulls on the reins and the horse lifts his head high enough for the martingale to engage, it will pull on the bars and tongue to discourage the horse from raising his head and getting out of the range of control of the bit. It can give you extra confidence to ride your horse down the trail or at speed knowing that there is a control device in place if the snaffle isn’t enough.
The running martingale should be adjusted so that when the horse’s head is in a normal position, the martingale is not in effect. A rule of thumb for the proper length is to attach the part of the martingale that goes to the girth, and when stretching the length of the martingale upwards holding the rings, it should reach up to the level of the withers. When the horse raises his head because he is excited, spooked, or avoiding the bit, the running martingale comes into effect.
It is not a device for teaching a horse to give in the jaw or poll. It assists the effect and action of the bit and adds power and brakes to whatever bit you are using when you need a little more leverage.
The valuable feature of the running martingale is that the rider has control of how much pressure it will put on the bit by adjusting the hold on the rein. On a loose rein, it will have no effect at all. When the reins are shortened, and the head goes up above the natural position it will then exert pressure. Being able to release the pressure is useful for when the horse feels trapped. You can release the reins and encourage the horse to continue to move forward, so he realizes the front door is open. With some horses, especially sensitive and hot ones, this is critical. Being able to release the reins is also a safety feature if the horse gets caught on something, or needs to get his head up to regain his balance.
Another positive effect the running martingale can have is to help diminish or stop a spook or the 180-degree spin. When your horse spooks, it is an automatic reaction to tighten the reins. When you do so, the running martingale will somewhat restrict the horse’s movement forward and sideways just by putting extra pressure on the reins. It also is helpful to encourage your horse to keep his head straight while going down the trail and not wag his head side to side just by holding the reins with light contact.
There are, however, some precautions to take while using a running martingale. The reins go through the running martingale rings, but to avoid the rings from getting caught on the bit (heaven forbid) you MUST USE REIN STOPS. Rein stops can be leather, rubber, or other synthetic material, but are most often made of rubber pieces that slide onto your reins between the bit and your hands preventing the rings from sliding down and getting too close to the bit. The other precaution is to never allow the horse to bend his head so far around that there is a chance he can get the bit, rein, or the martingale caught on your stirrup, girth, saddle, saddle bag or any other piece of tack. This is a precaution even without the running martingale, but with the martingale can really make the horse feel trapped and cause a train wreck. You also must use a rubber martingale stop to keep the piece that goes down to the girth snuggly in place at the neck strap. When you go for a trail ride, gallop cross country, or ride a green horse you can be more confident that you can handle whatever comes up when using a running martingale, or a running martingale attachment to your breastplate. If you don’t need it, it doesn’t bother the horse to have it attached. And if you do need it – it’s a relief that it’s there!
A standing martingale is attached to the noseband. It is also adjusted to only be restrictive when the horse's head goes up too high. It is a standard piece of tack in the hunter ring over fences, as it can help when the horse gets a bit too excited or wants to raise his head during the flying lead change in the corner.
A standing martingale is required on the polo field, as the rider is often leaning forward swinging the mallet and could collide with the horse's head if he lifts it up at that moment. The standing martingale can be used with a variety of bits - snaffles and pelhams for example. The downside to the standing martingale is that it is fixed in place at a certain length. So for this reason it is not recommended for trail rides or cross country jumping. You also MUST USE a martingale stop with a standing martingale to keep it in place at the neck strap.
Choose the martingale, running or standing, that is practical for you and your horse. Enjoy the confidence it gives you to ride, without worry, knowing there is some control when you need it.
